Adele Adkins is 27 years old, despite the fact that her new album is titled “25.” She is also a 10-time Grammy Award-winner and a mother. But before all of that, Adele was just a young woman from a London neighborhood who loved to sing.
Adele’s first album, “19,” was released in 2008. It attracted attention from celebrities such as Kanye West and Beyoncé, as well as from the public. “19” has been certified double platinum in the United States and seven times platinum in the United Kingdom.
Three years later, Adele released “21.” This record explores all sides of her pain after separating from a partner. “Someone Like You” is a ballad of lost love, while “Rumour Has It” is an angry, emotional dig.
Later that year, Adele suffered from a vocal hemorrhage that forced the cancellation of tour dates in favor of throat surgery. But in the time after her operation, according to Rolling Stone, “her already world-shaking voice became palpably bigger and purer-toned, and she’s added four notes to the top of her range.”
Ready to surprise again, Adele released “Hello,” the first track on and single from “25,” in October. It became the first song ever to sell more than a million digital copies within a week of its release in the United States.
Adele reminded us who was in charge with a powerful statement. The song has a somber beginning with dark piano chords and moody lyrics. “They say that time’s supposed to heal ya / But I ain’t done much healing,” she softly declares, followed by the mighty chorus that features her famously powerful voice.
Each of the 11 tracks on “25” displays a side of loving and living, and Adele’s masterful lyricism connects them all.
“Send My Love (To Your New Lover),” the second track, is rhythmic and modern. The guitar and drums support the loaded lyrics: “We gotta let go of all of our ghosts / We both know we ain’t kids no more.” It’s the only really “screw you” song on the album, and is directed at someone Adele dated between the man featured in “21” and her current partner Simon Konecki, who is the father of her child.
At almost six minutes, “I Miss You” is the longest track on the album. It’s haunting and darker than the first two songs. It seems to be about missing something, submitting to the feelings when one is alone. “I miss you when the lights go out,” Adele cries out. Perhaps she’s lamenting the life before — the life without the fame.
Written with singer-songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr., the next track “When We Were Young” plays with the same themes of nostalgia and yearning. It’s a soft conversation between the present and the past: “Everybody here is watching you / ‘cause you feel like home / You’re like a dream come true.” Maybe she’s talking to the fame, asking it to ease up a little.
Adele has allowed “25” to become an intimate look at what is important to her. “Remedy,” produced by Ryan Tedder, is about her child, Angelo. It’s a love song from a mother to a child, pure and precious.
Every lyric is full of care and love. “When the pain cuts you deep / When the night keeps you from sleeping / Just look and you will see / That I will be your remedy,” and, “Your love, it is my truth / And I will always love you,” make you want to go hug someone.
“Water Under the Bridge,” the sixth track, is also deeply personal, as Rolling Stone confirmed it’s about Konecki. “Don’t pretend that you don’t want me / Our love ain’t water under the bridge,” details the insecurity that comes with the solidification of a relationship. It’s a determined ballad, strong in the face of doubt.
The second half of “25” is driven by piano and voice layers. “River Lea,” produced by Danger Mouse, is choir-like and pulsing.
“Love in the Dark” is more emotional, featuring an army of strings that utilizes multiple techniques to drive home Adele’s powerful lyrics, such as, “I want to live / And not just survive.”
In “Million Years Ago,” she sings, going back to the theme of dealing with her fame both innocently and vulnerably. “I miss the air, I miss my friends / I miss my mother.”
The final two tracks are perfect examples of Adele’s renowned vocal skills. “All I Ask,” written with Bruno Mars, pushes her range to a climactic key change. The lyrics beg for just a moment of bliss with an unrequited love. It’s dramatic, but that’s Adele’s specialty.
The final track, “Sweetest Devotion,” is an upbeat love song that drives home the album. Featuring a killer electric guitar hook, it’s got a dance element to it. As the closing track, it channels a vibe of pride and happiness. Adele might be saying that she knows how long we waited, and she knows that she’s delivered.
Throughout “25,” Adele examines how far she’s come, what she misses and what she holds dear — fans included. Perhaps that’s why in she reminds us, “Just remember that come whatever, I’ll be yours all alone.”
