If you don't know UK soul singer Adele, it's time to get familiar: She's 2011's first official superstar.
Her second album, the recently released 21, sold more than 350,000 copies in the United States in the first week alone. It has since gone gold and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. But forget about sales and focus on the music, a stirring mix of soul and heartbreak; lament and swing.
Adele's new VH1 Unplugged performance includes songs from 21 and her debut album, 19. (Just check her album titles if you need her age). In the video for "Someone Like You" below, Adele charms the crowd by asking if they're models before launching into the quiet, somber song, ending with the off-the-cuff remark "Oooh, I got a bit passionate then."
In the gospel-tinged "Rolling in the Deep," Adele recounts a sweat-filled meeting with Beyoncé, channeling "her inner Sasha Fierce" on the soulful, bluesy track. If you like these tracks -- and you will -- check out Adele's Unplugged performance of "Chasing Pavements" and "Turning Tables" for even more of this British powerhouse.