The Heart Surgeon of Song: Adele’s 10 Most Devastating Life Moments and Her Journey to Healing

Adele is a name synonymous with powerful vocals and deeply vulnerable, heart-wrenching lyrics. Her songs are the soundtrack to breakups, heartaches, and emotional reckonings for millions around the globe. Yet, the emotional depth in her music is not merely an act; it’s a direct reflection of a life marked by profound loss, personal struggles, and public scrutiny. It’s no wonder her mother once called her a “surgeon” after the release of her debut album “19,” saying she was fixing people’s hearts in a new way.

From an early age, Adele’s life was steeped in a deep, complicated sadness. Her father’s abandonment was followed by the devastating loss of her beloved grandfather at the age of 10. This early trauma was so impactful that it initially fueled a desire to become a heart surgeon. While she may not wield a scalpel, her music has become a powerful tool for emotional repair, making her, in a sense, a healer for the masses.

Here are 10 of the most devastating life moments that have shaped Adele into the global icon and emotional powerhouse she is today.

1. A ‘Borderline Alcoholic’ in Her Twenties

Adele has always been candid about her coping mechanisms, and for much of her twenties, alcohol was a prominent one. In a 2021 interview with Vogue, she admitted that the isolating nature of the pandemic led her to drink more frequently and earlier in the day. While she’s since found sobriety, which she’s playfully called “boring,” she admitted to her audience during a Las Vegas residency, “I was literally borderline alcoholic for quite a lot of my 20s, but I miss it so much.” This admission highlights the intense personal battle she fought during the years she was rising to global superstardom.

2. The Threat to Her Voice: Repeated Throat Surgeries

For a vocalist whose instrument is her livelihood, throat issues are an existential threat. In 2011, while performing live, Adele felt a sudden “pop” in her throat. She was soon diagnosed with a haemorrhaged polyp on her vocal cord, requiring laser surgery. This terrifying event forced her into an extended break. The issue resurfaced again during her 2017 world tour, causing her to cancel the remainder of the shows. Even recently, in 2024, she had to once again go on vocal rest, reminding the world of the fragile nature of her gift.

3. The Heart-Wrenching Breakup That Inspired “21”

The mega-hit album “21”—the record that cemented her as a global phenomenon—was born out of a devastating relationship with photographer Alex Sturrock. Their intense summer romance in 2008 was a whirlwind, but Sturrock reportedly refused to commit to calling Adele his girlfriend. The subsequent split, made even more painful when he quickly got engaged to someone else, left her reeling. She funneled her heartbreak not only into her honest and vulnerable lyrics but also, as she has admitted, into alcohol.

4. Her Struggle with Postpartum Depression

Adele has been open about her struggles with mental health, which began with needing clinical help to process her grandfather’s death. This struggle continued after the birth of her son. In a 2021 interview with The Face, she spoke honestly about the crippling experience of postpartum depression, describing a profound sense of “losing herself.” She found solace and help through a community of new mothers, eventually finding her way back by prioritizing time for herself as her son grew older.

5. Paparazzi’s Invasion of Her Son’s Privacy

The intensity of fame became a real threat to her family’s peace in 2013 when paparazzi took and published unauthorized photos of her young son, Angelo. Adele fiercely fought back, suing the photo agency for damages. Her lawyer told the High Court in London that it was a “profound sadness” that many of Angelo’s “milestone moments” were published worldwide against the family’s wishes. This battle was a clear line in the sand—a statement that she would protect her son’s privacy at all costs.

6. A Magazine Quiz Ended Her Marriage

The end of her marriage to Simon Konecki was a pivotal moment that inspired her fourth album, “30.” Shockingly, the realization that her marriage was over came to her after taking a magazine questionnaire. She revealed to Oprah Winfrey that the results gave her the epiphany that she simply wasn’t happy. The subsequent album, with its poignant single “Easy On Me,” was crafted as a means to explain the divorce to her son, saying she had to “dismantle his entire life in the pursuit of my own happiness.”

7. Severe and ‘Terrifying’ Post-Divorce Anxiety

The emotional toll of the divorce did not end when the papers were signed. Although she has not struggled with depression since becoming a mother, Adele was hit with what she called “terrifying anxiety attacks” in the aftermath of her separation. She told Oprah that the attacks were so severe they “paralyzed” her. Through this difficult period, she discovered that exercise became an essential coping mechanism, helping her to significantly reduce her debilitating anxiety.

8. A Life-Long Battle with Debilitating Back Pain

Her emotional pain is often mirrored by a severe physical one. Adele has suffered from back problems since she was a teenager, revealing she first slipped a disc at age 15 from sneezing. More recently, she slipped her L6 disc. She manages the chronic condition by maintaining a strong core, but flare-ups persist. In 2023, she had a frightening moment during a Las Vegas show when she collapsed due to severe sciatic pain and had to be picked up—a stark reminder of the chronic nature of her physical struggle.

9. Accusations of Cultural Appropriation

Fame also brought with it public mistakes and accountability. In 2020, Adele faced criticism after posting a photo on Instagram where she wore Bantu knots and a Jamaican flag bikini to celebrate the Notting Hill Carnival. She was accused of cultural appropriation. In a 2021 interview with Vogue, she admitted that she saw why people were upset and that she “should have been more aware.” Notably, she chose not to take the photo down, stating it was a way to hold herself accountable for her actions and learn from the experience.

10. Reconciling with Her Father Before His Death from Cancer

Adele’s complicated relationship with her father, who had abandoned her, was a source of life-long pain. However, she found peace with him by the time he passed away from cancer in 2021. She credits her own divorce for humanizing her parents in her eyes, allowing her to forgive him. In a deeply personal act of reconciliation, she played her new album for him over a video call just a week before he died, giving them both a final chance for closure.

The Healer’s Legacy

Adele’s journey is a testament to the fact that profound art often comes from profound pain. Each devastating moment, from her early loss to her public struggles with health and fame, has been mined to create music that offers solace and understanding to the world. She may not be a heart surgeon in a hospital, but as her mother observed, she has certainly fixed countless broken hearts—including her own—through the raw, beautiful power of her song.