US Audiences Say 'Hello' to Adele

US Audiences Say 'Hello' to Adele

British singer Adele opens a series of shows in the United States this week in the small city of Saint¹ Paul, Minnesota.

Three hundred thousand people live in Saint Paul. But it is part of a larger metropolitan² area that is home to more than 3 million people. It is on the east side of the Mississippi River, across from Minneapolis. The two are often called the “Twin Cities.”

The city of Saint Paul has recognized the importance of Adele’s visit. It took this chance to make fun of the competitiveness³ between the two cities.

The Saint Paul Visitors and Convention⁴ Bureau produced a marketing⁵ video using Adele’s song “Hello,” but with different lyrics⁶.

The singers in the video urge people to visit the “east side” of the river. They describe all the fun things that people can do there.

Hard to know what might draw those on the “west side” over the river more: a funny video or the real “Hello” singer herself.

The tickets for the concert and the rest of Adele’s tour, however, sold out last December.?

Adele will play again in Saint Paul July 6. Then she leaves Minnesota for three performances in the big city of Chicago, Illinois.

Top 10 Again

Adele’s most recent album “25” was released in November of last year. It spent 10 weeks at the top of Billboard⁷ magazine’s list of best-selling albums.

Now, Billboard reports the album is climbing the charts again after its June 24 release on streaming services. Industry experts expect the album to sell as many as 37,000 digital copies by June 30. That would put it back in the top 10.

Several of the album’s songs, including “When We Were Young,” were released as singles on streaming services earlier this year.

Adele is an expert “breakup” songwriter. She told the New York Times newspaper that she knows she has written a good song when it makes her cry.

But other people’s songs make her cry, too. In a People magazine interview, Adele told about the songs of heartbreak that move her.

One is, “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” from Bonnie Raitt’s 1991 album hit album “Luck of the Draw.” Raitt sings: I can’t make you love me if you don’t / you can’t make your heart feel something it won’t.

Adele will perform in more than 15 U.S. cities during her tour in the country. She spends the most time in Los Angeles and New York. Her last appearance will be in Houston, Texas in November.

Words in This Story

metropolitan - adj. of or relating to a large city and the surrounding cities and towns?

twin - adj. forming one of a pair of related or connected ideas or places?

lyrics -? n. the words of a song?

chart -? n. a list that shows which music recordings⁸ have sold the most during a recent period of time?

break-up -? n. the end of a relationship, marriage, etc.?

1 saint   

n.圣徒；基督教徒；vt.成为圣徒，把...视为圣徒

参考例句：

• He was made a saint.他被封为圣人。
• The saint had a lowly heart.圣人有谦诚之心。

2 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

3 competitiveness   

n.竞争能力

参考例句：

• At the same time shifts in international competitiveness were beginning to be felt. 与此同时，国际市场上的竞争能力也出现了变化。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• Their scientific know-how, innovation and technical capability are critical to maintaining the nation's competitiveness and productivity. 它们的科学知识、革新和技术能力对于保持本国的竞争力和生产率来说都是至关重要的。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

4 convention   

n.惯例，习俗，常规，会议，大会

参考例句：

• How many delegates have checked in at the convention?大会已有多少代表报到？
• He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。

5 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

6 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

7 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

8 recordings   

n.记录( recording的名词复数 )；录音；录像；唱片

参考例句：

• a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
• old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐