Adele, a cheeky London girl with an infectious laugh and a potty mouth, discusses her journey to fame, her inspirations Etta James and Nina Simone, her struggles with stage fright and canceling tours, her determination to finish her album, and her decision to take a break from her career.
Adele experiences serious performance anxiety, which doesn't diminish with success.
Adele faces the challenge of balancing fan disappointment and delivering a high-quality performance.
Deep dives
Adele's Struggle with Performance Anxiety
Adele suffers from serious performance anxiety, experiencing sweating, shaking, and sometimes vomiting before every live performance. This anxiety doesn't diminish with success.
The Vegas Residency and Show Cancellation
Adele, on the verge of her four-month residency at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, cancels the show just before its opening. Citing problems with COVID and the show not being ready, she faces the challenge of balancing the disappointment of fans and the need to deliver a high-quality performance.
Adele's Early Musical Journey and Influences
Growing up in Tottenham, North London, Adele was captivated by music and drew inspiration from powerful female artists like Etta James and Nina Simone. She discovered her passion for singing and songwriting early on and began honing her skills at the prestigious Brit School.
Adele's Rise to Fame and Early Achievements
After getting signed by a record label and releasing her debut album '19', Adele quickly rose to stardom. She won the Critics' Choice Award at the Brits and embarked on a successful tour in the United States. However, the pressures of fame, grueling schedules, and her own insecurities took a toll on her mental well-being.
Welcome to Terribly Famous, a new podcast from Wondery which takes you right inside the lives of our most iconic stars. Over this first series, we’ll uncover the rocky road to super-stardom of Britain’s home-grown diva, Adele.
She’s a cheeky London girl with an infectious laugh and a potty mouth. She’s inspired by trauma and heartbreak to write songs. And she’s inspired by stars like Etta James and Nina Simone to sing them. But when her talent makes her a sensation almost overnight, she has to find a way to keep the sensitivity that connects her to her fans from becoming a vulnerability that could destroy her.