ADELE - TALENT VERSUS BODY IMAGE

It seems like everyone is into Adele nowadays. Gifted with a soulful voice, she reminds me so much of Alison Moyet (of Yazoo before she went solo), Helen Terry (backing vocalist for Culture Club in the 80s) and a few other big-boned female singers. All of them are/were, coincidentally, big girls with big voices. Adele has it much easier than the other singers though. Critiques and fans alike are much more interested in her talent and artistry rather than her size (that's the way it should be anyway). Alison Moyet and the rest are not as lucky. Despite their huge talent, they never got as big as Adele (no pun intended on both accounts). I am not sure whether the recording industry, media and fans nowadays are less concerned about how a singer should look like since Adele's newest album '21' is very well-received globally. It has also managed to garner several prestigious awards. A few full-figured female singers had to shed their weight in order to look sexier and more appealing to the public. Just look at Jennifer Hudson and Toni Braxton. They started as singers who depended on their voices and not their images. It was not long after their first albums that both of them began to flaunt their new sexier and slender bodies. Toni Braxton totally took it to the other extreme when she started to dress in very revealing clothes that left almost nothing to the imagination. Ann Wilson (of Heart) once had to have mostly facial shots and wear dark clothing for the group's music videos due to her constantly ballooning figure. Debora Iyall (of Romeo Void) is a brilliant songwriter and yet during the group's heyday, she was discriminated and asked to lose weight. Most swimsuit models need to be physically toned and trim in order to sell the products but real singers whose asset lies within their vocal cords should not be too obsessed to look picture perfect. Kudos to all female singers who fight for their art without looking like tarts.

Adele

Ann Wilson

Debora Iyall

Alison Moyet

Helen Terry

p/s Beauty passes but wisdom remains.