Hardly anything in the year 2020 seems strange anymore. Then something new happens, like a photo that singer Adele posted to Instagram that found its way around the internet on Sunday. The strangeness of it had her followers questioning not just the attire, but the singer herself.
Adele is shown wearing bantu knots in her hair and a Jamaican flag bikini top, and her post read, "Happy what would be Notting Hill Carnival my beloved London." Her post was followed by emoji flags of both Great Britain and Jamaica.
The Notting Hill Carnival is a popular annual event that's significant in Black British culture, and it takes place during the Sunday and Monday of the country's August Bank Holiday weekend. The carnival that began in 1966 has taken on a Caribbean flavor since 1976, but it was canceled this year because of COVID-19.
Because of its cancelation, many people have celebrated virtually—or online—in their own ways. This is where the famous British singer made her virtual mark.
First, she wore bantu knots in her hair, but what are they? It's a traditional African hairstyle that's been around more than a century, according to NaturallyCurly.com. The term "Bantu" itself is a term that collectively describes hundreds of African tribes that spoke the "Bantu" language, but it doesn't refer to any one homogenous group of people.
Though the hairstyle that's sometimes called "twisted mini buns" was popular among African women, it also became popular among Black women all over the world. And recently, non-Black celebrities and models have worn the hairstyle, even drawing criticism for doing so.
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The Jamaican flag bikini top worn by Adele was an obvious nod to the Caribbean country and culture.
Her photo had Twitter, Instagram and other outlets on fire Sunday night.
Frederick Joseph, author of "The Black Friend," said people have seen enough this year already.
Ernest Owens, an author who has more than 20,000 followers on Twitter, said "This officially marks all of the top white women in pop as problematic."
Adele is from the Tottingham section of London, where the annual Notting Hill Carnival is held every year. She has three studio albums: 19, 21 and 25, and a live album. She told friends at a wedding this year that a fourth studio album that would be released in September 2020, but that has since changed because of COVID-19.
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