“You know that girl, uh, what’s her name, what’s her name…Al-dell? Ugh, never mind, but she has a new song out. Ugh, it’s so good. So good. She’s brilliant.”

He’s previously mentioned that he loves Adele, but it still surprises me. It made me wonder—what’s the hype surrounding Adele? How is she able to reach out to every single demographic? She’s a sensation around the world, touching the hearts of adults, teenagers and my 57-year-old Israeli father. My father and I have different tastes in many things but in music, it usually overlaps. Listening to him explain the glory of Adele was spectacular because even I wasn’t so keen on her at first.

In fact, I didn’t see the big deal. I had listened to “Rolling in the Deep” and I thought, “Eh, this is all right.” But it was the same single, “Someone Like You,” that my father had called me about that changed everything.

I’m not entirely sure where it started, maybe it was the insane number of Disney movies I watched or that I repeatedly played “Grease” every day of my childhood, but somewhere along the lines I became fascinated with this concept known as love. My parents didn’t warn me that this fascination would probably hurt me in the long run. No one ever did. In high school the cynicism kicked in and I was no longer naïve. But the romantic in me still lives, hidden away.

At first the cynic in me hated Adele. But one day, I decided to really listen to “Someone like You.” The soft piano gets to you, I admit it. But what really changed my mind was when I finally heard the pain in her voice. It assured me that she had lost love. She had love and she lost it, but the pain was still there. It was touching, and I realized that if anyone ever loved me like she was describing, I would probably break down, too.

So now I’m finally an Adele convert. She’s one of the most talented artists today. There’s no way you can contradict that statement. Her voice is soft yet strong at the same time. I’m pretty sure she can move mountains with it, but we have yet to test that theory out. There are more than a few great singers out there, though—what sets Adele out from the rest?

The most probable explanation for her fame, other than her talent, is her modesty. At my internship at Clear Channel Communications, my supervisors told me that she came in to do a performance once. According to them, she was incredibly sweet.  She also exudes confidence when telling her stories. Adele will bring you right into her world. She is merely 22 years old (which makes me feel horribly dull) but has already released two albums and won two Grammys.

If you compare her to the other big stars like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Beyonce, Adele takes a different approach to her music and performances. She doesn’t focus on theatrics. She’s simple. It’s a sophistication you can’t imitate even if you tried. Here’s a dare for all of you readers: go to YouTube, watch Adele performing “Someone Like You” and tell me you didn’t at least tear up. Because if you didn’t, you have no soul (I’m just kidding…but only a little.).

Not to be dramatic here, but her voice spills into your soul and you can feel the pain and beauty in it. Perhaps that’s why the world applauds her—she makes us feel real and raw emotion.

She makes us acknowledge the pain we try to forget but need to remember.  She taps into the version of ourselves that we try to hide. She makes us vulnerable and deciphers heartbreak in an insightful way.

I was so upset after listening to her songs because I have yet to experience what she sings about. It’s something we all want, and it’s something Adele sings into you.

If you won’t believe me, then believe the crazy old Israeli man who loves music. If he can’t convince you, I’m not sure what will.