(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Adele felt like her heart had been beaten up the first time she listened to Etta James.

The British singer achieved chart success across the world with her debut album 19 and is currently promoting the follow-up 21. Adele has received critical acclaim for her soulful voice and stunning lyrics and has often spoken about her musical influences. She loves listening to legendary American female jazz and blues singers, but admits she originally only decided to listen to Etta because she liked her hairstyle.

Im not very mature in real life, but I seem to come across that way in my records. The kind of music I love Etta James, Roberta Flack and Carole King, they just ooze it. I got into Etta James by accident, I liked her blonde weave and her catty eyes she had this look on her face like she was really angry so I bought the CD because it was only 2, she laughed in an interview with British television show This Morning. So I bought it and listened to it and I fell in love. It was like she went into my chest and beat my heart up.

Adele has surprised some of her fans by introducing a country music influence to her latest material. The award-winning musician has revealed spending time in America helped her to become familiar with the genre and she quickly came to love it.

I was lucky enough that my career really took off in America and I spent a lot of time over there after 19. Country is the biggest music over there; it sells millions and millions and millions of albums. But in the UK unless its someone like Shania Twain and it crosses over I dont know anything about it, she explained. But my bus driver and my tour manager made me mixtapes and compilations of all this country music. When I used to smoke, and I dont anymore, I would be up at the front of the bus and the driver would be rocking out to all this country music. It was amazing and I felt like a four-year-old because I was like, What is this? (C) Cover Media