Adele: The secret of her success

It may have been the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, who first sang A Natural Woman, but it is Adele who now appears to be reaping the benefits. The 23-year-old north London girl, who was snapped up by record label XL Recordings after a friend posted a demo on MySpace, has made the breakthrough dreamed of by most British artists in conquering the American music scene.

With her first and second albums, 19 and 21, catapulted to number one moments after their release and the latter becoming the biggest selling album of the century, her new clutch of six Grammys on Sunday night has only led to further swirling questions over her apparently unstoppable allure.

Perhaps one of the traits which her fans say sets her apart is her apparent naturalness. “There is absolutely no sense of being manufactured in any way, and this has resonated with so many people,” Paul Scaife, managing director of Record of the Day said. “Younger people relate to her because she’s street and natural and swears a bit and smokes a bit, and she’s larger than the average pop star. She’s herself.”

“Authenticity is a redundant term.” Dr Rupa Huq

It is an intriguing notion to apply to a woman who sports caterpillar-leg false eyelashes, a blonde sky-high beehive and is clearly well-attuned to the art of 60s glamour. Think Brigitte Bardot, Dusty Springfield, Julie Driscoll, or even a comparison which is far less often used, Cilla Black.
More likely, this particular fashion is now seen as authentic having followed a steady but strong trail of manufactured pop culminating in the rise of X-Factor, only without Beyonce’s bling or Leona Lewis’ drama.

Authentic?

And yet, while many point to her authenticity as the reason they like her, Adele, like every other platinum-selling pop star, is not about that. If she was, she would not be a pop star.

“Pop is meant to be inauthentic,” Dr Rupa Huq, a senior lecturer in sociology at Kingston University, said. “Who said it was meant to be about genuinely tortured spiritualists in the field? David Bowie re-invented himself every five minutes. Authenticity is a redundant term.”

Instead, argues Dr Huq, part of Adele’s success can be down to her perfecting her art from the mistakes made by her forerunners, Amy Winehouse, or Welsh pop star, Duffy, who saw a swift tumble from grace after an appearance in a Diet Coke ad made her appear commercialised.

“If there has been any branding, it’s been extremely subtle.” Stephen Izatt, Thinkfarm

“She’s got an Amy Winehouse voice crossed with a cross-generational appeal. She hasn’t noticeably come from a talent show, and she’s got a good pair of lungs. But like Rick Astley, and the Rolling Stones before him, she’s perfected putting a white face on black music. With Adele, all things have become more refined every time. So while Amy Winehouse was coupled with a slightly dangerous image, that was her downfall in the end. Adele is so inoffensive anyone from your parents to the milkman can like it.”

Her music, and in particular the ‘blue eyed soul’ she is said to come from, also has the ability to cross generational divides – from children to their parents. And the Brits, it must be said, have a penchant for bland music. Adele leads the pack for most enduring number one albums in the UK this century, with 18 weeks at the top slot for 21, followed by Dido and James Blunt, both of whom had 10 weeks at the top.

Meritocracy

At the same time, she appeals to the meritocratic British instinct, say brand consultants. Stephen Izatt, the managing director of Thinkfarm brand consultants, said: “She is the person saying ‘wherever you’ve come from, your talent can shine through, if you’ve got a real talent’.

“If there is a brand, that’s what it’s all about. She’s done it by being completely faithful, and even if she hasn’t, it certainly appears that way. If there has been any branding, it’s been extremely subtle.”

“Any messages coming out of the Adele camp are all that she’s a normal girl who loves her music and is not too bothered about all the other pop star stuff.” Pete Flatt, PPR Publicity

This, say PR consultants, is also down to the strategic thinking behind her record label. “We all like a little mystery,” Pete Flatt, managing director of PPR Publicity said. “The PR has not been too pushy. Adele and her team have let the music do the talking – not many press interviews, not much publicity. It’s not a new thing – look at Led Zeppelin in the 1970s – they didn’t release any singles, you had to wait for the album. It’s the same now for Adele, although of course you can’t miss her on the radio.”

But again, it is her apparently down-to-earth nature and her music, which are what all insiders point towards. Mr Flatt said: “Any messages coming out of the Adele camp are all that she’s a normal girl who loves her music and is not too bothered about all the other pop star stuff. I think it’s a genuine strategy that reflects the vision and the character of the artist.”

Austerity Britain

And it is a mood which suits the “current economic climate”, Mr Flatt said. “Austerity Britain loves her even more for just doing her thing, not making a huge fuss about it and selling millions of records. Success on this scale is also down to a little luck and timing – and the time is perhaps right for an artist like this. There’s other factors as well – perhaps losing Amy Winehouse has made us take even more of an interest in Adele.”

Ironically, Adele’s downfall could prove to be her success. It has been argued before that the fact she is not signed to a major global record label has allowed her to sing at her own pitch, and nurtured her own artistic vision.

However the critics are eagerly awaiting further albums to decide whether to afford her the sort of acclaim her fans, and judging panels, do.
Her time ahead will be critical to how far she goes. Mr Flatt said: “The pressures on her will now be unbelievable, regardless of whether she likes doing press interviews or not. The ability to manage that will be a real mark of her artistic and commercial quality. And her strength as a person.”