In what appears to be the longest edition yet, James Corden spends almost a quarter-hour with songstress Adele in the latest edition of Carpool Karaoke, a popular segment from his late night talk show The Late Late Show with James Corden. And it’ll have you wondering if there’s anything Adele can’t do.
Corden begins the sketch in his usual manner, alone in the car calling the prospective passenger. In this case, he, of course begins with the signature first words of Adele’s new smash hit, declaring “hello, it’s me,” adding later “hello, from the outside.”
They proceed to belt out many of Adele’s biggest hits, including Someone Like You Rolling in the Deep, and, of course, Hello, with Corden shocking the singer with his vocal and harmonizing abilities. “You’re really good!” she declares. But it’s Adele who really mesmerizes you: at times, it’s difficult to tell which is the recording and which is Adele live because she’s just so on point with every note.
But going beyond, the ballad singer also delves into a tune from one of her biggest favorites: the Spice Girls. She used to pretend she was Gerri (better known as Ginger Spice), she tells Corden, and was genuinely devastated when the key member left the group. But the best part: Adele spitting out some serious rhymes as she raps along with Nikki Minaj’s Monster. Who knew.
Clearly filmed in Britain, as evidenced by the position of Corden in the car, it appears the segment was filmed during the holiday season. Adele relates having gotten drunk three nights in a row (because, of course, it’s the holidays) and recalls a hilarious story. Waiting for an hour for a friend to meet her in a restaurant, after downing a few glasses of wine, she ends up chatting up some fans, paying for their meal, and taking down another fan’s e-mail address to get him tickets to the Nashville concert because it was sold out.
Referring to her as the “female Phil Collins,” Corden suggests she start her own “squad,” Taylor Swift-style, to have T-Swift’s gals “shitting in their pants.” His suggested members: everyone from Beyonce to Emma Stone. Adele doesn’t quite seem keen on the idea.
The segment comes in at just under 15 minutes, but it’s worth a watch just to hear how smooth, sultry, and absolutely perfect Adele’s voice is, live or otherwise.