Adele Emily Gouraguine (née Sandé), born 10 March 1987, better known as Emeli Sandé (/ˈsændeɪ/ SAN-day;), is an English born (of Zambian descent), Scottish recording artist and songwriter. She first became prominent after she featured on the track "Diamond Rings" by the rapper Chipmunk (2009). It was their first top 10 single on the UK Singles Chart. In 2010, she featured on "Never Be Your Woman" by the rapper Wiley, which became another top ten hit. In 2012 she received the Brit Awards Critics' Choice Award. She has written for a number of artists, including Alicia Keys, Cher Lloyd, Parade, Susan Boyle, Gabrielle, Preeya Kalidas, Rihanna, Leona Lewis, Alesha Dixon, Amber Riley, Cheryl Cole, Tinie Tempah, Ella Henderson, Mutya Keisha Siobhan, and Fantasia Barrino.

In 2010, she signed a publishing deal with EMI Music Publishing. She later announced that Virgin Records had given her a record deal. Sandé released her first solo single "Heaven" in August 2011. Sandé has three number-one singles across the United Kingdom and Ireland with "Read All About It" with Professor Green, "Next to Me," and "Beneath Your Beautiful," a collaboration with Labrinth. Her album Our Version of Events spent 7 non-consecutive weeks at number 1 and became the best-selling album of 2012 in the UK, with over 1 million sales. In 2012 she performed in both the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the London Olympics.