In a new, hour-long radio interview with Zane Lowe, Adele admits that, due to time constraints (especially now she’s a mum), she has been forced to turn down collaboration requests from artists that she genuinely admires, and addresses the rumours that Beyoncé is one of them.
“Just to clear up, there’s a rumour going ’round that I turned Beyoncé down, which I would never be so disrespectful as to do,” Adele says, adding emphatically, “I would never disrespect her like that”.
“You know you just said ‘Yes’ to her on camera,” Lowe jokes, to which Adele bursts into her instantly-recognisable cackle of laughter, responding, “She wouldn’t want to be in a room with me, I’m such a fan! I’d be like, ‘Oh my gawd!'”.
Adele also lists a number of her current favourite artists, including Lana Del Rey (“She stirs my soul”), Alabama Shakes and lead singer Brittany Howard in particular — “the way I first felt when I heard Etta James is the way I felt when I heard [Brittany]… She’s an exquisite singer.”, Drake, Tobias, CVRCHES, the Maccabees, Florence Welch’s new album and, “Obviously Queen Bey to the day I die”.
The full Adele interview with Zane Lowe will be on Beats 1 at 5pm GMT today.
Read more: Read Adele’s i-D world exclusive cover story, her first interview in three years
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