Tuesday, September 16, 2008

What's playing in Rome now...Adele

I cannot get enough of her latest single "Cold Shoulder".

I first heard of British singer Adele when I saw the video “Chasing Pavement” on MTV Italia. I heard that song non-stop during my first few months in Italy.

What is in the water in the U.K.? Why do so many soulful singers come from there? She went to the same performing arts high school as Leona Lewis, Amy Winehouse, and Kate Nash.

She mentioned in the press that her weight is brought up more in America than in London. I was reading some of the comments when found this clip. People are so cruel. Who cares what she looks like as long as she’s healthy? She’s thick not fat…we all know the camera adds weight. I don’t think some one who is a 10-12 is obese. She isn’t trying to sell herself as a sex symbol. She started out as a jazz singer not a pop creation. Anyway I think she is crazy talented. I have serious respect for singers who actually write their own lyrics. Something about putting pen to paper and expressing themselves makes the songs resonate more to me.

I finally bought the song on iTunes after hearing it during commercials for the new season of Italia’s Next Top Model.

Adele’s voice is fantastic. Is she getting play in the States? I’m bummed another British singer, Estelle, isn’t becoming a bigger star in America. Why? Her CD is excellent. She's still getting major play here in Italy.

Here is the video.

16 comments:

Monika said...

Let's hope she doesn't listen to the 'fat' comments. It's so pathetic that that is what they pick at. Some lonely and insecure journalists....
I love the song and hadn't heard it :)

Di Mackey said...

I had to pop in and just mention a wee thing. In British English 'thick' means really dumb.

I'm a New Zealander, and although we murder British English when we talk, we often share the meaning.

I remember some American students coming to school years ago and telling of their shock on discovering that we call our 'erasers' 'rubbers'. They warned us not to do that if we found ourselves in the States. :)

Anyway, thanks for posting news of Adele. I love her voice.

Anonymous said...

OMG my husband and I LOVE Adele. Alex is always all over new music talent and introduced me to her this past February.

We were in Italy for three weeks the end of April and early May and heard "Chasing Pavement" all day everyday on MTV Italia like you said. That song brings me right back :-)

I saw her on The View two weeks ago but don't hear her that often on the radio...Estelle has been on my fav radio station here a lot though!

I read an interview with her about her weight and what critics and media have been saying and she said that she would only try to lose weight if it affected her health or sex life....and according to her it affects neither!

Good for her!

and yes....seriously, what is in the water in UK? So crazy to see so much Blue Eyed Soul!

glamah16 said...

I have only heard of her through reading British sites. There is so much talent coming out of the UK.I am going to London tomorrow and look forward to absorbing some new things.I only hope the fat comments dont drive her to drugs , etc.,in the quest to be thin.

Jen said...

Wow... she is SO amazing! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I still have some i-tunes b'day gift money, so I'm thrilled.

C was just asking today why more Leona Lewis songs aren't getting more play - so far, she seems to have that one hit out here in the States.

That must be one heck of a performing arts school.

gibber said...

i LOVE adele. VH1 plays chasing pavement all the time. Such a great song. This song you posted is new to me...I might have to scoop her album.

As for her weight...*sigh*. she's a beautiful woman with a beautiful voice who happens to have lots of curves. Who gives a!

erin said...

i really like this song! I heard the Sidewalk song, but only in Italy.

I have been hearing a bit more Estelle here though :)

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

monika - Isn't the song great? the minute I heard it I couldn't get it out of my head.

di mackey - True..in the states it can mean that as well, although we usually say the person is "dense".
I meant thick in the "urban" way i.e. a woman with some curves. The first time I heard an eraser called a rubber, I was taken aback. ha.

erynchandler - Thank is a great response from Adele. She was on the View? Okay so maybe she will 'pop' in the States. Glad to hear Estelle is getting some airtime.

gjamah16 - have a great time in London.

jen - you're welcome. Leona has a second single out here.

gibber -My VH1 is different. (I don't get their reality shows..that might be for the best. ha). I hope "Cold Shoulder" is released as a single Stateside. It's a great song. I need to buy Chasing Pavement.

erin - It's hard for me to listen to the song without singing. That's a problem when I'm working out with my iPod.

Di Mackey said...

Thick in an urban way ... :) thanks. I felt like such a prat writing all that as I was doing it but didn't know of the other 'thick'.

Ho hum ... I'll just wander off, blushing a little.

Anonymous said...

This song and video is great. I swear if I hear "Chasing Pavement" I will run out of my home chasing pavement to get away from the song. Love the song the first 50 times but here in Seoul, it's on every commercial, promo, etc. Overkill! Ha! She has a great voice and doesn't need to change a darn thing about her appearance. I mean, are we all supposed to walk around exposing our bodies, weaves down our arses to sell records? Please. This young woman is going to around for years to come.

Why doesn't Estelle get more airplay in the U.S.? See above response and add plastic surgery .

Estelle rocks!

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

di mackey - no need to blush. I love learning slang from other countries/cultures.

felcica - "I swear if I hear "Chasing Pavement" I will run out of my home chasing pavement to get away from the song" ha!

I remember hearing that Estelle's U.S. label wanted her to fix her teeth and get a weave. I get how a bad bite could be a problem for your jaw but there is no medical reason for her to get a weave.

Faith at Acts of Faith Blog said...

I've seen Adele live she is fantastic. She is actually a bit larger than a 10-12. I'm surprised she thinks her weight is focused more here in the US. I'm also a singer and when I lived in London and phoning up producers to work with quite a few of them asked for photos and dress sizes before they'd even listen to my demos. I wonder if it's the Black tax - something that Estelle has discussed at length with the disparity of support for Black singers over their white appropriators. Even I have to admit there's a big push for Adele, Duffy, Kate Nash, Amy Winehouse as opposed to Terri Walker, Hil St. Soul, Joy Denalane or Skye. Beyonce is very popular of course and Rhianna but they're US artists.

Claudia said...

after seeing this, I actually heard her on the radio here!!

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

faith - if beyonce and rihanna weren't so pretty I don't think we even know who they are. Sad but true. I don't of them as artists at all. Both work with excellent producers and shoot great videos. I like Rihanna a lot. I'm sick of Beyonce and her brand. She is not Whitney, Chaka, Mariah etc. She doesn't have the pipes. She works hard and is very ambitious good for her but at the end of the day she is an okay singer who had a very smart stage father manager.

Good point about Estelle. I heard her talk about that a lot. I am not a fan of the Black Tax. It not like we can even write it off.

Claudia - yeah.

Anonymous said...

I am such an anglophile when it comes to singers. I had no idea all of them went to the same high school. Thanks for giving me more download fodder! I like Yael Naim, and Regina Spektor,too. Not British, but def a similar sound you might like.

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

new - thanks for the tip.