Interview Key Points

Interview Introduction and Current Status

The interview begins with Adele expressing excitement about the opportunity to do a "73 Questions" segment, after years of trying. She is currently doing "so much better" and is excited about releasing her new album.

• Album Release: Adele is on the verge of releasing her new album, which is the primary reason for her excitement and the focus of the interview.
• Location: The interview takes place in Los Angeles, which Adele finds "hot and sunny." She notes her typical British attire of a tracksuit in the warm weather.
• Living in LA: Adele has been enjoying her time in the US, finding it to be a calming experience. The past year has been challenging, teaching her how much of a "homebody" she is.
• Future Concerts: Adele is eager to tour again "as soon as possible," with plans dependent on the COVID-19 situation and people continuing to wear masks.

Childhood and Early Career

The conversation shifts to Adele's early life and the beginnings of her musical journey.

• Realizing Her Voice: Adele believes she realized she had a great voice when she got signed, as her favorites were "brilliant." She doesn't rate herself as a singer, though.
• Musical Family: Her mother is a fan of music and supported her.
• Early Gigs: Adele played in small London pubs and enjoyed venues like Madam Jojo's, where her friends also performed.
• Tottenham Hotspur Fan: She fondly remembers the "Glory Glory Tottenham Hotspur" chant.
• MySpace Days: Adele clarifies that she did not upload her music to MySpace; her friend Linden did. She recalls some of her "top eight" friends from that era, including Jack Penate, Jamie T, Kid Harpoon, Laura Marling, Lily Allen, Scroobius Pip, and The Maccabees.
• Stage Name: Adele has never considered a different stage name because her surname, Adkins, is "so boring."

Home and Cultural Differences

The interview touches upon Adele's home, her experiences as a British person in America, and cultural distinctions.

• Home Aesthetics: Adele's home is described as beautiful, cozy, and designed to evoke the "English countryside."
• Sarcastic Humor: The most surprising aspect of living in America for Adele is that her "sarcastic humor doesn't actually travel."
• London vs. LA Similarities: Both cities share a "tea and coffee culture."
• American vs. British Language: Adele highlights differences in vocabulary, such as "coriander" (British) vs. "cilantro" (American), "eggplants" (American) vs. "aubergines" (British), "movie theaters" (American) vs. "cinemas" (British), and "candy" (American) vs. "sweets" (British).
• Grocery Shopping: A typical grocery run for Adele includes healthy items like vegetables for soup, but also "sugar cereal for my son," string cheese, and ingredients for milkshakes. She watches what she eats.
• Supermarket Preferences: While Tesco was her childhood supermarket, Marks & Spencer's is her current favorite.

Album Creation and Studio Experiences

Adele discusses the process of recording her albums and specific challenges.

• First Album (19): Recording professionally was enjoyable, and she liked being in the studio.
• First TV Appearance: Sir Paul McCartney's presence in the crowd made her most nervous. He also sang "Hey Jude" with her on her first TV performance.
• Saturday Night Live (SNL): Performing live on SNL was scary due to it being live TV in America and the increased viewership from Sarah Palin's presence.
• Handling Fame: Since the release of "21," Adele has adopted a more dramatic appearance (bigger hair, makeup, and dresses) to maintain privacy in public.
• Book Collection: Adele's book collection includes titles like "Minari." She believes you can learn a lot about a person from their books, though acknowledges that many people now use Kindles or read on their phones.
• Second Album (21): Her songwriting diaries from this period were "drunk chaotic distressed very very sad." The diaries are now hidden in her wardrobe in London, their exact location unknown.
• Most Challenging Recording: "Don't You Remember," her attempt at a country song, was the most challenging due to its tender beginning and her preference for "wailing."
• Throat Surgery: John Mayer advised her to stay silent and be patient, reassuring her that it was a common singer's injury.
• Vocal Changes Post-Surgery: Before surgery, her voice was heading towards a "Tom Waits sound," becoming husky. Afterward, it was "a brand new voice," clean and pure. She would not release alternate versions of "21."

Fashion and Style

The interview delves into Adele's personal style and fashion choices.

• Heels vs. Slides: She hates slides and prefers heels.
• On-Stage Footwear: Adele performs barefoot to avoid falling.
• Iconic Style Moment: Her Armani dress at the 2012 Grammys while pregnant is considered her most iconic.
• Fashion Icon: Cate Blanchett is her fashion icon.
• Essentials: She never leaves the house without wearing Dior perfume.
• Favorite Eyeliner: Pat McGrath makes her favorite eyeliner.
• Fashion Advice: Her advice is to "keep on doing what you're doing" and prioritize "comfort over style."

Third Album (25) and Later Career

Adele discusses the creation of her third album and other career milestones.

• Difficulty of "25": Making "25" was the hardest thing she had ever done.
• Easiest Song on "25": "Remedy" was the easiest, likely because it was about her son.
• Max Martin's Advice: The most valuable lesson learned from producer Max Martin was about "hooks" for writing pop songs.
• Differences in Album Creation:
  • "19": She had to write an entire album as she was newly signed with only four songs.
  • "21": Songs were "pouring out of me" as she was a "hot mess."
  • "25": She "didn't have time to write" due to having a newborn baby.

Live Performances and Stage Fright

Adele shares her experiences with live performances and stage fright.

• Most Intimidating Venue: ANZ Stadium in Sydney, with approximately 100,000 people, was the most intimidating.
• Favorite City to Play: London.
• Stage Fright Cures: Sadly, she has found no cures for stage fright.
• Strangest Show Incident: A middle-aged woman at one of her shows drank too much, passed out, and urinated herself.
• Crying While Singing: She cries to "quite a few of my new ones."

Advice and Personal Reflections

The interview shifts to advice and personal reflections on life and career.

• Advice to 19-Year-Old Self: "Your love life's gonna get a lot worse."
• Advice for Aspiring Musicians: "Keep your heart safe and your music dangerous."
• Impact of Motherhood on Songwriting: She has "don't really have much time to do it anymore."
• Advice from Her Mom on Parenting: To "chill out and stop being so regimented with the routine."
• Happiest Memory with Mom: When her mother moved back in with her at 21, helping her through a difficult time.
• Mother on Tour: Her mother does not travel with her on tour because she is still her mother and "still thinks that she can tell me what to do."

Support for Grenfell Tower Fire Victims and Personal Traits

Adele discusses her support for victims and how she is perceived by others.

• Supporting Grenfell Victims: She felt compelled to help as it was near her London home and a national tragedy. She aimed to be a "safe and consistent person" for them.
• Describing Word: Her friends would describe her as "loyal."
• Al Pacino Impression: She does an impression, though it "tanked."

Fun and Music Experiments

The interview takes a lighthearted turn with music app experiments.

• Voice-Changing App: Adele tries out different voice effects, including "helium" and "drunk," joking that the drunk voice sounds like the whole album.
• Favorite Songs Created:
  1. "Someone Like You"
  2. A new song from her upcoming album.
  3. "When We Were Young."
• Favorite Beyoncé Albums:
  1. "Sasha Fierce"
  2. "Lemonade"
  3. "B-Day"
• Breaking Grammy: It was "really easy" to break her Grammy in half due to being uncomfortable and nervous during her speech in front of Beyoncé.

Internet and Rumors

Adele shares her thoughts on online content and public perception.

• David Attenborough Narrating Music Video: It was "surreal" and "incredible." He may not have known he was doing it, as he read a script while watching the video.
• Reading Online About Herself: She "very rarely" reads what people write about her.
• Most Ridiculous Rumor: Rumors about her love life since becoming single are the most ridiculous and untrue.
• Feeling Like Herself: She has been "very very lucky" and has never felt she couldn't be herself in her career.

Possessions and British Preferences

The interview moves to possessions and a "this or that" segment.

• Proudest Possession: Celine Dion's gum, framed by James Corden, who knew Adele was a big fan.
• British This or That:
  • Blur or Oasis: Oasis.
  • Noel or Liam: Liam.
  • Prince William or Prince Harry: Prince Harry.
  • Spice Girls or The Beatles: Spice Girls.
• Spice Girls Impressive Quality: They "really don't care about anything."

Final Questions and Album Tease

The interview concludes with the final questions and hints about her new album.

• New Album Exploration: "Does anything ever really end?" implies that her next album will be deeply personal.
• Unique Aspect of New Album: It is her "most personal one yet."
• New Album Name: She playfully deflects, suggesting the name might be revealed later.
• "Skyfall" Recording: She was heavily pregnant and her voice was lower. Her baby would kick when she sang high notes.
• Next James Bond: She would bet on Jonathan Majors (acknowledging he's American) or Idris Elba.
• Most Sung Song (Not Hers): "My Heart Will Go On."
• Dream Song Cover Artist: Barbra Streisand.
• Collaborating with Nicki Minaj: The song would be called "Mum Lee."

Extended Tea Break and More Questions

The interview continues informally over tea, exceeding the initial 73 questions.

• Favorite London Restaurant: Kai's.
• Favorite Pub: The Spaniard's Inn.
• UK Stereotype True: "That it always rains."
• UK Stereotype False: That "everyone thinks that we've all met the queen and we haven't."
• Favorite Curse Word: (Not explicitly stated, but implied to be a common British expletive).
• TV Binge Watching: "Ted Lasso."
• Beehive Haircare: Natural beehives can get "a bit smelly."
• False Eyelash Tip: "Get someone else to do it for you."
• Favorite Fashion Decade: The 60s.
• Wardrobe Essential: "A cozy jumper aka sweater."
• Biggest Risk Taken: "Leaving my marriage."
• Alternative Career: An English teacher or playing small gigs on her guitar.
• Favorite Written Lyrics: They are all on the new album.
• Favorite Lyricist: Leonard Cohen.
• Favorite Composer: Hans Zimmer.
• Dream Duet Partner: Chris Stapleton.
• Most Listened-To Album of the 2020s: "Show Some Emotion" by Joan Armatrading (for comfort and reminder of home).