Unless you’re totally off the grid, you know Adele is set to release her new album on November 20. Yesterday, the British powerhouse singer had Twitter-fingers flying with the release of her latest single “Hello.” If you haven’t heard it yet, check it out below.

There have been opinions ranging from utter elation from fans to the ever-present #hatertwitter asking why we even care, and even some saying that Adele is mediocre in comparison to other soul singers and is a proponent of cultural appropriation. Although there’s no logical reason to deny Adele’s talent, to say she’s mediocre is, at the very least, grossly inaccurate. The girl can siiiiiiiing. I personally have no problem with Adele’s music and don’t find her to be a cultural appropriator. I can appreciate Adele as a soul singer because, as such, she stays in her proverbial lane. She sings from her heart about love and heartbreak, and she’s damn good at it (have you heard “I’ll Be Waiting?”). That’s what music is about. You can definitely hear the iconic influences (a touch of Etta, anyone?), but Adele’s sound is her own.
Don’t get it twisted. You can definitely be a fan of Adele while still recognizing that the entertainment industry does award privilege to white musicians. We absolutely retain the right to get angry and be offended when our culture is pimped for the entertainment of the masses and the profit goes into the hands of outsiders. However, good people, Adele isn’t doing that. She isn’t some cheap imitation of what we do. She’s just Adele singing some songs and doing it well, in a way that seems to resonate with a lot of us. Now, if you want to talk mediocre white girls who get away with appropriation (i.e.Miley Cyrus? Katy Perry? Taylor Swift?) Get at me.

But leave Adele outta this.