Adele was given a recording contract by XL Recordings.
19 (Adele album) . It was first released on 28 January 2008 , through XL Recordings . 21 (Adele album) . Praised by critics for its understated production , vintage aesthetic , and Adele 's vocal performance , 21 defied the modest commercial expectations of her indie record label XL Recordings . Adele . After graduating from the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in 2006 , Adele was given a recording contract by XL Recordings after a friend posted her demo on Myspace the same year .