Adele opens up about her surprising secret to success - and why she's not a 'brand'

The word may be everywhere now, but Adele doesn't want to be called a "brand."

"I don't like that word," the record-breaking singer said of "brand" in a new interview for the cover of Time magazine. "It makes me sound like a fabric softener, or a packet of crisps. I'm not that."

She believes that artists should strive to be deeper than a "brand," and more like a package for their fans.

"There's personality in an artist, and if you're expecting people to let you in and give themselves to you, you have to be a whole package," the 27-year-old explained of her old-school approach to her career.

Whatever she believes, she must be doing something right. Along with setting other firsts, her new album, "25," captured the biggest first-week sales on record with a huge 3.38 million copies sold in the United States in November - and it's still going very strong.

For Adele, an artist's package should include being humble no matter how big that artist gets.

"I feel like some artists - and this isn't shading any artist, just me trying to come up with my own explanation - the bigger they get, the more horrible they get, and the more unlikable," she said. "And I don't care if you make an amazing album - if I don't like you, I ain't getting your record. I don't want you being played in my house if I think you're a bastard."

And in case you were wondering, Adele's new son and partner are not part of her superstar "package."

"I think it's really unfair for anyone to want unlimited access to my family when we're not a brand," she said. "Some people do, and if you're happy to do it, then kudos - that's f--king great. But I don't want my family to be part of my package. If my kid decides that when he's old enough to make his own decision that he wants to be known for being my kid, I'll be annoyed, but I won't stop him. I'll be like, 'It's your choice now.' But this was my dream. This isn't theirs."

Next up, Adele launches her world tour in February 2016, with her sold-out US shows starting in July.