She's inspired by artists as diverse as The Cure, the late Etta James, Billy Bragg and Peggy Lee. She now has the world at her feet. So why, after climbing to the dizzy heights of stardom, has the press suddenly become interested in Adele's fashion sense? Is this another classic case of a slow news day, or has she become a fresh target for disparaging headlines? More to the point, does it really matter what she wears?
Grammy awards dress overshadows awards
I refer to a story that broke this week concerning Adele's choice of a Riccardo Tisci costume for last month's Grammy awards.
Rather unkindly, it drew parallels with Fiona from the Shrek movie. The fact that Adele won five awards that night, with stiff competition from Beyoncé, seems to have been overshadowed by the comments on her choice of atire. But in the true traditions of showbiz, when your back's against the wall, you come out with both barrels blazing. The Tottenham lass' response to the remarks, during a concert in Perth, were equally scathing: "....They can say what they want, I don't care. It was Givenchy couture..." Not a bad retort for a lass who, in her formative years, aged 9, had come up the hard way, moving from Brixton to Brighton and back again in a two year period, before going on to release her debut album a mere ten years later.
An impressive track record
Of course, you don't need me to remind you about her impressive track record since then. Few can forget her co-written Bond theme for "Skyfall," which went on to become the UK's highest charting Bond theme, equalling Duran Duran's "A View to a Kill." So Shrek comparisons or not, there's no doubting that Adele has risen through the musical ranks, paid her dues, and won -- hands down.
Surely her record sales and sell-out tours are more significant than the mere color of a dress? You would think so, but I guess, as was hinted earlier, it sometimes seems that the thing to do is wait until a star is at a certain stage of their career and then shoot them down. Fortunately, Adele had the backbone to shoot back.
