Pumps, Pirouettes, and Pop Perfection: Inside ADÉLA’s Must-Listen Debut Album PRIMA

As I embark on my 23rd anniversary of celebrating living in the United States as a proud Slavic immigrant who "was like eight working the night shift to learn English...I'm like a spy, I studied this shit, call me the KG, bitch"...I feel very assimilated, proud, and comfortable calling myself a Polish-American, feeling content in that identity marker, and determined to fill the prophecy of being successful in my own right and on my own terms.

Slavic first generation immigrant eldest daughters need representation just as much as the next gal...so color my hair every pink shade of pastel when I stumbled upon Slovakian sensation: ADÉLA. There have been case studies alluding to eldest immigrant daughters getting burnt out at the ripe start of their tertiary decade and it made me aware of the importance of slowing down, relishing in the moment of accomplishment, appreciating that and taking some valuable lessons from it. Each year makes us significantly bolder, wiser, and cognizant of what we really want from life; it's a journey of discovery in which we hopefully break the pattern of people pleasing, becoming available at the drop of a hat and saying yes too often.

ADÉLA was a breath of fresh air in this midst of claim to fame popstars as she embraced these significant themes and set herself apart from artists that follow a carefully curated niche. We have Zara Larson and her rebranding as that of a Wicks fairy; conceptual and stunning, Charli XCX with the stripping of BRAT and stepping into her black-and-white haute coutoure rock era, and Slayyyter dominating stages nationwide with her high energy anthems coupled with that raw-raw Midwestern flair...

It's the summer of the girly pops...but I resonate with ADÉLA the most because of where she's from, the incessant consumption of American mass media at a young age and learning English at 8 to be able to fit in with our colleagues. Even though she has been steadily dominating the charts, she has also moved a lot of Slavic girls' hearts because she made a lot of us feel seen.

In that...I truly believe that Pop’s newest princess has officially claimed her crown. ADÉLA has finally dropped her highly anticipated debut album, PRIMA, via Capitol Records, and it is the ultimate soundtrack to stepping into your power. Co-executive produced by hitmakers Blake Slatkin and Dylan Brady, the record perfectly captures the "hard-meets-soft" energy of a 22-year-old woman chasing ultimate stardom while keeping her lyrics as intimate as a 3 AM text.

Alongside the release, ADÉLA teamed up with legendary director Hannah Lux Davis for a cinematic, reference-heavy music video for her track "Nicole Kidman"—a song sparked by a glam Golden Globes event where the singer felt so fabulous she channeled the movie icon herself. From flipping traditional gender roles on the Cashmere Cat-produced "I’m The Man" to serving Britney-esque whispers on "Fantasize," PRIMA shows off every side of her artistry. It even features her first-ever Billboard Hot 100 hit, "Ain’t In LA," a Bangerz-era inspired anthem dedicated to small-town dreamers everywhere.

Just a year after her debut EP saw her opening for Demi Lovato and earning rave reviews from Vogue and Rolling Stone, ADÉLA is proving she really is the prima ballerina of the music scene—and with her first-ever North American headline tour selling out in mere minutes before kicking off in just five days, the world is clearly ready to dance along.

If you were lucky enough to snag a ticket to the coveted tour, I hope you have your bottle glitter ready and have practiced walking in your cuntiest Barbie pink boots to strut at the show...and if you haven't yet, tune into the album below.

 ADÉLA

PRIMA

Capitol Records

September 4, 2026