In case you've missed it, Adele is back in a major way. The singer is getting ready to release her first album in years, and if her recent interview with Vogue is any indication, she's no longer concerned about catering to the expectations everyone else wants to put on her.
Adele opened up to the publication about her divorce (she and the father of her son were married for two years), her new relationship, working on new music, and her recent weight loss. Here's what she had to say.
Adele got divorced for pretty relatable reasons.
The singer was quick to open up about her divorce from Simon Konecki. After explaining that their relationship was over before most people knew, she says, "I was just going through the motions and I wasn’t happy. Neither of us did anything wrong. Neither of us hurt each other or anything like that. It was just: I want my son to see me really love, and be loved. It’s really important to me."
She also learned that some of her issues date back to her childhood.
Like a lot of us, she has spent a good amount of time in therapy. Luckily, she's learned a lot. "Well, my therapist told me that I had to sit with my little seven-year-old self," she said. "Because she was left on her own. And I needed to go sit with her and really address how I felt when I was growing up. And issues with my dad. Which I’d been avoiding."
She continued, "Not being sure if someone who is supposed to love you loves you, and doesn’t prioritize you in any capacity when you’re little. You assume it and get used to it. So my relationship with men in general, my entire life, has always been: You’re going to hurt me, so I’ll hurt you first."
Of course, she had to address her notorious weight loss.
The singer recently lost a good bit of weight, a fact that has caused a divide among her fans. Adele explained that her goal was never weight loss but was about feeling stronger instead. "It became my time," she said. "I realized that when I was working out, I didn’t have any anxiety. It was never about losing weight. I thought, If I can make my body physically strong, and I can feel that and see that, then maybe one day I can make my emotions and my mind physically strong."
Adele also revealed that her divorce was tough on her son.
One of the more difficult aspects of her divorce has been how it impacted her young son, Angelo. "If I can reach the reason why I left, which was the pursuit of my own happiness, even though it made Angelo really unhappy," she explained, "if I can find that happiness and he sees me in that happiness, then maybe I’ll be able to forgive myself for it."
Ultimately, like a lot of moms who leave their marriages, Adele has had to reconcile that she might not be able to answer everything her son wants to know. "He has so many simple questions for me that I can’t answer, because I don’t know the answer," she said. "Like, Why can’t we still live together? That’s just not what people do when they get divorced. But why not? I’m like, I don’t [expletive] know. That’s not what society does. And: Why don’t you love my dad anymore? And I’d be like, I do love your dad. I’m just not in love. I can’t make that make sense to a nine-year-old."
Adele is only looking forward.
The interview is a marvel: Vogue manages to capture a bright, raw talent as she's ascending to possibly the most creative place she's been. Adele is open about her choices, her fears, and what's ahead — and she's still OK with taking most of us on the ride with her.
