‘PRIMA’ has entered The Villa

In a world where perfection and polish are often the key to success in pop stardom, 2026 has a very different set of rules. Audiences favor the unrefined edges, soundtracking the hedonistic late nights and messy encounters with artists, delivering the modern pop blueprint. A rising Slovakian and Los Angeles-based artist Adéla Jergová, dropped her much anticipated debut album “PRIMA” on Friday, Sept. 4.

Adéla was first introduced on “The Debut: Dream Academy,” a reality competition series designed to create the global girl group, Katseye. She began her career there as a contestant, but was the first to be eliminated. Executives pointed out, “We see Adéla as a solo artist.” This resulted in the artist we see today.

The title “PRIMA,” is a reference to the prima ballerina, this is fitting for Adéla’s debut album, as she’s trained and performed professionally in ballet. Throughout the album, she slides between pop, hip-hop, R&B, and EDM, showcasing her effortless sense of cool. On initial listen, “PRIMA” is not necessarily an assertion that she’s reached the top, but rather an artist who is still finding her footing as a pop star.

The Lead single “KGB” opens the album with a history lesson, a reintroduction to who Adéla is, as opposed to the narrative that was forced upon her. “I was like, eight, working the night shift to learn English/I’m like a spy,” she recounts the nights she spent watching Hannah Montana in Slovakia learning English, which later instilled the drive to become a pop star.

Adéla pays homage to actress Nicole Kidman by naming a track after her on the album. This is centered around the chipmunk soul sample of “In My Father’s House” by God’s Gospel Angels, the track gives her the foundation to showcase her braggadocio, confidence and cadence. She sounds at home effortlessly matching its energy, which allows for her personality to shine through. It’s one of the notable moments on “PRIMA” where she shows her influences and persona well.

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Not every experiment landed on “PRIMA,” however, in between the more energetic tracks lie the jarring, slower cuts that hinder the album’s pacing, such as “I’m The Man” and “Hitachi”. While it gives the album a vulnerable bite, it leaves the listener craving more. The duo introduces something interesting and new to the album.

That doesn’t mean Adéla can’t churn out a vulnerable cut, “Red Bottoms” reveals her most fragile sides through Christian Louboutin’s shoes, a symbol of power, status, and luxury.

“Boys” restores the album’s energy with Adéla’s ever-present bravado on a distinct flavor of production, evocative of Timbaland’s early 2000s run. “Boys” proves she has a strong instinct for pop’s more infectious impulses. Adéla loves a good hook, and it’s evident here. It does suffer from its own length, just as the track begins to settle into a zone without a chance to develop.

“Fantasize,” “Starving Artist,” and “Marijuana” lean heavily into Adéla’s strengths for crafting an atmosphere beyond just earworm hooks, leaving a long-lasting impression. These tracks capture Adéla’s raw ethos. “Fantasize” and “Marijuana” both occupy a different space, but melt naturally into one another.

Notably, “Marijuana” is one of the most interesting tracks with its hazy ambiance. “Starving Artist” hits the ground running with a sharp commentary on the realities of chasing notoriety in music, and what better way to score it than on a filthy baseline that ends in a beat switch, marking one of the album’s most memorable moments.

The most startling track comes in the form of “Therapy,” another ballad that strips away the larger-than-life persona Adéla built and cultivated on “PRIMA.” She turns inward to reflect on her state of mind with a strikingly diacritic piece. The auto tuned vocals and unpolished production offer a glimpse of what exists beneath the sparkle.

Ending on a victory lap, “Ain’t In LA” is where Adéla’s instinctual sound feels most rewarding. Emulating Houston’s chopped-and-screwed sound, Adéla shouts out the dreamers, even herself, crumbling the alluring narrative that you have to be in LA to make it. She amplifies the encompassing creativity and beauty of people from all walks of life while honoring the sacrifices her mother made. Deep in the era of meta-pop, where artists lay their wounds bare to process their own experiences, “Ain’t In LA” expands beyond that conversation.

It comes full circle as Adéla became the first Slovakian artist to debut on the Billboard 100 with “Ain’t In LA” currently sitting at No. 68, and No. 7 on the Top 50 Global Spotify chart. The song’s rejection of conventional paths, and earnest preaching of dedication to your craft, feels entirely fitting for an artist still carving her lane to the summit.

“PRIMA” hasn’t quite earned its respective title– yet. However, what Adéla has done here is make a compelling case for her potential. Her versatility can occasionally work against her; “PRIMA’s” pacing can feel jarring when it gets to the ballads, especially losing the momentum she built in the first half. Adéla is an artist still finding her place in the current landscape, and what she presents on “PRIMA” already is arguably fascinating nonetheless.

7.5/10