ADÉLA is aware that there’s some irony to “Ain’t in LA,” the breakout single from her September debut album, PRIMA.
Of the 2010s-esque pop anthem that rejects the romanticization of fame through the bold declaration that the City of Angels isn’t all that, the 22-year-old Slovak star giggles when she notes that “Ain’t in LA” was, in fact, recorded in Los Angeles. “I was kind of fatigued with celebrity culture,” she says, smirking before acknowledging another underlying contradiction. “Then I have a song called ‘Nicole Kidman.’ ” (Both have since reached the Billboard Hot 100, with the former becoming her first-ever entry in August and later reaching No. 27 on the chart dated Oct. 3, while the latter surged to a No. 11 peak the same week.)
Most ironic, though, is that ADÉLA herself has become one of the stars she shrugs away from idolizing on “Ain’t in LA.” Growing up thousands of miles away from the Hollywood sign in Bratislava, Slovakia, ADÉLA spent her childhood studying American pop stars and had posters of Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande and Britney Spears adorning her bedroom walls. She’s only ever wanted to be a performer, she says, and has put in the work to back it up: For years, she trained as a ballerina by day and took lessons to learn English at night.
In 2023, she got her biggest chance to join their ranks, competing on HYBE x Geffen’s Dream Academy, the YouTube competition series that led to the formation of KATSEYE. After her elimination, she pursued a solo career, releasing heart-racing dance-pop singles such as “Homewrecked” and “Superscar” in 2024 and signing with Capitol Records the following year. Then, this spring, she opened on tour for Demi Lovato.
The momentum snowballed into July single “Ain’t in LA,” which further stirred anticipation for the rising pop star’s PRIMA. And with that hit in tow, plus “Nicole Kidman” — released as the project’s fourth single the same day it arrived in full — the album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 4. This year alone, ADÉLA has accumulated more than half a billion global on-demand streams, according to Luminate.
Read the full Chartbreaker feature on ADÉLA here.
