Adele’s new single “Hello,” off of her upcoming album 25, has been one of the most anticipated songs of the last two years. After her release of the James Bond theme song, “Skyfall,” Adele had been mostly out of the public eye, and it seemed as if the entire world was anxiously awaiting her return. In a Twitter statement written by Adele on the 21st of October, she half-heartedly apologized for the wait, saying “I’m sorry it took so long, but you know, life happened.” However, despite the three year gap between new material from the singer, she has definitely not lost any interest from the public. After being released for a mere 3 days, “Hello” has already racked up close to 52 million views on Youtube.
As with many Adele songs, the first verse is largely piano driven, and provides a subtle backing to Adele’s sorrowful lyrics. “Hello, it’s me,” she sings, “They say that time’s supposed to heal, but I ain’t done much healing.” The verse provides a great contrast to the powerhouse vocals in the chorus, which hit the listener like a wall. “Hello from the other side,” Adele belts out, demonstrating why she became such a superstar in the first place. Her range and her extraordinary vocal strength never ceases to impress. The chorus brings in a rhythmic percussion element, which builds up throughout the track, and is most satisfying during the last chorus when it crashes in at its full glory. The 2nd and 3rd choruses also bring in background vocals and orchestral elements in order to build up the song, and to accompany Adele’s powerful melodies. Overall, the steady build-up of the song and the dynamic versatility demonstrated by Adele’s new song is both gratifying and enjoyable.
In that same Twitter statement made just about a week ago, Adele stated that while her last record, 21, was a break-up record, she considers 25 to be a “make-up record.” The record aims to discover the person she has become over time, and how much she has changed without even realizing it. 25 is set to be released on November 20th, and will surely be one of the most talked about releases in 2015. The album is available for pre-order on Itunes, Amazon, Google Play, and Target.
Leave a Reply