The Prima of Pop Has Arrived
ADÉLA’s debut album PRIMA earns her a spot in the race to be the next pop diva
As we rang in the new year of 2026, the phrase “2016 is back” sparked endless edits, compilations and moodboards across social media. The state of the world inspired people to look back, reminisce on and romanticize the mid 2010s: unicorn frappuccinos, the early days of influencers, doing a full face of makeup and wearing your best outfit just to stand around in your living room on Thanksgiving…It was a different time. In 2016, Adéla Jergová was a tween training as a ballerina in Slovakia, a country with a population of just 5.4 million people, and a world away from the Instagram filtered lives of American influencers and celebrities. Now known singularly as ADELA, her debut album PRIMA bridges these two worlds: celebrating her upbringing while carving out a name for herself amongst the artists she admires.
First introduced to the world via the survival show Dream Academy (of KATSEYE fame), Adéla was eliminated early on, due to the HYBE x Geffen teams believing that she would succeed as a solo artist instead of being in a girl group. And they were right: her debut EP The Provocateur earned her a solid fanbase, and an opening slot for Demi Lovato’s tour. The Provocateur was experimental and bold, with one goal: to get as many people as possible to tune in. The first few singles from the project landed her a record deal with Capitol Records, with the EP being released a few months later in 2025.
PRIMA signifies the next step in Adéla’s career. She has all eyes on her, so what happens next? She has shared that her goal is to be the prima of pop music, a callback to her ballet roots. PRIMA was also inspired by the music and pop culture that Adéla was raised on, and aims to be a record that her tween self would’ve loved.
The lead single “KGB” acted as a transition from The Provocateur into PRIMA. It was a continuation of the artistic identity Adéla had showcased previously, brazen and witty, and complete with a memorable dance break that trended on social media. “Red Bottoms” was released soon after, a slower track with lyrics that metaphorically equates a struggling relationship to a pair of worn out Louboutins.
The final single released prior to PRIMA was “Ain’t In LA.” This release and the response to it was the closest thing to a monoculture moment that I’ve seen in years, cutting through algorithms that are so individual, feeding media and content tailored specifically to viewers. Weaving together the sonic landscape of Miley Cyrus’s “We Can’t Stop” and lyrics that celebrate people in small towns and humble beginnings, this song is Adéla’s pop magnum opus. It’s unifying, optimistic and honors both her roots while acknowledging where she is now. On PRIMA, it occupies the final slot on the tracklist, ending the record on an inspiring note.
PRIMA, upon release, was instantly labeled as eons away from The Provocateur. But it was always intended to be. Though leaning into more palatable soundscapes, Adéla showcases a full range of artistry. She channels self confidence through movie references on “Nicole Kidman,” laments about men impeding on a girls night on “Boys,” and gets vulnerable on the two ballads of the album, “Hitachi” and “Therapy.”
“Therapy” is a standout on the record, and has sparked a lot of conversation about how and why it earned a spot on the tracklist. Some listeners have expressed that it feels too messy, and doesn’t match the vibe curated on the rest of the album. It’s a bit reminiscent of Charli XCX’s “I might say something stupid,” but a bit more rambly and stripped back. It serves as a “therapy” session for Adéla, lyrically opening up about missing her family and her struggles with not feeling fully in control of her career. What much of the “Therapy” critique fails to consider is that not all art serves the same purpose. PRIMA has plenty of fun, danceable tracks like “Fantasize” and “Marijuana,” and these toned down moments show a different side of Adéla that allow listeners to connect to her work in a more vulnerable way.
Female artists are damned if they do, and damned if they don’t. If they change their sound, listeners will complain they miss the old sound. If they keep their same sound from project to project, they’re labeled as a one trick pony. The goal of PRIMA was to get Adéla one step closer to achieving her dream of being a main pop girl, and ultimately, it seems to have proven successful. It has expanded her audience, but more importantly has sparked conversation.
