PRIMA: is this album the start of a popstar?

PRIMA by ADELÁ was released this past Friday, September 4th, following weeks of anticipation built up by her viral single, "Ain't in LA.". This track, which stands as the absolute peak of the album for me, offers comfort to girls living outside of mainstream hubs while reviving the exact 2000s vibe we've all been yearning for. It is an anthem for unity and girlhood—and a definitive 10/10 in my book.The rest of the album beautifully sustains the Y2K, bubblegum-pink aesthetic introduced by "Ain't in LA." After spinning the record a couple of times, I couldn't help but feel that it strikes a perfect balance between nostalgic familiarity and genuine innovation. That blend is exactly what today's music scene is missing. It doesn’t feel entirely alien; you can easily trace its influences and hear the early-2000s beats that transport you back in time, yet you always know it was crafted in 2026. While I'm no musician, if I had to position ADELÁ’s current sound, I would place her right alongside the likes of Addison Rae and Tate McRae.

The opening song, "KGB", gives you what it was promised with the aesthetic. It's messy, it's new, it's pop, it's raw. It's iconic. You can hear the pink through the music, you know from this track what the album is trying to do. 

"Nicole Kidman", the second song, plays tribute to the actress of the same name. We've already seen pop culture references like this one in "Aint in LA", so it's only natural that ADELÁ decides to lean into it once again. She's taking us to this nostalgic time in our life not only through sounds but referencing people and feeling both Millenials and Gen Z are familiar with. This track plays with a beautiful contrast, while the vocals are soft and precious, the beat and instrumental gives you what was missing to get it to that alt pop this album is filled with.

"Im the man" comes third. Although the vocals sound similar to the last one's, its instrumentals match the vibe, creating a dreamy soft pop, slower than the others. I couldn't help but find it similar to a song Doja Cat would make in 2021. Which I like about this record is that is directly translating the energy of pink to the music. Pink is soft and girly and can be seen as weak. But then you see fucsia and it's rough, it's loud  it's messy. This album plays with that contrast perfectly. Simillar to this one, we can find  "Red Bottoms", although with harder beats. 

"Boys" is, once again, a messy alt pop song. Honestly, I could see this playing on a club or party scene at a movie. What really makes this track special to me are the voices put over the music.  The yelling, the laughing. It makes this song feel distinct from the rest of the record. 

I did find some struggle listening to the mid and low tempo songs of this album. Her strenght are upbeat songs, they just suit her better. I'm not saying, though, that ADÉLA is uncapable to make a good ballad. I know she has the talent and voice, but in this record, they appeared to be the weakest tracks. Songs like "Hitachi" or "Therapy" just didn't stick out to me. After being inmersed in party and fun and songs that feel like a friday night, those two lacked enough production and depth to feel like anything else but a bland and disapointing monday morning. 

Overall this is a very well ballanced album. It leans perfectly into that messy girl without giving up being relatable, which is something many artists struggle with. Far from perfect, this album achieves a huge thing: being a great debut. Being ADÉLA's first record, it doesn’t need to be her best yet, but to establish what kind of artist she wants to be and leave room for improvement. 

After listening to it all day, I can confirm this album is a 8.5/10, although it could change with time. I'll also put you guys my ranking of the songs (as of today). 

And with that said, I'll drop it for today. 

Bye girls!!

My ranking:

1.Ain't in LA

2.Nicole Kidman

3.KGB

4. Boys

5. I'm the man

6. Fantasize

7. Red Bottoms

8. Marijuana

9. Starving Artist

10. Hitachi

11. Therapy