ADELE
Adele is a twenty-year-old British singer
with a big voice and bigger attitude.
She has had huge success with her
songs Hometown Glory and Chasing
Pavements. But she is conventional*
in one way: she finds love isn’t easy!
PROFILE
Born: Tottenham, London
Family: Adele was brought up by her mum.
School: She attended the BRIT school, a theatre arts
school where Amy Winehouse, Kate Nash and Leona
Lewis also went.
Career: She was signed to her label XL who heard
three songs on her MySpace page.
Life: She has just moved out of her mum’s house
and bought a flat in London.
Music: CD: 19
Songs: Hometown Glory, Chasing Pavements
Quote: “Money doesn’t matter to me – I’ve never had it.
It’s important to me that I give, because people always
helped me and my mum out when we needed it”.
WEBSITE:
www.adele.tv
8 CLUB JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009
Adele on love
It’s Valentine’s Day on 14th February
and to celebrate CLUB gives you
Adele’s views on life and love!
Adele on ... Love Songs
All my songs are a bit sad and full of drama because when
I’ve had my heart broken, or been dumped, I end up* feeling
sorry for myself and writing good songs. When I’m happy I
haven’t got time to write songs.”
YOU: Do you like love songs? Why/ why not?
........................................................................................................................
Adele on ... Her First CRUSH
“Will Young1 was my first proper love. I was obsessed. So it
was really embarrassing when I actually met Will. I’ve loved
him since I was 14, and the first thing that came out my
mouth was, ‘I voted for you 5,000 times!’”
YOU: Who was your first love?
........................................................................................................................
Adele on ... Fame and Boys
“I started seeing a boy a couple of months ago. It was
really amazing, and then he turned around and told me he
couldn’t go on* with it - he couldn’t handle* the paparazzi2,
plus he was paranoid* that I was going to
write a song about him!”
YOU: Would you like to date
someone famous? Why / why not?
......................................................................................
1 Will Young won the first pop idol TV show in the UK in 2002.
Now he is a pop star and actor
2 Paparazzi – photographers who follow celebrities everywhere
 Page 18
Phrasal verbs / Vocabulary
for love and relationships MUSIC

“When l’m in
a relationship
l change!”
Adele on ... Relationships
“When I was with my ex-boyfriend I totally changed. If he
wanted to see me, I’d drop everything – I didn’t turn up* for
meetings or go to the studio. I became ignorant* and selfish.”
YOU: Do you behave differently when you
have a girlfriend or boyfriend? Why?
...........................................................................................................

Adele on ... Her Ideal Date

“If I could date anybody it would be Zac Efron from
High School Musical. He’s so gorgeous.”.
YOU: Who is your ideal date?
...........................................................................................................

Vocabulary: Love and relationships

Here are five informal terms used in English

to talk about love and relationships.
What do they mean?
• To have a crush on someone = _______________
• To fancy someone = _______________________
• To dump someone = _______________________
• To two-time someone = _____________________
• Ex-boyfriend/girlfriend = ____________________
Comprehension Check

Look back at the article. Read the

statements. Are they true or false?
TRUE FALSE
1. If Adele is heart-broken or has just been
dumped, she can’t write love songs.
2. When she was 14, Adele had a crush
on Will Young.
3. Adele got dumped because she fell in
love with a photographer.
4. Adele fancies Zac Efron.

* WORDWISE conventional (adj) traditional and

•
•
ordinary end up (phrasal verb) to do something in reaction to
•
something else go on (phrasal verb) continue handle (verb) •
•
cope with paranoid (adj) to be overly worried about something
• turn up (phrasal verb) arrive ignorant (adj) stupid•
THE ANSWERS ARE ON PAGE 15.
A JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2009 CLUB 9