After a long four-year break, the 10-time Grammy Award winner Adele jumped back in at the top of charts with her latest riveting release and third album, “25.” On Nov. 20, 2015, the first day of the album’s release, over 900,000 copies were sold on iTunes alone, according to Billboard. “25” continues Adele’s streak of breathtaking and moving pieces, establishing herself as one of the best artists of this generation.
Since her sophomore album “21” was released in 2011, Adele has matured both emotionally and vocally, which is evident in numerous songs of the new album. Adele’s vocals are both passionate and intimate, leaving a strong impression on all listeners.
Adele opens her successful new release with the popular and classic ballad, “Hello,” which sets the overall theme for the rest of the album. Not only is she singing of her past and ex-lovers, but the song is also an introduction of her reappearance in the music field.
“[Hello] was a massive breakthrough for me with my writing because it’d been pretty slow up to this point,” she said in an interview with SiriusXM. “Straight away, I felt a little bit silly singing ‘Hello, it’s me,’ but straight away I loved the verse and I knew it was going to be the first thing I came back with me.”
Each song in the album is unique; the variety allows listeners to experience her voice in ways they haven’t before. Among these songs, “I Miss You,” is a haunting, emotional and chilling track, singing of how she misses her partner and “the most intimate intimate moments in [her] life.”
Creating a catchy, alternative beat, “Water Under the Bridge” might be one of my personal favorites. Even though Adele is classified as “pop,” I feel that with variety and her uniqueness, she is able to fit into many categories, not just one. Her passionate voice draws everyone into the song.
Adele travels back to her “roots” in “River Lea,” which is actually located near where she grew up as a child in London. With church organs and choir, she blames her relationship issues on the polluted river and continues to move forward instead of turning “back to the river.”
“I can’t love you in the dark; it feels like we’re oceans apart,” she sings in the heart-rending “Love in the Dark.” The meaningful yet somber lyrics and memorable melody make it the most powerful piece in the album. Piano and the string orchestra add to the intensely emotional meaning and feel of the song; a soon to be classic.
Ending “25,” Adele lightens the mood with a heartwarming song about her three year-old son in “Sweetest Devotion.” His voice is audible in the first 30 seconds of the song. She sings about how he makes her feel love and fills her with life.
“The song is all about my kid,” she said in an interview with USA Today. “The way I’ve described it is that something much bigger has happened in my life. I love that my life is now about someone else.”
Through the melodic variety and flawless vocals, she constantly reflects on “when [she] was young,” repeating this line in many songs. It sounds redundant, alluding to how she is always dwelling on her past, but it reveals the message of the whole album: to move on from heartbreak and the past.
As “25” is predicted to sell at least two and a half million copies in the U.S. alone by the end of the first week, it may be Adele’s most popular and successful piece. There is no doubt that she will be nominated for numerous awards, including Grammys, for her magnificent, powerful and jaw-dropping performances.
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“25:”
- “Hello”
- “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)”
- “I Miss You”
- “When We Were Young”
- “Remedy”
- “Water Under the Bridge”
- “River Lea”
- “Love in the Dark”
- “Million Years Ago”
- “All I Ask”
- “Sweetest Devotion”
Featured Photo Credit: XL Recordings
