As SNL host, Adele proved that her stardom is bigger than her singing

The Atlantic

"Hosting SNL is a chance for Adele to make like some other pop titans of our era and keep her celebrity status intact without rushing the risky, taxing project of trying to match her past musical success," says Spencer Kornhaber. "After all, in the social-media era, an entertainer’s personality can be their product. Luckily for everyone, Adele’s personality is a delight. Although her music consists of solemn storytelling about the perils of romance, her affect in interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and even royal ceremonies over the years has been loose and jokey. The phrase loves to laugh is a cliché, but it really does seem to define Adele as a human being. So there was something viscerally lovely about seeing her pop up in sketches like the one in which a group of friends—in the year 2019—visited a fortune teller. The predictions they received were puzzling ones about dreary social isolation and Zoom mishaps. As Kate McKinnon’s hammy psychic looked Adele’s character in the eye and spoke of a future inexplicably filled with adult coloring books, Adele appeared to be biting her tongue so as to not crack up."

ALSO:

• Adele did just fine as a non-actor SNL host: "Adele’s got a cheeky British comic thing going already," says Dennis Perkins. "She showed a montage of her gleefully violating the Glastonbury Festival’s 'please, Adele, cool it with the profanity' rider while promising to try and keep her tongue in check for live American TV. And she did, instead putting in creditable performances in a sparse number of straight sketches, a few pre-tapes, one piece directly targeted at those who just wanted to hear Adele sing, and one where the age-old tradition of SNL breaking was carried off to endearing effect. (Especially as the sketch itself could have used a visit from H.R. after dress rehearsal.) As is wise with all non-actor hosts, SNL didn’t ask Adele to do much she couldn’t reasonably do, and she did that just fine."
• Adele got to sing her greatest hits in The Bachelor sketch
• SNL's "Africa Tourism" sketch draws backlash with social media calling it tone deaf, insensitive and inappropriate
• John Mulaney to host SNL for the second time this in 2020, joined by The Strokes on Halloween night