Not sure anyone could have predicted that Adele would be hosting Saturday Night Live this fall. Host and musical guest? Sure. But just host? And no album to promote? It would have seemed improbable. But that’s what’s happening, October 24, next weekend. 

 

About that album though…

We’ve been WAITING for that album. And it seems every month there’s a new rumour that it’s happening. A couple of weeks ago, Adele’s website was tweaked leading to a new round of speculation that the album is finally ready. Yesterday marked the five year anniversary of when Adele last announced new music:

Yesterday was also the day that Adele confirmed that she’d be SNL’s host next Saturday: 

Coincidence or conspiracy? 

 

Would Adele just take a week to hang out at SNL for no reason other than to try something she’s never tried before? Well… yeah… I think she would. But also, why not do that AND promote your new work. The timing is certainly curious. And had there been no pandemic, Adele was supposedly planning to drop the album in September. Now that date is rumoured to be October 30. It’s Adele Halloween. 

But when exactly are we going to hear this from her? I feel like she’ll make us wait for it, until the end of the show, or near the end of the show. Because otherwise, that kinda jacks H.E.R., the actual musical guest. And you’d think Adele would be aware of her status in the culture. There are maybe only three or four artists at her level. Any Adele news would crush anything else that happens, including performances by an artist that Adele supports. So I have a hard time believing that she’s going to step onto the stage at 11:35pm and be like, OMG it’s my first time hosting, guess what? My album is coming up. Oh yeah and H.E.R. is here so stick around, we’ll be right back!

 

Beyond the music though, the other conversation people have been having about Adele this year is… well… it’s an awkward one: it’s her body and how she’s transformed it. Here’s how Us Weekly reported on the SNL hosting thing, grossly: 

Us Weekly's gross headline about Adele 

A decade ago, it was socially more acceptable to comment on someone’s body. It may not have been right, but many of us participated and didn’t know any better. Or knew better and did it anyway, unchallenged. We are learning and trying to be more sensitive now. But even the think-pieces acknowledging that Adele can do whatever the f-ck she wants to do with her body are still… about her body! 

But she wouldn’t be the first person to go on SNL and address what everybody is saying about them. I don’t know though if it’s necessary. She’s been pretty undercover for a while. She hasn’t really engaged in this conversation. And if she engages with it through a sketch, does that just take the conversation to a whole other level? Then again, even if she ignores it people will be talking about it anyway so… why shouldn’t she take charge of it?