Adele Reveals Why She Didn’t Sing an Iconic Song During Her Teens

During her August 2, 2024, show in Munich, Germany, Adele revealed a surprising reason why she rarely performs her hit song “Chasing Pavements.” The night was a special one as Adele decided to perform the track from her debut album, 19, much to the delight of the audience.

Before singing, the “Skyfall” singer opened up about why she avoids the song (this was its first live performance since 2017) and why she likely won’t perform it again in the future. Adele even made the audience promise to sing along with her. A video of the moment was captured by @KaitlinLeppert on X (formerly known as Twitter).

“I’m gonna do an oldie oldie for you now. I haven’t sung this song in like eight years?” Adele began. “The reason I don’t sing this song often, and I shan’t sing it again after this Munich residency, is because the way I pronounce the words in this song when I was 19 years old, I sound like I’m 19 years old. And when I sing it now, I still sound 19 years old, and it annoys me.

“But I’m gonna do it for you because I love you, and Germans have always been very, very loving towards this song. But I’m only gonna do it if you do it with me,” she concluded.

The August 2, 2024, show in Munich, Germany, kicked off Adele’s residency there. From August 2 to 31, she will perform 10 shows in a custom-built arena specifically for this residency.

“Chasing Pavements” is the second single from Adele’s first album, 19. She co-wrote the song with producer Eg White. The track was nominated for three Grammys in 2009 and won the award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

While Adele has been keeping busy with her Las Vegas residency, Weekends with Adele, she has now embarked on her second concert residency. Her Munich shows span from August 2 to 31, featuring two performances each week during her stay.

These shows are the Grammy winner’s first in Germany since May 15, 2016. During her 2016 world tour, Adele performed across Berlin, Hamburg, and Cologne.

Following the Munich residency, Adele will return to the United States to complete her Las Vegas residency. The Weekends with Adele residency will resume on October 25, 2024, and run for 10 more shows until November 23.

The residency will conclude after a total of 100 shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. It initially began over two years earlier, on November 18, 2022.

Adele’s fourth studio album, 30, is the foundation of the residency, but her performances include songs from all of her albums.

Here is the complete setlist from Adele’s first show in Munich. While it features some familiar tracks from her Las Vegas shows, she also included some deep cuts and covers to mix things up.

• “Hello”
• “Rumour Has It”
• “I Drink Wine”
• “Water Under the Bridge”
• “Easy on Me”
• “One and Only”
• “I’ll Be Waiting”
• “Oh My God”
• “Send My Love (to Your New Lover)”
• “Hometown Glory”
• “Love in the Dark”
• “Make You Feel My Love” (Bob Dylan cover)
• “Chasing Pavements” (first time since June 29, 2017)
• “All I Ask”
• “Skyfall”
• “Set Fire to the Rain”
• “Hold On”
• “When We Were Young”
• “Someone Like You”
• “Rolling in the Deep”