Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (Born 5 May 1988) is an English soul/jazz singer/songwriter from Brixton, London. Signed to XL Recordings, a music label which primarily focuses on independent talents within Britain, Adele manages to incorporate a variety of flavours into her music, striking many people with her soulful voice and jazzy beats. She won two Grammy Awards in February 2009 for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Adele first made an impression in 2006 when she toured as an opening act for Jack Penate. She had graduated to headlining status by the end of 2007, thanks to BBC Radio 1 playing her single 'Daydreamer;' another song, 'Hometown Glory,' was also released as a single on Jamie T.'s label, Pacemaker. Early 2008 brought similar luck as Adele found herself atop the BBC's new music talent list, which was compiled from the votes of 150 music critics.
That same January, XL issued a new single, 'Chasing Pavements,' along with her debut album, 19. The title reflected Adele's age at the time of the album's release, and its popularity resulted in the release of several bonus editions throughout the year.