Fandom between adoration and anger

"At that time, I got my father's iPod, which had a lot of music on it. Adele, among others. I was immediately flashed." Valentine remembers back to her 12-year-old teen self when that feeling of fascination and excitement grabbed her and she fell under the spell of a complete stranger. "We had a station in the garden where I could attach the iPod to listen to music loudly. I did that almost every day." Later, she starts playing guitar and singing along to Adele's songs. "I quickly memorised her first album." Even though the interview takes place over the phone, Valentine's enthusiasm is unmistakable. "She has a hell of a voice and has tremendous technique when singing."

The 27-year-old is not only a fan of the music, but also of "Adele" as a person. "I find her super fascinating as a person. The fans are loyal to her, they trust her. I don't think there are many artists who release new music every five years and they land hits every time like she does." Valentine doesn't describe herself as a super-fan, which is why she respects the strict separation between the public and private lives of her favourite singer. "She's a mother and she does everything so discreetly. That discreetness is part of why I celebrate her so much. I appreciate that." She said her fan-love now spans over 15 years, yet she has never made it to a concert by the superstar. "I've been to an online concert, and I've already cried there. So I can't imagine what it will be like if I ever manage to see her live. That's on my bucket list."

As to why she's never seen Adele live? As she has already said herself: she is not a super fan and doesn't see spending a ton of money on a concert. Because it's not just the ticket – travel and accommodation have to be paid for as well. "That makes me a bit angry sometimes, " Valentine adds. "That inaccessibility. There's rarely new music coming out and then when concerts are announced, the tickets are sold out super fast or it's too expensive or not in the area." Currently, Adele performs regularly in Las Vegas. "I briefly toyed with the idea of going. But then I thought to myself that everything has its limits. It was just too wild for me."