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Adele At The Grammys: Why The Singer Is The Solution To All Of Our Problems

If you think about it, Adele (or her music, at least) offers us solutions to many of life's most pressing problems.
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Lifestyle Blog Editor, The Huffington Post

Lifestyle Blog Editor, The Huffington Post
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Sunday night's Grammy Awards were a big night for Adele: The British singer performed publicly for the first time since her vocal chord surgery in November 2011, and she won Grammys in six categories -- including best album, song and record -- making her the first artist since The Dixie Chicks to sweep all three of these top prizes (the country trio did so in 2007).

But even before her wins last night, Adele's resume wasn't too bad for a 23-year-old. The singer won the "Best New Artist" Grammy and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Chasing Pavements" in 2009, which she performed during the ceremony.

As for the accomplishments that can't be measured in awards and iTunes sales, there are many. She's turned heartbreak into a series of cathartic songs that have been the soundtrack for us as we've fallen in love, broken up, wallowed in our sadness and -- once we've played out "Someone Like You" enough times (as if there is such a thing as 'enough' Adele) -- been right there with us as we've moved on ("Set Fire To The Rain," anyone?). Adele has shown grown men it's okay to cry (at least on SNL), proven that there is no one way women in entertainment have to look and shamed one very powerful grown man, Karl Lagerfeld, into apologizing to her, turning the tables on an industry's view of what a woman should look like.

In fact, if you think about it, Adele (or her music, at least) offers us solutions to many of life's most pressing problems.

SLIDESHOW: What Adele Can Do For You

What Adele Can Do For You
Problem: Your Ex Won't Go Away(01 of09)
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Adele's ex thought he was entitled to some of the profits from her first album, "19" -- because his bad-boyfriend behavior inspired them. Adele told The Sun: "For about a week he was calling and was deadly serious about it ... Finally, I said, 'Well, you made my life hell, so I lived it and now I deserve it.'" Solution: You deserve happiness. Make like Adele and find a way to channel your pain into something positive.Song: "Rolling in The Deep" (credit:Alamy)
Problem: Pressure To Be A Sex Pot(02 of09)
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Solution: Unlike Grammy host LL Cool J, Adele made her reputation based on her voice, not her abs. I'm not hating, LL, it's just that women appreciate confident women. Take a cue from Adele: Understated sexy is where it's at.Song: "I Found A Boy" (credit:Alamy)
Problem: Haters(03 of09)
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Solution: Turn the Tables. Despite not being a sample size, Adele is celebrated for her beauty, and even appeared on the cover of Vogue. We've all heard Karl Lagerfeld's derogatory comments about her weight -- and gloated a bit during his very public apology.Adele turned the tables with a response that only made her more endearing to everyone. You can do the same. Song: "Turning Tables" (credit:Getty)
Problem: You Have No Money(04 of09)
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Solution: This economy has been hard on a lot of people, but rather than wallow, vow to remember this moment and, when things get better, give back. In this week's "People" cover story, Adele talks about the influence that her tough upbringing had on her life. The singer knows what it's like not to have money, and is known for giving generously to charity -- and demanding that any fans who get free tickets to her shows do the same. Even if we don't ultimately make a reported $12 million, it's important to keep in mind how far you've come and how much you have -- and give back accordingly. Song: "Don't You Remember" (credit:Alamy)
Problem: You've Been Betrayed/Cheated On/Lied To(05 of09)
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Solution: Send a clear message that there are consequences. As the recent "Sh*t Adele Says" meme puts it, "Don't f*ck with Adele. I will kill you, or I will sing a song about you, and you will not like it either way. But you never know which it's gonna be. Watch yourself."Song: "Set Fire To The Rain" (credit:Alamy)
Problem: He's Too Clingy(06 of09)
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Solution: Live by example. While in "I Won't Go," Adele croons, "I can't do it on my own," the singer is famously independent, telling British Glamour: "I have an assistant but I do my own washing. My auntie cleans for me, but I love a good clean as well..." And there's another department where she doesn't need any help: "I don't need assistance getting myself to the pub," she told the magazine.Song: "He Won't Go" (credit:Alamy)
Problem: You/Your Friend Is Partying Too Much, And It's Approaching Lohan Proportions(07 of09)
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Solution: The Los Angeles Times proclaimed in a headline on their 'The Envelope" blog, "Adele turns to 'Basketball Wives' in lieu of rock-star partying."Take this advice from Adele: "Don't be an addict, don't be a crackhead." Enough said.Song: "One and Only" ("You'll never know if you never try to forget your past ... Nobody's perfect trust me I learned it.") (credit:Alamy)
Problem: You're A Rambler(08 of09)
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Solution: Own it. Adele is famous for her bawdy, at times seemingly endless on-stage banter. She told The Guardian: "I get so nervous on stage I can't help but talk. I try. I try telling my brain: stop sending words to the mouth ... Behind the eyes it's pure fear."Adele didn't let that nervousness or resultant rambling stop her from putting herself out there -- and you shouldn't give up, either.Song: "Chasing Pavements" (credit:Alamy)
Problem: Your Partner Isn't Sensitive Enough(09 of09)
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Solution: Let him know it's okay for grown men to cry by showing him this clip from the cast of SNL weeping to "Someone Like You." Sit him down with his own pint of ice cream and your iPod and invite over his male friends.Song: What else? "Someone Like You." (credit:Alamy)

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