Michael Phelps warms up by doing laps. Simone Biles stretches. So how do we mere mortals prepare for Adele: One Night Only? We rank her 10 greatest live performances, of course!
This two-hour event streaming exclusively on Paramount+ Sun, Nov. 14, marks the first televised concert from the Grammy Award winner since 2015, and will feature new tracks off her highly anticipated album, 30. (It'll also include a sit-down interview with Oprah.) So yes, a refresher is very much in order.
Before we jump in, please note "greatest" is a subjective term — however I will not be budging on my number one pick. And you'll understand why when you get there.
10. "Hometown Glory" (Glastonbury, 2016)
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Adele starts this performance by saying, “I was 16 when I wrote this.” At that, I paused the video, thought about myself at 16, took a deep breath, had a laugh, and kept watching.
Best Live Lyric: "I like it in the city when two worlds collide"
9. “Chasing Pavements” (Billboard, 2008)
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The beanie! The hair! Not a winged liner in sight! This performance is like when you watch an old movie and see a now A-list star dominating a scene. It’s so clear from the start that Adele was destined for greatness.
Best Live Lyric: "Or would it be a waste, even if I knew my place?"
8. "Make You Feel My Love" (Letterman, 2011)
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The absolute FLEX of singing "Make You Feel My Love" while SITTING DOWN. Adele does not need to stand to sing; singing needs to stand for her.
Best Live Lyric: "Though winds of change are throwing wild and free / You ain’t seen nothing like me yet"
7. "Someone Like You" (Home, 2011)
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I love a live from home performance! Show me her bookshelves! Show me her knickknacks!
So much of Adele’s power comes from her ability to tell a story and bring the listener along for the ride. This one is like listening to the most eloquent talk about heartbreak, sung almost like a monologue, articulated perfectly the all-too-familiar feeling of wanting to be remembered.
Best Live Lyric: "Who would have known how bittersweet this would taste?"
6. "Set Fire To The Rain" (The Royal Albert Hall, 2011)
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Is there anything better than Adele cracking a smile mid-song? I say no. As Adele looks around Albert Hall during this performance, she smiles to herself. Her happiness and joy are genuine and contagious. She seems (very rightly) proud of herself for this one.
Best Live Lyric: "I set fire to the rain / Watched it pour as I touch your face"
5. "Skyfall" (85th Academy Awards, 2013)
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Imagine for a second: It’s Oscars Day. You’re nominated for Best Original Song. This is the best day of your life. Until your competition, Adele, performs "Skyfall." You would have to laugh.
Best Live Lyric: "You may have my number, you can take my name / But you’ll never have my heart"
4. "All I Ask" (Ellen, 2016)
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At this point, it’s a given that Adele’s vocals are some of the best in the world. But the pain in this performance is what I believe makes it extraordinary. The way her eyebrows furrow and her mouth almost growls as she sings the song’s most heartbreaking lyric, “And since you’re the only one that matters / Tell me who do I run to?” She appears for a moment just a girl, not sure of the answer.
Best Live Lyric: "Take me by the hand while we do what lovers do"
3. "Hello" (NRJ Awards, 2015)
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Suppose I said picture an Adele performance. This is the image you would have in your mind. The hair. The black dress. The red nails. The backlighting. The way it somehow sounds exactly like the album. It’s a classic for a reason. 10/10 Adele.
Best Live Lyric: "I’ve forgotten how it felt before the world fell at our feet"
2. "When We Were Young" (The BRIT Awards, 2016)
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This is what I imagine going to Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrors feels like. Her voice, the set, and the lighting bring you so deeply into her performance that the song fully encapsulates you from all angles. We are in Adele’s orbit, and she is our sun.
Bonus points for the way she stops mid-song, points at a group of people, and says, “you remind me of when I was young, you lot down there.” It is a lovely sentiment made hilarious when you learn Adele was...27 years old.
Best Live Lyric: "I was so scared to face my fears / Nobody told me that you’d be here" (Adele’s low notes simply do not get enough credit!)
1. "Make You Feel My Love" (BBC, 2015)
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Adele is first a singer, and second an absolute comedian! The dedication to being Jenny. Someone, please hand Adele a second Oscar. If you don’t tear up when the “Adeles” realize it is, in fact, the titular Adele, I don’t know what to tell you.
Best Live Lyric: An “Adele” saying, “It’s not her”