It would be understandable if the most successful singer of the moment - whose latest album sold a staggering 3.38 million copies in its first week of sales in the United States, and become the fastest-selling album of all time in the UK - let fame get to her head.

And yet, the more we hear from Adele, the more relatable and personable she becomes, revealing not a smidgen of hubris.

This week, the Hello singer has pondered the reason for her monumental career to date.

Speaking to Time magazine, the singer, 27, reveals she is completely overwhelmed by the level of her success, saying: “It’s ridiculous. I’m not even from America. Maybe they think I’m related to the Queen. Americans are obsessed with the royal family.”

But perhaps, the singer muses, it’s due to her relatable nature:

“The fact that I’m not shy or embarrassed to be falling apart,” she says. “Everyone falls apart, I think. A lot of people try to be brave and not shed a tear. Sometimes when you know someone else feels as shit as you do, or approaches things in a certain way just like you do, it makes you feel better about yourself.”

“Even though my music is melancholy, there’s also joy in that. I hope I do bring joy to people’s lives, and not just sadness, but I think there’s a comfort in it,.” she says.

“But I honestly don’t know. If I knew, I would bottle it, and sell it to everyone else.”

The singer admits that she is baffled by how the world of celebrity has changed in recent years, especially when it comes to the idea of the personal brand, saying:

“I don’t like that word. It makes me sound like a fabric softener, or a packet of crisps. I’m not that.”

For Adele, an artist must have personality in order to get into her good books.

“I don’t care if you make an amazing album,” she says. “If I don’t like you, I ain’t getting your record. I don’t want you being played in my house if I think you’re a bastard.”

Other elements of the modern world of celebrity also seem unappealing to Adele. After the news broke last month that the singer had been banned by her publicists from sending out her own tweets, it’s no wonder she’s not a fan of social media.

“How am I supposed to write a real record if I’m waiting for half a million likes on a fucking photo? That ain’t real,” she says.

Speaking about the future of her career, the 27-year-old says firmly that music remains her sole focus. But after working closely with director Xavier Dolan on the video for her single, Hello, she adds:

“I have no interest in acting for the foreseeable future, at all, especially while I’m doing my music, because I can’t give my all into two things, but I would consider it for him.

“I liked how he made me feel when I was doing it. So I’d do it for him.”

Who knows, perhaps we’ll see Adele on a cinema screen near us in the coming years…