Why Adele Refuses To Apologize For Her Weight Loss
Adele is in full music mode as the living legend gears up to drop her long-awaited album "30." The project — her first since 2015's "25" — arrives November 19. In the lead-up to its release, the hitmaker has teased some of the new material on Twitter. She also debuted several new numbers (and dusted off a couple of classics) during a live performance that aired on CBS. Expectations are high, and early album reviews compiled on Metacritic imply that the project will be a serious win. Not many releases are rated at 89% before they've even arrived, after all.
Of course, the numbers already show that "30" will be a certified smash. "Easy On Me," the album's lead single, is in its fourth week at the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The track initially debuted on the chart with impressive numbers after only a couple of hours of streaming and sales, per Billboard. Its Xavier Dolan-directed music video has amassed more than 161 million views in just over a month. If the warm reception of its lead single is anything to go by, then "30" is on track to be one of the most beloved releases of the year.
While the big-voiced hitmaker is dominating the scene and arguably at the top of her game, people still want to talk about her body and weight-loss journey.
Adele lost around 100 pounds
Adele's fans noticed something different when she posted a couple of Christmastime photos on Instagram back in 2019. The hitmaker appeared slimmer than they remembered, a fact that was broadcast via headlines across the internet and the pages of magazines. Her evolving body sparked great debate over how to discuss a person's weight loss (or gain) and when to comment on it, per The Mighty. Spoiler alert: It's best to wait until the person whose body has changed brings it up. Otherwise, maybe you should talk about literally anything else.
People didn't seem to get that memo. The conversation continued into 2020 when Adele shared another slimmed-down photo celebrating her 32nd birthday (via Instagram). And the trend carried on strongly in 2021, per Life & Style. While many praised her for losing weight, others were critical. The word "uncomfortable" was even tossed around to discuss the difficult relationship fans share with an artist and their body, per The Telegraph.
Eventually, the "Rolling In The Deep" singer waded into the conversation. She told Oprah Winfrey in a November 14 interview that she lost approximately 100 pounds (via Parade). That wasn't all she had to say on the topic, either. Adele also addressed criticisms that she faced because of her weight loss.
Adele said she has her own "problems" to focus on
It cannot be easy to have your body scrutinized by millions. Adele gave us the impression that she felt the weight of the public's gaze while speaking with Oprah Winfrey on November 14. The "30" star was frank about the comments she'd received from people who were critical because her body made them feel bad. "I feel bad that it's made anyone feel horrible about themselves, but it's not my job to validate anybody about their weight," she admitted (via Parade). "I've got my own problems."
This isn't the first time Adele has addressed similar criticisms. "The most brutal conversations were being had by other women about my body," she told Vogue for the magazine's November 2021 issue. "That hurt my feelings." That's not to say that she didn't tackle the situation with grace. "I understand why some women especially were hurt. Visually I represented a lot of women," she explained. "But I'm still the same person."
Her comments have received a largely positive response from fans who complimented her for being honest about the difficulties she faced. They also expressed appreciation for her consistent messages of body positivity and agreed with several other points she raised, per BuzzFeed. The overall message was that it was time to stop hyper-fixating on people's bodies so that they could live their lives. After all, we don't always know why or how people have lost or gained weight.
Adele made it clear this is not her "revenge body"
Almost as soon as people saw Adele's weight loss, it was speculated that she had lost the weight in an effort to attain some sort of "revenge body." She flatly denied those claims in an interview with British Vogue for the magazine's November 2021 issue. "Oh my god. Suck my d**k," she told the publication. As if one of the most accomplished and celebrated artists in the world (or anyone else for that matter) needed to worry about getting some sort of revenge body.
The hitmaker offered a candid explanation of what did actually inspire her body transformation. Adele told the publication that she turned to working out as a way to get her anxiety under control. "Working out, I would just feel better. It was never about losing weight, it was always about becoming strong and giving myself as much time every day without my phone," she admitted. "I got quite addicted to it. I work out two or three times a day."
The eternally humble artist recognized that it wasn't an achievable task for everyone. However, she knew she needed something. And why didn't Adele document her transformation on social media? "I did it for myself and not anyone else," she explained. "Why would I ever share it? I don't find it fascinating. It's my body." There you have it, folks.