Adele: ‘I’m Very Proud of Myself’ for Postponing Las Vegas Residency
15.08.2022 - 17:49
/ variety.com
Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn a cover story in the new edition of Elle, Adele speaks at length on her decision to postpone her Las Vegas residency on January 20 of this year, the day before it was to begin, reiterating in greater detail that it was purely an artistic decision — one that was painful, but that she does not regret.“It was the worst moment in my career, by far. By far,” she says. “I was so excited about those shows.
It was devastating.” But “there was just no soul in it,” she continues about the first iteration of the show. “The stage setup wasn’t right. It was very disconnected from me and my band, and it lacked intimacy.
And maybe I tried too hard to give it those things in such a controlled environment.” She said she’d come to that realization at a dress rehearsal the night before she announced the cancellation. Frustrated, she walked to the end of the 15,700-square-foot stage, sat down, unplugged her mic and started singing a cappella to the mostly empty, 4,300-plus-seat Colosseum.“This would be the best part of the show,” she recalls thinking. “For me, and for you.
This is what I want. And none of [the show] “has that.”However, her last-minute decision not only stranded thousands of fans who’d traveled to the city, it effectively derailed promotion of the 15-time Grammy winner’s fourth studio album, “30,” her first in six years. She says that she essentially “went into hiding” after calling off the dates, remaining indoors due to paparazzo. “The first couple of months was really, really hard,” she said.
“I was embarrassed. But it actually made my confidence in myself grow, because it was a very brave thing to do. And I don’t think many people would have done what I did.