Guess how many piano-led ballads by a female artist have topped the UK singles chart this decade? Just one – Adele’s Easy on Me – and that was almost three years ago. There was a time you simply couldn’t escape the powerhouse vocals of legendary divas and their huge, impossible-to-sing (but don’t let that stop you trying) epics. But these days, the pop diva – fusing untouchable vocal prowess and range with a larger-than-life aesthetic – is becoming something of a rare breed.
With her huge hair, dramatic gowns and almighty voice Adele is one of those divas. Earlier this summer, she announced that she will be taking a “big break” from music once the curtain falls on her final Las Vegas show on 23 November; this weekend, she told an audience in Munich that after those 10 shows, “you won’t see me for an incredibly long time”.
