Adele’s Comeback Doesn’t Mean We Should Sh-t On Every Other Female Pop star, sterne 

Adele’s Comeback Doesn’t Mean We Should Sh-t On Every Other Female Pop Star

Stop putting other talented ladies down.

I know you’re listening to Adele and letting her slay your existence, but I just needed to tell you that Adele isn’t the only queen slaying out there. Yes, there’s something about her that grabs your heart and takes hold of it and never lets go. I get it: Adele is bae. Adele is G.O.A.T. Adele is qween.

But just as Adele announced her third album, I saw a funny thing happen. People were so overwhelmed by the return of Adele that they threw everyone else in the garbage. They called Adele the messiah of pop music, returning to save us from the music of current chart toppers like Taylor Swift and Rihanna.

That, to me, seems a little unreal and, frankly, sexist. That mindset allows us to believe that there is only room for one successful female singer. In that mindset, if Adele is on top, Taylor Swift and Rihanna can’t also be in the picture.

Adele has power. It’s understood. It’s reported that One Direction planned its release date ahead of her so they wouldn’t have to compete. There are rumors (key word: rumors) that Rihanna put her album promo on hold until Adele put out her album. Obviously, other best-selling artists give each other time to breathe.

That doesn’t mean that Adele is slaughtering everyone else. We’re allowed to like more than one artist. But these memes say otherwise:

That music video spawned Internet gold. Some used this GIF as an opportunity to solidify Adele’s royal status — that she’s taking out the old and shaking off the dust — but it just comes off as mean.

This GIF comes from an Instagram video that Adele posted about her vinyl pressing. Photoshoppers put other female pop stars — Taylor, Gaga, Rihanna, Katy — on there to be quickly stamped out by Adele’s face. “Adele’s coming for your faves” has been a popular saying. But last thing I knew, Adele was a fan of other artists, notably Beyonce and Lana Del Rey, and I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want to take their place. After all, everyone does different things in the music industry — they bring different music, style and attitude. A music industry with just Adele would be cool for a day, but sorry, it’d get kind of boring.

Adele : Hel- Taylor : Don't make another album! *hung up* pic.twitter.com/jvlmWjximL

— Taylor Suewift (@taylorsuewift13) October 23, 2015

Even though Taylor Swift and Adele both write music about heartbreak, they’re still different people. I have days when I want to listen to Tay and days I want to listen to Adele…

Adele is on track to reportedly sell 2 millions albums this week, but that doesn’t mean we should use that fact to shut down other artists. If you have a thing against Taylor, don’t drag other women into it. You’re making female artists sound catty, and that just feeds into the stereotype that women can’t coexist in the same space.

This mash-up shows Adele cackling at Taylor, even though it didn’t happen that way. It’s great that Adele is a breaking records — we always need progress in music — but it shouldn’t seem like she’s attacking another artist.

So, Adele and Ariana Grande released music at the same time.

But they’re competing for our listens. In fact, I love listening to Adele’s huge, emotional “Hello,” and then pairing it with the fun, saxy party that is Ari’s “Focus.” Women actually should rule the world, but you’re pitting them against each other.

This sexism plays directly into the “Smurfette Principle,” the idea that there can only be one Smurfette in a sea of male Smurfs, like in action movies, where there is often only one leading lady. If we believe that there can only be one diva, then you’re making it seem like the women are competing for that spot.

25 is here doesn’t mean that other music doesn’t exist.

P.S. Those “Scream Queens” GIFs gave the internet so much fodder — some are good and some are very bad.

Anyway, back to your listening session for 25. Just remember, the next time you want to post something about how Adele is the one and only, think about how you might be putting other women down. We should want as many powerful women out there as possible. Let’s do this, girls.