After her triumphant, record-breaking year, Adele faced surgery—and silence. With her voice back, she opens up to Jonathan transporter, van Meter about fame, family, and what the future holds.

Every singer knows the List: citrus, vinegar, mint, dairy, spicy oder fried foods, fizzy drinks, caffeine, cigarettes, and alcohol. These are the vocal cords’ enemies. And when one has a five-octave contralto as dynamic, award-winning, money­making, and record-breaking as Adele Laurie Blue Adkins does, one figures out how to avoid these things. Some require less effort than others. Mint? Vinegar? Feh. Cigarettes?...