The name on everybody’s lips is gonna be Adéla. Hailing from Slovakia, this rising new talent is conquering the world of alternative pop with her remarkable debut album PRIMA. Blowing up online with hits like ‘KGB’ and ‘Ain’t In LA’, Adéla’s dancing, songwriting and vocal chops make her an impressive triple threat. And she’s only getting bigger!
Whilst Adéla’s music may be new to many, her face might prove familiar to fans of K-pop and reality TV. She first rose to prominence competing on the televised talent show Dream Academy in 2023, where South Korean record label Hybe collaborated with Geffen Records to form the next global girl group. This group would become Katseye, whose journey Netflix documented in Pop Star Academy: Katseye where Adéla also appears.
Adéla’s early elimination from Dream Academy serves as a major point in her artistic journey. Whilst she describes her time on the show as a low point in her life due to the intense competitive environment, the disappointment of not making it into Katseye gave her the opportunity to reassess. This birthed the idea of Adéla as a solo artist, whose creative journey would prove far more freeing and rewarding.
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In 2024, Adéla began releasing music independently with her first single ‘Homewrecked’. The song explores Adéla’s journey to Hollywood, as a foreigner who “left at fifteen” to chase the “American dream”. She explains how her upbringing in Eastern Europe limited her ambition, leading her to leave her home country because her people “don’t see ourselves as worthy or able to achieve huge things because it simply has never happened before”.
Her early solo work proved to be experimental, yet impressively polished. ‘Homewrecked’ was followed by the chaotic, aggressive track ‘Superscar’, and its smoother, lighter sister ‘MachineGirl’, both songs tackling how the pop system exploits young women by prioritising profit over their wellbeing. “It’s about messed up things happening to you when you want to do this,” she explains. “You didn’t make me a superstar, you gave me a superscar. But I’ll keep going.”
The innovative sound and powerful messages of these singles helped Adéla land a record deal with Capitol Records in 2025. Resultingly, she brought the songs together alongside four new tracks to drop her debut EP The Provocateur last August. The Provocateur presents Adéla as a quirky upstart, ready to claw her way to the top of a cutthroat industry. “I just wanna go, baby I’m a dreamer… I put on a show, make you a believer,” she promises on ‘Go’, melding pumping basslines and motivational lyrics together in a way that makes her music both thought-provoking and danceable.
That background in dance is a core part of Adéla’s identity, having devoted her youth to the art of ballet. She began performing professionally at only eleven years old, moving frequently in her teens to continue her training at elite dance academies in Vienna and London. 2025’s single ’DeathByDevotion’ builds on her backstory as a ballerina, lyrically diving into her obsession with becoming the perfect entertainer. Its music video depicts Adéla throwing her body passionately into dance, desperately tearing at her dirtied, bloodied leotard and pointe shoes before returning ruthlessly to the show. “Don’t stop, I keep it going, stuck in perpetual motion”, she croons, insisting on giving her all to the music no matter how it destroys her from within.
Adéla’s obsession with her art has also made her a certified pop culture historian. Growing up studying English through YouTube make-up tutorials, celebrity interviews and Disney Channel reruns, her breadth of knowledge shines through as references and clear inspirations in her own work. Critics and fans alike have compared her style to pop legends like Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and Beyonce, thanks to her flair for camp and high drama.
Some of her idols have even given Adéla their own stamp of approval. Christina Aguilera makes a cameo in the video for ‘SexOnTheBeat’, nodding to her shared experience as a pioneer of how pop music embraces and empowers women’s sexuality. Throughout 2026, Adéla also opened for Demi Lovato’s It’s Not That Deep tour across America, receiving rave reviews for her fiery persona and electric on-stage energy.
The lead single from her latest project Prima, ‘KGB’, works as Adéla’s ultimate artistic thesis statement. It’s an electropop anthem with strong influences from nicher scenes like rave, hyperpop and the LGBT+ community. The title references the Soviet Union’s secret security agency, as a metaphor for Adéla’s own relentless, militant-style training for pop stardom. ‘KGB’ offers eclectic lyrics and sassy vocals, which build to a final dance breakdown that’s incredibly satisfying and cathartic. “Staring at a TV screen ‘till I got bloody eyes/Just a little European girl, was plotting on my rise”, she sings, before reminding the listener, “I’m not being cocky, I just worked my whole life”.
Most recently, Adéla’s foreign upbringing has been the focus of her growing viral hit ‘Ain’t In LA’. This bombastic ballad celebrates the talent found all over the world in unknown, everyday people, emphasising that anyone can be anything despite their humble beginnings. “It’s all a lie, the baddest bitches ain’t in LA”, she smiles, after verses romanticising the poster-covered bedrooms of little girls like her who believe they’re destined for something greater. The song bears a striking resemblance to early 2010s acts like Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande, a nostalgic era Adéla intentionally harkens back to with her bright pink hair, baggy clothes and the Prima era’s house party aesthetics. From Slovakia to Aotearoa, ‘Ain’t In LA’ reminds us we all harness the potential to become stars.
With a brand-new album out now and a growing catalogue of high-octane performances to take in, Adéla is undoubtedly making a name for herself as your next favourite pop star. “Don’t look like anyone, you’re not just anyone/ I’d rather be a nobody than to be like everyone”, she sings confidently on ‘Ain’t In La’. Now’s the perfect time to join the ride with Adéla, whose dream to stand out and make pop history looks more like reality every day.
