Adele (singer) - Artistry

Artistry

Adele's voice is categorised as contralto. Initially, critics suggested that her vocals were more developed and intriguing than her songwriting, a sentiment with which Adele agreed. Adele has stated: "I taught myself how to sing by listening to Ella Fitzgerald for acrobatics and scales, Etta James for passion and Roberta Flack for control." Adele's first album is of the soul genre, with lyrics describing heartbreak and relationship. Her success occurred simultaneously with several other British female soul singers, with the British press dubbing her a new Amy Winehouse. This was described as a third British Musical Invasion of the US. However, Adele called the comparisons between her and other female soul singers lazy, noting "we're a gender, not a genre". By the beginning of 2009, listeners and critics started to describe Adele as unique. AllMusic wrote that "Adele is simply too magical to compare her to anyone." Following the release of her debut album 19, Kanye West and Beyoncé Knowles were among the artists vocal in their praise of her music. Beyoncé cited Adele as one of the influences for her fourth album, 4. Madonna expressed a desire to collaborate with Adele, commenting; "I think she’s brilliant, I love her". Celine Dion performed "Rolling in the Deep" at her show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, after telling the crowd, "I love Adele so much. She's amazing." J. J. Burnel of The Stranglers is also a fan, stating; "She had me riveted... Of course she's huge and normally that would turn me off because it's too commercial. But I was seriously impressed". Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and Nirvana fame has repeatedly praised Adele in interviews. Former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash stated; "She's great. She's a shot in the arm for this industry. She writes her own music that's not at all contrived. And she's managed to sell loads of records which makes her a great example to the younger artists."