Adele, moved to Cannery Ballroom

"Should I give up/or should I just keep chasing pavements/Even if it leads nowhere." The minute you hear that voice, the hair stands up on the back of your neck, and you realize this is someone special. She's just 19, but Adele Laurie Blue Adkins—you can call her simply Adele—sings like a woman three times her age. A soul sensation in her native U.K., Adele is poised to conquer America with 19, her debut album, which was released in the States on XL /Columbia Records after debuting at No. 1 on the British charts. When the U.K. press began dubbing Adele "the next Amy Winehouse" in late 2007, the hype didn't touch upon the heavy singer/songwriter influence found in the Londoner's music. Influenced by Suzanne Vega as much as Jill Scott, Adele first made an impression in 2006 when she toured as an opening act for Jack Penate. She had graduated to headlining status by the end of 2007, thanks to BBC Radio 1 playing her single "Daydreamer”; another song, "Hometown Glory," was also released as a single on Jamie T.'s label, Pacemaker. An appearance alongside Paul McCartney and Björk on the BBC 2 television show Later with Jools Holland came next, and a recording contract with XL Recordings was finalized soon after. January 2008, XL issued a new single, "Chasing Pavements," along with her debut album, 19.