Chartbreaker: Why ‘Everybody Wants To Root For’ ADÉLA
Categoria: Musica
With "Ain’t in LA,” the singer-songwriter started living out her dreams — then followed it up with an even bigger smash.
Por Billboard | 06/10/2026
ADÉLA is aware that there’s some irony to “Ain’t in LA,” the breakout single from her September debut album, PRIMA . Of the 2010s-esque pop anthem that rejects the romanticization of fame through the bold declaration that the City of Angels isn’t all that, the 22-year-old Slovak star giggles when she notes that “Ain’t in LA” was, in fact, recorded in Los Angeles. “I was kind of fatigued with celebrity culture,” she says, smirking before acknowledging another underlying contradiction. “Then I have a song called ‘Nicole Kidman.’ ” (Both have since reached the Billboard Hot 100 , with the former becoming her first-ever entry in August and later reaching No. 27 on the chart dated Oct. 3, while the latter surged to a No. 11 peak the same week.) Most ironic, though, is that ADÉLA herself has become one of the stars she shrugs away from idolizing on “Ain’t in LA.” Growing up thousands of miles away from the Hollywood sign in Bratislava, Slovakia, ADÉLA spent her childhood studying American pop stars and had posters of Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande and Britney Spears adorning her bedroom walls. She’s only ever wanted to be a performer, she says, and has put in the work to back it up: For years, she trained as a ballerina by day and took lessons to learn English at night. ADÉLA photographed on September 18, 2026 at Brooklyn Steel in Brooklyn. Luisa Opalesky Related ADÉLA: Photos From the Billboard Shoot Here's What Kim Kardashian Said About Co-Parenting With Ye Amid North's Budding Music Career University of Oklahoma to Name New Student-Athlete Center for Toby Keith In 2023, she got her biggest chance to join their ranks, competing on HYBE x Geffen’s Dream Academy , the YouTube competition series that led to the formation of KATSEYE. After her elimination, she pursued a solo career, releasing heart-racing dance-pop singles such as “Homewrecked” and “Superscar” in 2024 and signing with Capitol Records the following year. Then, this spring, she opened on tour for Demi Lovato. The momentum snowballed into July single “Ain’t in LA,” which combined with a standout debut at Lollapalooza in August, further stirred anticipation for the rising pop star’s PRIMA . And with that hit in tow, plus “Nicole Kidman” — released as the project’s fourth single the same day it arrived in full — the album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 4. This year alone, ADÉLA has accumulated more than half a billion global on-demand streams, according to Luminate. “She’s become somebody everybody really wants to root for,” co-manager Sam Jacobson from Good World Management says. “I think people got into the lore and realized, like, ‘Oh, s–t, she really built herself from the ground up and got herself to America, and [“Ain’t in LA”] is a song that speaks to her mom and her family and to everybody else who has big dreams.’ It’s an amazing message that a lot of people can relate to.” Before the studio session that led to its creation, ADÉLA couldn’t stop thinking about