The latest and greatest feat of entertainers is maintaining a media presence even when there's nothing concrete to promote. Adele proved that it's possible for a celebrity to disappear when they want to and remain relatively unbothered. It is possible for someone to stay away for too long.
"Someone", however, does not seem to include Adele. How does she get away with it?
Everything about her suggests that Adele is an old soul. Her styling harkens to a bygone era when stars could still seem mysterious and you needed a subscription to a magazine like Confidential to find out the more sordid bits about their lives.
Lana Del Rey also has a more classic vibe, but Del Rey certainly could not pull off what Adele has: to disappear from music for three years and then emerge with a video that with 27.7 million views surpassed Taylor Swift's record (20.1 million for Bad Blood) for single-day views. Even Adele's decision to step away from music, raise her 2-year-old son and enjoy country life in West Sussex with her partner, Simon Konecki, feels retro.
The Mad Men-styling is part of what makes Adele exceptional, as is her fairly conservative release strategy. There's no surprise. The possibility of an early release is doubtful.
She teased her lead single, Hello, and then published the video. She's granted a few interviews and has everyone abuzz. The song is on track to becoming the fastest-selling UK single of 2015.
Adele has won by exercising restraint, but she simply wouldn't be able to do it if she didn't produce popular music that feels thoughtful and personal and real.
In August, the Daily Mail ran a story claiming that Adele turned down an offer to make 80 million ($186 million) touring after the release of 25 to stay home and raise her son, Angelo. Even if it's not true, it feels like it could be, doesn't it? The more likely reality is that Adele's voice can't accommodate a massive 200-date world tour. She told Anderson Cooper in 2012 that the vocal polyps that silenced her for four months in 2011 could return if she stresses her voice too much. The truth is, Adele wins respect from her peers and adoration from her fans because she feels authentic in a way few celebrities do. She speaks with a charming, thick cockney accent that hasn't changed as she's become famous and rich enough to buy a house in Notting Hill. She loves to swear. She's Amy Winehouse, in some respects, minus her demons.
In a world in which everything bespoke, free-range, artisanal and overwhelmingly Etsy-ed now feels like another cynical ploy to separate you from your money, Adele is the real deal. As long as she remains true to that, she'll be able to step away for as long as she wants.
Music preview
Who: Adele
What: New album 25
When: Released Friday.
