ON THE COVER: ADELE

Who better to grace the cover of our U.K. special issue than Adele, whose new Columbia set, 30, streeted just before we went to press. Having conquered DSPs and radio with lead single “Easy on Me” and after getting a big TV look with an Oprah-enhanced CBS special, she now prepares for a bloody enormous chart debut. The only fly in her tea? Having to be associated with this sad rag.