One of the biggest success stories of 2011, Adele is a study in contrasts. The songstress looks like the girl next door, yet has become a megastar. Her songs such as those on 21 frequently address heartbreak and sorrow, yet she possesses a bawdy sense of humor. She maintains a classy image, yet often lets loose with a laugh resembling the cackle of Fawlty Towers' Sybil Fawlty. These opposites are on full display on the DVD/CD Live at the Royal Albert Hall, which chronicles Adele's September 22, 2011 sold-out concert at the famed arts venue. Performing in front of an adoring audience, Adele demonstrates why she is the real deal—she emotes drama and emotion strictly through her powerful voice.
Beautifully shot on film, the DVD captures the deep connection fans feel with the 
singer. Audience members wipe away tears at some points, and sing virtually every lyric of other songs. As the concert progresses, Adele seems to lose some initial nervousness and allows herself to interact fully with listeners. After the audience perfectly sings the chorus to "Someone Like You," Adele wipes away tears and says she still cannot believe how people remember every line of her songs. At other times she appears like one's best friend, laughing about having recently bleached her hair blonde and teasing about her now famously doomed relationships.
Alternating between her two albums 19 and 21, with a few covers sprinkled throughout, Adele shows off her formidable pipes. Opening the show with "Hometown Glory," she beams at the audience while celebrating her roots: "Round my hometown, memories are fresh/ Round my hometown, ooh, the people I've met/ Are the wonders of my world," she crooned. Joking that most of her songs seem downbeat, Adele performs heartbreakers such as "Don't You Remember" and "Turning Tables," particularly shining on the Aretha Franklin-esque ballad "Take It All." She proves she can handle uptempo material equally well, positively wailing on "I'll Be Waiting," which sounds similar to Amy Winehouse's brand of retro soul. "Right as Rain" is a slice of sunny '60s pop, while her charmingly eccentric ode to her best friend, "My Same," benefits from having said friend in the audience. Explaining her amazement at how gossip starts in the media, she stresses the sarcasm and acidic emotions of "Rumour Has It."
Article comments
1 - Frank Nolan
I like the way Adele sings, its beautiful.
2 - Barry Shrimpton
I love the Songs but hate the Cockney Waffle and foul language between them on the DVD .....There should be an option on the DVD to Just play the Songs.