Adele's birthday photo sparks debate online

Adele often marks turning another year older with an album, but this year the singer posted a simple photo on Instagram to celebrate turning 32. Adele shared a sweet message with the photo, which shows her standing in a simple black dress and heels — but the image is now sparking a lot of discussion online.

“Thank you for the birthday love. I hope you’re all staying safe and sane during this crazy time,” the singer wrote in the caption. “I’d like to thank all of our first responders and essential workers who are keeping us safe while risking their lives! You are truly our angels ♥️ 2020 okay bye thanks x.” 

It wasn’t the caption that gained widespread attention — it was the visible amount of weight Adele has lost. Recent paparazzi photos have given fans a glimpse of the singer’s weight loss, but his photo seemed to generate much more interest in her transformation. 

“I mean are you kidding me,” Chrissy Teigen commented.

“THAT WAIST IS SNATCHEDDDDDDD!!!!” Kalen Allen, who works on The Ellen Show, wrote.

“Omg no te reconocí 😍 estás hermosa,” commented Columbian YouTube star Lulu99, translating to “Oh my God, I did not recognize you. You are beautiful.”

“you’ve worked so hard to look like this and I’m so glad you’ve got your purpose, but I want to tell you that for me you were always spectacular, beautiful and sexy woman,” wrote Spanish TV personality Nagore Robles.

While most of the comments on Adele’s Instagram photo were positive and full of praise, others criticized the amount of attention that social media users and the media were giving to the singer’s weight loss. 

“I see that Adele is trending because people are saying how gorgeous she is since she lost weight. Y’all, we’ve been over this… Your weight doesn’t determine your beauty. Your appearance doesn’t determine your beauty. The number on the scale doesn’t make you worthy or unworthy,” blogger and disability activist Melissa Blake tweeted.

“Can we please not celebrate Adele for losing weight like it’s the ultimate achievement? The news articles & tweets are disgusting,” beauty blogger Katie Meehan tweeted.

“Yes Adele looks amazing, Adele looked amazing before she lost weight too, Adele is amazing,” tweeted reporter Emma Kelly.

“Adele losing weight doesn’t mean that she wasn’t beautiful at any size and complimenting her appearance now doesn’t take away from that fact! Her body, her choice for how it looks. You do you, girl! Happy birthday, May sister,” film and TV critic Hanna Ines Flint wrote.

Adele, who keeps much of her personal life private, has not publicly opened up about her weight loss, although others have done it it for her. Many outlets have written about the star’s diet and transformation, citing “insiders” and “friends.”

It does not appear that the singer has responded to this new frenzy over her body. Perhaps the 15-time Grammy winner (and 18-time nominee) is focusing on her next album, which fans were also begging for in the comments of her Instagram post.