Adele ended her 4-year dry spell when, in 2015, she released her much anticipated third studio album smash-hit: 25.
Back in 2011, Adele essentially crushed the music industry with the weight of her seasoned, mature vocals that most could hardly believe were belted out by a 21-year-old. The Grammys were less of a competition and more of a celebration of Adele. “Rolling in the Deep” and “Set Fire to the Rain” left us yearning for ex-lovers (regardless of whether they existed or not) with their crisp tones, rumbling beats and emphasis on tragedy.
Now that 25 has been released, we’re given a new set of soul-wrenching tunes.
“Hello” You’re lying if you say you haven’t heard it, since it’s broken Vevo records with over 27.5 million views in one day. It’s jarring, it’s sophisticated, it’s haunting and it’s one of the best examples of Adele’s incredible range and power in her vocals that sets her apart from many other artists.
“Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” If you love Adele but don’t want to be a puddle of tears, this track reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s that you can tap your foot and nod your head to–in fact, the 1989 producer was one of the collaborators on this song.
“I Miss You” Poetic lyricism combined with an oscillating drum elicits a whole waterfall of sadness in me for every single person in the street that I made eye contact with but never said hi to. Yes, Adele is so good that she makes us miss people we’ve never talked to.
“When We Were Young” I am only 17 years old, but this song makes me reminisce about the pseudo-long life I’ve led. It holds a timeless quality that ensures generation after generation will be crying to this song, and will never grow tired of it. I can already envision myself telling my grandchildren (again, I am only 17) as we listen to 25: “My God, this reminds me of when we were young.”
“Remedy” This is one of my personal favorites–the beautiful combo of piano and Adele is quite the remedy for my ears. The simplicity of a single instrument and a single voice proves the theme of sincerity and genuine reassurance that Adele thrives on. No need for extra vocals, drums or bass; all Adele needs is a piano to heal us all.
“Water Under the Bridge” For anyone who’s in love with the heavy beat and assertive voice that made “Rolling in the Deep” their favorite track, this one won’t disappoint. Adele has a quavering voice that vibrates with the music and a downright catchy beat and lyricism, so be warned–it will get stuck in your head.
“River Lea” Staying true to the song’s title, Adele manipulates her melodies and rhythms to flow and cascade like a river. Along with this river are backup vocals that expand Adele’s voice to give an awe-inspiring tone of triumph and pride. All we can do is allow her to flaunt her vocals, because she deserves to.
“Love in the Dark” A standing ovation for Adele for the genius idea of putting orchestra strings into this. Seriously. It’s less of a song and more of an IMAX movie with those strings.
“A Million Years Ago” Acoustic Adele is here to comfort you. In the scenario that you are experiencing a midlife crisis, I recommend you make a quick trip to Paris and walk around while listening to this song; I assure you will experience an emotional catharsis and feel a bit better afterwards.
“All I Ask” The lethal piano-Adele combo returns for more tears.This is the ideal song to play when you’ve just had a huge fight with a loved one. Adele will easily hypnotize your partner to believe that you are his/her last chance for love, and he/she will be quick to forgive.
“Sweetest Devotion” This is a lovely and positive conclusion to a catchy, heartbreaking and mind-blowing album that could easily be used for emotional manipulation. Be wary around this album, it will bring about the sadness you’ve thought you’ve buried, but also listen to this album, because we all crave that beautiful sadness at some point.
photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adele_-_Live_2009_(4).jpg
