Ben Byron Braude

17/11/2021

Wednesday, 17 November, 2021, 08:07 Updated: 08:27

Oprah Winfrey's interview with Adele did not include memorable moments.

Still, he was magical

Even without new revelations about the life of the most successful singer in the world, "Adele: One Night Only" (to be broadcast on yes and Basting TV this coming Sunday) provided a fascinating conversation between the singer and the most successful media woman in the world and we enjoyed two hours of sweet catharsis

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From "Adele: One Night Only", November 21, 2021 on yes and STINGTV (courtesy of yes and STINGTV)

If I had to describe "Adele: Only One Night" in one word, I would choose "Beautiful." Even before the songs, the band, the glorious evening dress in the "mermaid" cut, the celebrity audience and of course Winfrey of course, the special that aired earlier this week on CBS and will also air on yes and Westing TV this coming Sunday, looks just amazing. When you look at the stage at the iconic Griffith Observatory, with the view of the city of Los Angeles and more at sunset, all you have to do is lift your jaw off the floor, sit in front of the TV and enjoy (and maybe even get a little fucked up not being there in real time).

This coming Friday, Adele will release her fourth studio album, "30", and in honor of the occasion and as part of one of the most aggressive PR campaigns of recent years, she won an extraordinary special - a one-on-one interview with the world's most powerful media woman, Oprah Winfrey. In it she performed her greatest hits alongside the premiere of four new songs. "I wanted to feel protected at my first comeback event," Adele said earlier in the evening, "so I chose an audience that is a combination of people I know and love, people I've met a few times and people I don't know at all but - 'hey'!". So who are those people who make Adele feel comfortable? In the audience one could recognize Drake, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lizo, Melissa McCarthy, Aaron Paul, Alan DeGeneres, Selena Gomez, James Corden, Gordon Ramsay and many more. Which of them falls into the category of "selling and loving" and which of them into the category of "not selling but hey"? An intriguing question that we will probably never know the answer to. Well, except for the bestie Nicole Richie who was present of course.

More on Walla!

A classic from a first listen: Adele's new is one of her best songs

To the full article

Two giants.

Adele and Opera (Photo: yes, Joe Pugliese / CBS)

Just before this very noble monologue, Oprah Winfrey introduced the evening star to the audience and declared: "She is real and connected to reality, just as we all think she is."

This mantra will be repeated in one form or another more than once during the conversation between the two.

In fact, "Adele: Only One Night" is an oxymoron - a festive transmitter in which every frame shouts "luxury".

For example, the moment during Hello's performance where you can see the Hollywood sign over your bare shoulder against a pink sunset is a great example - and at the same time asks us to remember that the star of the event is the same simple girl we loved.

sounds strange?

What’s even weirder is that all this stuff somehow works, so that almost two hours of interview and performance go by for them quickly and with considerable pleasure.

If you've been to Adele's show, seen her on Carpool Karaoke or just on Instagram Live, you probably know that when she's not singing in that amazing voice of hers, she's talking a lot.

In fact, there are quite a few people who claim that the great personality and somewhat crude humor has a big part to play in her immense success, a claim that I would not have ruled out outright.

Combine these with an experienced and sensitive interviewer like Winfrey, who just a few months ago managed to get from Prince Harry and his wife Megan Merkel, an endless amount of outrageous quotes, and you would expect to get a memorable interview.

So this is, no.

Adele came to talk to Winfrey openly but also thoughtfully, sharing joy and openness but only to the extent that she felt comfortable.

authenticity.

Adele and Opera (Photo: yes, Joe Pugliese / CBS)

Remember, Adele and the world are in a special relationship, one in which the former rarely releases albums, jealously guards her privacy when she is not promoting something and somehow she still becomes more popular and successful from time to time. Apparently, her comeback single "Easy on Me" broke its own records, and is currently at number one on the charts in most countries of the world. The last break Adele took from music was the longest in her career and lasted almost six years, during which time she divorced her husband and father son, Simon Conkey, lost almost 50 pounds and entered into a new relationship with athlete agent Rich Paul. Lots of things that are very intriguing to the tens of millions of people who love her around the world. Adele agreed to talk to Winfrey about each of them, only the boundaries were clear.

It was a caressing interview, a meeting between two successful women (probably the most successful in their field) who first met - in Winfrey's rose garden, not far from her tea house, if you were wondering what really big money looks like - to pick each other up.

Even if on paper the connection between Opera and Adele seems artificial, in reality the two seem to have much in common, first and foremost the ability to be so familiar and famous and still convey to those who watch them the same sense of authenticity.

Is Adele we saw on screen really the same Adele that her friends know?

We'll probably never know, but does it matter at all?

Spectacular location.

Opera (Photo: yes, Joe Pugliese / CBS)

In one of the most moving moments on the broadcast, Adele talks about her recently deceased father. The father who struggled with alcohol addiction was not a part of Adele's life. Adele told of their last meeting when he was on his deathbed and she played him the songs of the new album for the first time. Her wet dampness also passed automatically in front of the viewers at home and by the time the next song started, it was already really hard to stop the tears. Further proof that Adele is blessed with a gift that allows her to tell her personal story in a way that makes millions of others feel like she is talking about them.

Adele also knows that this is not her show without having at least one marriage proposal. Accordingly, at the climax of the evening, Adele shares with the audience a secret: a guy named Quentin is going to surprise his partner and propose marriage to her on the show. The couple is brought to an observatory that has been completely darkened, the celebrity crowd is silent and the excited guy asks her to remove the blindfold. When the light comes on and Adele stands there and performs her cover of "Make you feel my love", the girl who just a moment ago accepted the marriage proposal, does not know what to do with her happiness. Adele sends the couple to the front row, and they settle down between Lizo and Melissa McCarthy, the young girl's so authentic shock reactions are one of the most amusing and sweet moments seen on screen recently.

And what about the new songs?

After all, they were the main reason why many of us watched the show (by the way, the broadcaster won the evening of broadcasts on American television).

Aside from "Easy on Me" which you all already know, Adele also performed "I Drink Wine", "Hold On" (which should be the next seal from the album) and "Love is a Game", all belonging to the quieter side of her repertoire When the latter adds a rich orchestration of a Big Band with jazz influences.

Adele sounds better than ever and it seems that even if stylistically nothing new sounds from her, we are facing another album of temporary classics that will accompany us at least until the next album.

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