Editorials

Born Adele Laurie Blue Adkins in London, England, singer-songwriter Adele is riding a wave of international success. Being offered a record deal fresh out of high school in the fall of 2006 by XL Records, Adele was discovered when a friend posted her demo (made for a class project) to MySpace. Less than two years later Adele released her debut album, 19, at just 19 years old. Critically acclaimed, the album went on to sell 6.5 Million copies.

Whether you like her music, her clothes or the controversy that may often surround her, Rihanna is a successful entertainer that beat the odds to become an international superstar. But for all the success that one attains, there is no escaping the harsh reality of racism.

Standing in the check out of Publix, I found myself browsing through a magazine with Chris Brown on the cover, while half-listening to the conversation of the girls behind me in line. Having picked up the same magazine, they were all talking about getting tickets to Chris’s upcoming show, when one of them made a statement that caught me off-guard and captured my full attention. Putting the magazine back on the rack, she said to the others, “I don’t know what it is, but [Chris Brown] just seems WAY sexier to me since he got out of jail.” While my initial response was simply a raised eyebrow, the statement got my gears spinning about Chris’ extraordinary comeback after such a huge blow to his career.