At least for me, the fantasy of dating a superstar like Adele is the idea that many of life’s would-be quotidian moments could suddenly turn into once-in-a-lifetime magical performances. Normal parents singing their child a lullaby? Adorable but predictable. Adele singing her child a lullaby? I’m sure it’s a priceless and Grammy-worthy five minutes of singing. Case in point: this Friday, Dec. 16, Adele reinvented the concept of singing someone “Happy Birthday” when she took a pause in her concert to perform a stunning version for her boyfriend, Rich Paul.
There are several videos floating around Twitter showing the exchange, in which Adele turns to the audience and says: “It’s my boyfriend’s birthday today, and I love him more than life itself. Can we wish him happy birthday?” She then reminds everyone his name—Rich—before belting out the song and finishing it off with her signature laugh. Paul, a sports agent, turned 41 the day of the concert and went to watch Adele perform her Weekends With Adele residency, currently being held at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
The two have been dating since 2021 and first went public with their relationship that July when the two sat courtside at an NBA game. In an interview for her September cover, Adele told ELLE she fell deeply in love with Paul. “Beyond,” she said. “I’ve never been in love like this. I’m obsessed with him.” She also added: “I’m just in loooove! I’m happy as I’ll ever be. I might as well be married.”
And while the two have yet to officially tie the knot, they have clearly passed the Serenading in Front of a Large Crowd relationship milestone. Bravo to them.
Madison is a senior writer/editor at ELLE.com, covering news, politics, and culture. When she’s not on the internet, you can most likely find her taking a nap or eating banana bread.
