Adele’s producers were fully conscious and calculating of her tone. This has two main causes:
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Music must be played in the car, on cheap equipment, heard in noisy places and when working out, and heard by people who’ve done terrible damage to their hearing. One cause of the Loudness War was likely premature deafness among many.
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Producers calculate “attitude” or toughness with female performers. Women work with a much larger communication and fashion palette than men (i.e., sex roles), and all aspects of the delivery communicate different things. Some are innocent and girlish, others focus on come-hither, and others “love rock & roll.” Listen to the tone, sizzle, and tube distortion of:
Adele is a variant of the powerful, strong, commanding female theme.