By Samantha Sidi ’16, Arts and Entertainment Editor 

British singer, songwriter, and pop star Adele has once again sparked a cultural phenomenon through the release of her new album 25. Within the first week of its release, 3.38 million copies of 25 were sold, breaking the previous record of ’N Sync’s No Strings Attached, which sold 2.42 million copies in the first week of its release in 2000. Her album has continued to sell 12 million more copies into 2016, and shows no sign of stopping. Her last album, 21, sold an astounding 30 million copies worldwide and was the best-selling album of 2011 and 2012. All signs point to the same with 25.

There are many reasons for Adele’s popularity. Her raw talent, authenticity, and the relatability of her music are what I believe make her a pop sensation. Adele stays true to herself without constantly connecting with her fans on social media. Instead, she focuses her time on producing music that conveys her true voice. She refuses to be distracted by the public; she noted, “How am I supposed to write a real record if I’m waiting for half a million likes on a photo? That ain’t real.” This is truly rare in the music industry where stars use social media to their advantage to promote their products.

Besides not widely promoting her music through social media, Adele also does not participate in product endorsement like so many other artists. Adele refuses to cultivate a ‘brand’ because she wants to continue to be likable and genuine with her music. This reason mostly comes from also viewing herself as a consumer of music; she said, “I don’t care if you make an amazing album—if I don’t like you, I ain’t getting your record.” She also sticks to the traditional way of consuming music through not streaming her music: “I buy my music. I download it, and I buy a physical [copy] just to make up for the fact that someone else somewhere isn’t. It’s a bit disposable, streaming.” This is why 25 is not available on streaming services because Adele primarily believes “music should be an event.”

What is interesting about Adele’s choice to opt out of streaming 25 is the lack of controversy that it caused. Perhaps this is because of Adele’s talent and likability or the long-awaited release of another album. She did not rush the release of another album because she believes, “It doesn’t matter how long it takes. You’re only as good as your next record.” Additionally, Adele waited to recede from the public eye by spending time with her boyfriend Simon Konecki and their son, Angelo. Adele stated, “I was very conscious to make sure that our bond was strong and unbreakable,” she says. “I had to get to that point before I’d come back.”

Therefore, when Adele released “Hello,” it shattered records because fans had waited for what seemed like forever to listen to her new music. The “Hello” music video was viewed at a rate of 1.6 million times per hour on YouTube, and has topped Billboard charts for 10 weeks. Erin Viola ’16 was one of the almost 1 billion people who screened the “Hello”‘ video, and when Olimpia Kane ’16 was asked about the video she replied, “Who hasn’t seen it?” The views and Adele’s success show no signs of stopping.