Adele’s career timeline as she cements her status as queen of the Brit Awards
The London singer shot to fame in 2008.
Adele has cemented her status as queen of the Brits, becoming the most decorated solo female artist at the awards.
The 33-year-old singer has had a bumpy start to 2022, having been forced to cancel her Las Vegas residency at the last minute due to delays and coronavirus-related problems.
Following her latest successes at the coveted music awards, here is a timeline of her career:
– 2006
Adele graduates from the Brit School in Croydon, south London. The college counts Amy Winehouse, Raye and Loyle Carner among its alumni.
Later in the year she signs a record deal with XL Recordings.
– 2007
She receives the Brit Awards Critics’ Choice award, and tops the BBC Sound of 2008 poll.
– 2008
Adele becomes a household name with the release of her folk and Motown-influenced debut album 19. The record is lauded by critics and goes eight times platinum in the UK and three times platinum in the US.
Lead single Hometown Glory is tapped for a Grammy in the best female pop vocal performance category. Adele, an avid fan of Beyonce, loses out to the US star’s song Halo.
– 2011
After three years of radio silence, the famously private singer re-emerges with the release of 21. It is another critical and commercial success. Unlike her first album, 21 triumphs at the Grammys, winning a record-tying six gongs, plus two Brits.
The album contains the songs that will come to define her: Rolling In The Deep, Someone Like You and Set Fire To The Rain.
– 2012
Adele releases Skyfall, the theme to the James Bond film of the same name. The song earns her a bevy of awards including an Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe.
She is pictured for the first time with charity boss Mr Konecki on holiday and the couple welcome their son Angelo in October.
– 2013
In June she is appointed an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to music.
– 2015
Adele returns after a three-year break from the limelight. Her third album, 25, is released in November.
Again, it is hailed by the public and critics, becoming the year’s best-selling album and breaking first-week sales in the UK and US.
– 2016
Adele embarks on her largest tour yet, playing stadiums and arenas in Europe, North America and elsewhere, culminating in a string of concerts at Wembley Stadium in late 2017.
The singer headlines Glastonbury and, despite dropping copious F-bombs, wins over the festival crowd with a 90-minute set.
She and Mr Konecki tie the knot in a secret ceremony but thanks to her closely guarded private life, manage to keep the news under wraps.
– 2019
Adele announces she and Mr Konecki have separated, though representatives add they are “committed to raising their son together lovingly”.
Alongside Lady Gaga and Claire Foy, Adele is invited into the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences – the organisation behind the Oscars – as it tries to raise its female membership.
– 2020
Reports emerge suggesting Adele is close to finishing her fourth album but she later confirms production and release have been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In October, she makes her first TV appearance in nearly four years as host of Saturday Night Live, joking about her dramatic weight loss and poking fun at her fans’ impatience for her record.
– 2021
The year 2021 sees a burst of activity from the star.
In January she reaches a divorce settlement with her estranged husband, almost two years after they separated, and marks the 10th anniversary of her award-winning album 21.
Adele, now 33, confirms her new romance with American sports agent Rich Paul – founder of management company Klutch Sports Group, which represents high-profile basketball stars – in September.
The marketing campaign for her new album begins on October 1 with the number 30 appearing on billboards and is projected on to famous landmarks around the world.
Later that month Adele announces dates for London performances in 2022 marking her first UK live shows since 2017.
Before the release of the heavily anticipated album on November 19 she sits down with US talk show host Oprah Winfrey and performs a special concert at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
Following the official release she performs a special comeback show at the London Palladium where she is joined by a host of celebrity friends and makes an emotional reunion with her former English teacher.
30 spends five consecutive weeks at the top of the UK charts after becoming the fastest-selling album of 2021 in the first week of its release.
– 2022
Following the excitement of 2021 Adele teases fans by telling them there is “so much” coming in the new year and releasing a nostalgic video for her song Oh My God.
But disaster strikes soon after, when she is forced to cancel her residency at Caesars Palace hotel in Las Vegas, announcing the news in a tearful video in which she admits that “my show ain’t ready”.
Despite the drama she confirms that she will perform at the Brit awards in February, appearing to address rumours that she and Paul have split.
Adele takes the Brits by storm, winning three prizes and dedicating the biggest gong of the night to her son in a tearful speech.
The star takes home song of the year, album of the year and artist of the year during the first ceremony to feature gender-neutral categories.
Her success brings her total Brits haul to 12 and increases her lead as the most decorated solo female artist at the awards.
