Adele pauses Munich concert to rave about viral Olympics breakdancer: ‘I can’t work out if it was a joke’

Singer said B-Girl Raygun’s performance was ‘the best thing that’s happened in the Olympics the entire time’

Kevin E G Perry
Los Angeles
Tuesday 13 August 2024 08:48 BST
Comments
Adele tells fan off mid-concert for getting people to sit down at Munich show

Support truly
independent journalism

Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.

Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.

Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.

Louise Thomas

Louise Thomas

Editor

Adele has shared her delight over the viral Olympics breakdancer Raygun, calling her performance “the best thing that’s happened in the Olympics” and adding that “me and my friends have been s****ing ourselves laughing for 24 hours.”

Raygun – real name Rachael Gunn – did not score a single point from the judges and was knocked out at the round-robin stage after losing all three of her bouts.

Her moves went viral on social media and became the subject of much debate.

During Adele’s show in Munich on Saturday night (August 10), the singer said: “I have to ask you because it’s all that me and my friends have been talking about last night, after the show and today — and I’m not saying anything, you know, I think it’s the best thing that’s happened in the Olympics the entire time — did anyone see the breakdancing lady?”

She continued: “I didn’t even know breakdancing was an Olympic sport these days, I think that’s f***ing fantastic. I really, really do.”

After checking with her band members whether they’d seen the Paris 2024 footage, Adele added: “I can’t work out if it was a joke, but either way it has made me very, very happy. Me and my friends have been s****ing ourselves laughing for 24 hours.”

Adele and Australian Olympics breakdancer Raygun
Adele and Australian Olympics breakdancer Raygun (Getty)

She added: “If you haven’t seen it, please leave the show and google it because it is lolz. It is so f***ing funny.”

Raygun’s performance perplexed Olympic fans and officials alike. Her routine included a move where she appeared to wriggle on the ground, which became an instant meme.

Dressed in the Team Australia tracksuit and cap rather than typical breaking gear and street clothes, Raygun said she could not compete athletically with her younger rivals so tried to be “new, different and creative.”

Breaking attracted significant ridicule as it made its Olympic debut as the only new sport to join the program for Paris 2024. B-girl Ami – Ami Yuasa, of Japan – won the inaugural gold medal.

Amazon Music logo

Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music

Sign up now for a 30-day free trial

Sign up
Amazon Music logo

Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music

Sign up now for a 30-day free trial

Sign up

It was Raygun, though, who stole the show. A university lecturer with a PhD in dance, gender politics, and the dynamics between theoretical and practical methodologies, she was Australia’s first Olympic qualifier for breaking after winning the QMS Oceania Championships in Sydney.

She said competing at the Olympics was “something that I never expected” after only picking up the sport in her mid-20s.

“All my moves are original,” Raygun said on her performance. “Creativity is really important to me. I go out there and I show my artistry.

Breaking will not appear at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 but Raygun defended its inclusion at Paris 2024 and said it should be considered for future Games.

Adele recently announced she’s planning a “big break” from music following her residency in Munich.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in