As she celebrates the 10th anniversary of her record-breaking album 21, we unpack how the stadium-selling star has remained elusive during the era of celebrity overexposure.

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 10: Singer/songwriter Adele performs at the Verizon Center on October 10, 2016 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for BT PR)Paul Morigi

Fame is a precarious game, and how you choose to play it often determines just how famous you become. For some, it’s a task driven by exposure; a yearning to stand in the limelight at every possible opportunity, to be a ubiquitous presence on red carpets, television shows and in advertising campaigns. This works for many — and the gigs are great if you can get them — but there’s another way of being a celebrity that thrives off the slivers of self that a person chooses to offer and the sacrifices they make. That’s how Adele Laurie Blue Adkins has done it.