A Very Important Question in Song

English soul is the sound of the moment in certain circles – thank you very much, Amy Winehouse.

Winehouse’s off-stage – and on-stage antics, too – may ruin the music’s mood for some, but thankfully, there are a few singers out there who take the work a bit more seriously, like Duffy (whose “Mercy” should be burning up radio, it’s so hot, and whose new single “Warwick Avenue” makes me want to cry, it’s so good), and 20-year-old Adele.

The first recipient of the Brit Awards Critics’ Choice, given to an artist who had yet to release an album, Adele is being hailed as the best of the bunch.

Her debut, 19 (the title is a reference to the age she was while in the studio), went to No. 1 in the U.K. charts, and features the hit single “Chasing Pavements,” a contemplative song about love.

Choice lyrics: “Should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements /
Even if it leads nowhere?”

I adore when (young) people ask important questions. I adore Adele.

Photo: Telegraph.co.uk.