Adele's Live Concert Smashed A Record, Natch

It's amazing how the last three months alone have somehow turned 2015 into the year of Adele, with the record breaking track "Hello" giving way to the multiple record-breaking album 25. Well, get ready for Adele to break some more records... of sorts. Turns out this Monday that Adele Live In New York City had the most viewers for a network primetime concert special in 11 years, with a staggering 11.2 million viewers. A big win for NBC, and further proof that our girl is killing it... but why is that, exactly? What makes up the power of Adele?

I think the obvious ringing answer is clear: that voice. It is untouchable, with a one-in-a-million kind of strength we've grown unaccustomed to. Maybe there's something with Adele's retro-throwback vibes that hearkens to the day of grand-voiced divas (she doesn't really ring as a Judy Garland type, but she certainly has the pipes to command a Garland-esque stage presence). Maybe we've just grown accustomed (and bored with) the grand world of autotune. All I know is that few modern voices can reach a sky high as hers can. She has that rare melodic quality that can snag Grammys, Oscars, and everything in between.

To contrast, I think there's a potency in how relatable Adele, as a personality, is. Whether she's fangirling over Beyonce, or proclaiming to never be a "skinny minny with [her] t*ts out," Adele has a very underrated human quality to her, which is sometimes lost in modern music. For me, I always think back to her giddiness when giving her Golden Globes acceptance speech: "Honestly, I've come out for a night out with my friend Ida, we're new mums, we've literally come for a night out, I was not expecting this. Thank you so much!" You're charmed, I'm sure.

And if you can't connect to her on that level (i.e. you are a monster), you can connect to how she pinpoints, almost seamlessly, that feeling of heartbreak. In the Adele's Live At The Royal Albert Hall, she speaks of the resonance of her smash hit "Someone Like You":

"I didn’t think it would go on to do what it’s done, and what it’s become, but everyone knows what it’s like to lose someone that you love in some shape or form, whether it be out of choice or not by choice. Everyone knows, which is obviously why so many people like this song."

It's no shock that everyone's able to sing along.

All this, and absence makes the heart grow fonder. Although Adele had success with her debut album 19 back in 2008, 21 marked her big breakthrough, her true introduction to pop music's elite. And then... deafening silence. OK, not deafening silence, we did have "Skyfall," but it was merely a tease that made us miss the British chanteuse.

Now maybe you didn't catch Adele Live In New York City the first time around (and apparently you'd be one of the few). If you're now eager to see what went down, it's now available for streaming right now. So get on that, and try not to spring too many tears... both mournful and joyful.

Images: Giphy (2)