How Did Adele Get Discovered as a Singer? The Story Behind Her Rise to Global Fame

Published 11/12/2025, 9:50 PM EST

There is something magnetic about Adele that goes far beyond her chart-topping ballads. Loved for her wit, humor, and striking honesty, she has built an image that feels both regal and relatable. Fans cherish her laughter as much as her lyrics, and her presence commands a room without pretense. Whether she is cracking jokes onstage or baring her soul through song, Adele radiates sincerity and strength. Yet behind that warmth lies a story even more extraordinary, her own climb to greatness.

Adele’s journey proves that success is not given, but earned through courage, faith, and relentless heart.

Who is Adele?

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Adele is a British singer and songwriter whose powerful, emotionally charged voice has defined a generation of modern music. Born on May 5, 1988, in Tottenham, London, she displayed remarkable vocal talent from a young age. Her full name is Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, and her artistry blends classic soul with contemporary emotion. Rooted in authenticity, she writes about heartbreak, growth, and resilience, capturing human experience in its purest form. Adele’s origin and voice together built a legacy that resonates globally.

Awards have pursued Adele as ardently as her fans do. With 15 Grammy Awards, 12 Brit Awards, an Academy Award, an Emmy, and a Golden Globe shimmering in her wake, she has turned melancholy into a global phenomenon. 21 shattered sales records, 25 conquered charts across continents, and her tours filled arenas as if heartbreak were a national celebration. Few artists have turned pain into power so exquisitely, or in such a profitable manner.

Adele's early life and musical influences

Adele entered the world in Tottenham, London, in 1988, and was raised by her fiercely determined mother, Penny Adkins, after her father disappeared from the picture. Penny Adkins, a woman of artistic instincts and endless resilience, filled their modest homes, from Brixton to West Norwood, with records and restless ambition. Adele sang before she could truly read, chasing every melody she heard. The song 'Hometown Glory', written at sixteen, was her love letter to the streets that had shaped her heart and voice.

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Adele’s early musical influences reflected her wide-ranging taste. As a child, she adored the Spice Girls and often credited them for shaping her passion for performance. Her mother introduced her to R&B and soul musicians such as Lauryn Hill, Mary J. Blige, and Alicia Keys, while her own discovery of Ella Fitzgerald and Etta James at fifteen marked a turning point. Attending the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology in Croydon further refined her skills and set the stage for her phenomenal success.

How did Adele become famous?

Adele’s journey to fame began in 2006 when a friend uploaded her three-song demo to Myspace, where her voice quickly captured public and industry attention. The recordings attracted the interest of executives from XL Recordings, including Richard Russell and Nick Huggett. After witnessing her live performance at a small venue, Russell offered her a record deal in November 2006, only months after her graduation from the BRIT School. This pivotal moment transformed a young student into one of music’s most remarkable new talents.

Her debut, ‘19’, introduced heartbreak in its most melodic form, while ‘21’ made her the torchbearer of modern soul. It reigned over charts and emotions alike, proving sincerity still sells. The albums ‘25’ and ‘30’ continued her reign with anthems such as ‘Hello’ and ‘Easy on Me’. ‘Chasing Pavements’, ‘Rolling in the Deep’, and ‘Someone Like You’ are not merely songs, they are emotional geography, charting the landscape of love’s survival.

What is Adele's most successful album?

Adele’s crown jewel is ‘21’, that grand confession of heartbreak released in 2011, which sold over 31 million copies and conquered charts across the world. It was the moment her sorrow turned symphonic, ‘Rolling in the Deep’, ‘Someone Like You’, and ‘Set Fire to the Rain’ became not merely songs but universal cries. The album made her a monument of melody, proving that vulnerability, when voiced honestly, could shake the walls of every arena and echo through history.

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The tale began earlier with ‘19’, tender and tentative, where ‘Chasing Pavements’ first hinted at her depth. Then came ‘25’, a titan that shattered first-week sales records with ‘Hello’, and ‘30’, her bravest and most intimate work, guided by ‘Easy on Me’. Her debut single ‘Hometown Glory’ remains the whisper that started it all. And now, as Adele prepares for her acting debut, the stage is merely growing larger for a woman who already commands every room she enters.

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What do you think is the most inspiring aspect of Adele's career? Let us know in the comments!

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Iffat Siddiqui

644 articles

Iffat is an Entertainment Journalist at Netflix Junkie. A word wizard, she had the sorting hat smoke at the seams owing to her excellence in everything Hollywood and cinema until it finally declared that she belonged to the Royals, specifically Meghan Markle. Boasting over 300 articles (and counting), each one tastefully infused with the right mix of facts, wit, opinion, and essentially everything to make a perfect pop culture piece, she is the epitome of a trustworthy entertainment journalist.

Edited By: Aliza Siddiqui

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