Hit the road, Adele

A 22-year-old singer from Tottenham, England is exposing South Africa's shortage of superstars. Adele Adkins is 2011's biggest selling international artist here.

Her second album, 21,has already been certified Gold, and has sold in excess of 30 000 copies in the two months since it hit our stores. Elsewhere, 21 has sold more than 1-million copies in the US and has been at the top of the UK charts for longer than any female solo artist ever, longer even than Madonna's chart appearances.

Adkins's sparkling vocal capabilities seem to have shown us how much star quality we've been missing. Her voice is richly textured, and she possesses the ability to manipulate it to convey emotions.

But, why is she not grossing as much money as singers with less talent? Adkins's lack of the big bucks could be explained by her not being a big-time touring artist. Instead she does random appearances.

In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, she confessed she can't stand touring.

"Once in Brussels, I projectile vomited on someone. I don't like touring. I have anxiety attacks." (She's as frank as Amy Winehouse, but has as clean an image as a reformed jailbird Martha Stewart.) This resistance to touring might have to change.

Karl Anderson, founder of Just Music, says: "If Adele continues selling this many albums in South Africa, I'm pretty sure we will see her here."

The attention 21 has received since its release might persuade Adele to hit the road. The subject of this attentiongrabbing music is reported to be comedienne Chelsea Handler. Adkins, apparently, was begging him to give her another chance at love in the song One and Only.

She sings: "You'll never know / If you never try to forgive your past and simply be mine / I dare you to let me be / your one and only / I promise I'm worthy to hold in your arms."

She reprimands him on the single Rolling in the Deep.

"Baby I have no story to be told / But I've heard one of you and I'm gonna make your head burn/ Think of me in the depths of your despair."

She's at her most extreme in both songs. The Adele Adkins of 21 mopped the floor of the pretender of her debut album, 19.

If you are wondering, the album titles refer to her ages during the production of both releases.