ADÉLA Is Finding Herself and We Have a Front Row Seat
Written by: Carli Kennett
ARTIST: ADÉLA
ALBUM: PRIMA (2026)
GENRE: Pop
RATING: 8.5/10
Ahead of her debut album, ADÉLA caught attention around the world with her compelling musical performances, storytelling, and opening set for Demi Lovato. PRIMA now invites listeners into ADÉLA’s world of lights, color, and glamour while simultaneously drawing attention to the fact that she’s still an emotional, introspective young adult. The bold debut album refuses to be ignored and is exactly what she needed to launch into the pop scene.
The album title is perfectly clever, with the word prima alluding to the album being ADÉLA’s first while also highlighting her history with ballet training. PRIMA kicks off with KGB, an in-your-face track that tells us all about ADÉLA’s upbringing. An immigrant from Slovakia, ADÉLA came to the United States at 18 as a trainee with HYBE and Geffen. This wasn’t by coincidence. As ADÉLA explains “I was like eight working the night shift to learn English,” the storytelling lands like a punch to the gut and lets the listener feel the weight of her dream.
ADÉLA’s description of spending her nights “staring at the TV screen till I got bloody eyes” is the icing on the cake, making it clear just how hard she’s willing to work. KGB is the perfect opening track; you immediately understand her relentless infatuation with the pop scene and want to learn more about her.
The next track, Nicole Kidman, is an ode to self-confidence. This song is what you play while doing your makeup. You’re a 22-year-old girl, the world is your buffet, and every day you pick out which designer brand you want to wear, simple as that. It’s also nearly impossible to open TikTok without hearing this earworm somewhere on your For You Page - this catchy, it-girl song stands out as a pop anthem.
On I’m The Man, ADÉLA explores relationships and gender dynamics, particularly her tendency to gravitate toward control. She acknowledges that her desire to take charge might not fit conventional expectations of femininity, asking, “Is that weird?” I love how the track grapples with self-awareness and perception, themes that resonate particularly with young adults figuring out who they are. For ADÉLA, that process is happening under the added pressure of growing up in the public eye, and her candid lyrics offer a window into that uncertainty. As the song slowly fades out, it leaves the impression that the story isn’t over, further contributing to the relatability of a constantly changing young adulthood.
ADÉLA knows she’s that girl, and Boys is a lyrical expression of such sentiment. We all know the feeling: “I came to dance, just me and my girls,” and suddenly you’re surrounded by boys. Featuring KATSEYE's Lara Raj and driven by a punchy drum beat, this song is the anthem of a girls night at the club. I’m immediately pressing play when I sit down at my vanity.
Then comes Red Bottoms, straight from the vault of overthinking. Using symbolism, the lines “I'm like my red-bottom soles / You can't wear me out too many times, too many times / 'Cause when the red starts to go / Will you love what's on the other side?” ponder what will happen when the feeling of a new relationship wears off. The lyrics can be read as a meditation on relationships, but they also invite a broader interpretation of fame, which intrigued me. What happens when the novelty, attention and allure begin to fade? Will she still be loved when there’s nothing shiny left to look at? The track is a sharp contrast from Boys and the duality is effective, causing the listener to consider the glamour and vulnerability that come with ADÉLA’s rise to fame.
The soft ballad Hitachi explores the coldness of a partner compared to the passion once shared between two people in a relationship. ADÉLA grapples with the urge to save the relationship, singing “Desperation set in, anythin' to not end / Bring another girl in maybe? / I'm breakin' all my boundaries just for you to touch me,” showing just how far she would go to fix things. The brazen admission is striking, and as one of the most introspective moments on the album so far, causes the listener to consider their own personal boundaries with love.
Once again, we find sharp contrast within the album with the following track Fantasize. ADÉLA continues exploring a relationship lacking reciprocity, but this time, she examines what happens when that emotional and physical disconnect pushes her attention elsewhere. She reasons with herself, arguing that her feelings are only human nature. The track feels like an epilogue to Hitachi, with ADÉLA narrating how “finding other people strangely attractive” was the only possible outcome.
Starving Artist has a seductive beat that stands out on the album. Its rap-like chorus drives home the idea that sometimes money can’t buy what you actually want. Relationships can be intoxicating, and Marijuana is an apt title for a track built around that feeling. The song perfectly creates a world of fantasy and bliss, inviting the listener into a high-school-like dreamworld.
Therapy sees a raw version of ADÉLA. This track pulls the entire album together. The honest topics and slow, simple beats remind us that we’re all humans and we all deal with relationships dynamics, burnout, frustration and confusion. Stripping away some of the larger-than-life persona that surrounds the rest of the album, each line explores a topic that people in different phases and areas of life can relate to. The song brings the tracklist down to earth, drawing a more personal connection between ADÉLA and the listener.
The album ends on a high: “The baddest bitches ain’t in LA.” Ain’t In LA feels like an encouraging anthem symbolizing ADÉLA’s unique life, dedicated to all the hardworking dreamers outside of the typical Los Angeles scene. Whether you’re in Bratislava, Chicago, London or Seoul, your dreams are real and achievable.
That sentiment brings PRIMA full circle. The album pops onto the scene with ADÉLA unabashedly baring her soul to the world. She spends the album embracing the persona of the untouchable pop star while simultaneously questioning love, identity, and the future, just like 20-somethings all over the world. The album has effectively built on the unique foundation ADÉLA has created, and will only propel her further into the world of pop.
Coming straight from the brain of a fellow 22 year old girl, this album is relatable, memorable, and left me wanting more. PRIMA gets an 8.5/10 from me.
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