If anyone doubted the gauntlet that is Adele, then they have been well and truly silenced. In its first week of release, sales of Adele's brilliant new "25" have out performed every other album from history for first week sales, beating N Sync's record of 2 million albums in one week - now that is impressive. Even more impressive, it looks like she will finish the week with 3 million sales, and that's just in the US alone.
Now the world was going crazy for "25" before it was even released. So is it any good? We must have all just known, cause the album is quite simply stunning. She is growing as an artist, maturing as a soul and the result is brilliantly beautiful. There is no denying the might of Adele, and she can back up the sales with truly quality work.
The album is a magnificent mix of a newer Adele sound and her traditional big ballads. She has stated that she was greatly inspired by Madonna's "Ray of Light" album. An album where Madonna tried a new sound and wrote lyrics after she had her first child. You can hear the influence, and while Adele hasn't gone full electronic, she is playing with new sounds and we're all better for it.
Here's why I think we all love Adele so much, we can relate to her. Not just her great personality, how funny was the video of her impersonating herself? It's those lyrics. She speaks our truth, the pain that we've all felt. Her lyrics cut straight to the heart and we relate .... and then drink lots of wine, which we cry into. I remember discovering Adele, hearing "Chasing Pavements", and just relating. She has only gotten better at that over the years.
Then there's her voice, what can you write about it that hasn't been said before? She has such a beautiful ease to her truly exceptional instrument. The effortlessness with which she can hit those notes is simply bewildering. She is a dead set talent.
First single, "Hello", is brilliant. Yeah, it's no "Rolling in the Deep", but it has such a pure emotion that you have to adore. So easy to blare this song and lose yourself in it. A perfect first single for this great album. Single number two, or least I think it is, "When We Were Young", is easily my favourite song on the album. It is so passionate and the song is such a journey, building to that exquisite note at the end. The pain in her voice is so heartbreaking and adds so many more levels to a perfect piece of pop.
There's not a bad song on this album, each is an epic journey into Adele's psyche. "Water Under the Bridge" is lyrically brilliant, a powerful song with a stunning chorus. "Love in the Dark" is a euphoric sounding heartbreaker. Her voice is blindingly beautiful and the orchestra is stunning. When she sings, "Stop asking me to stay", I want to cry. So perfect. "Million Years Ago" is a simple tune that is simply beautiful. "I know I'm not the only one who regrets the things they've done", wow Adele, you've got me again. So honest, so true.
It would be easy to talk about these songs all day, "I Miss You" with it's 90s sound that is a little Portishead, "River Lea" with that great gospel feel and "All I Ask" that shows that Adele quite literally owns the ballad now. Instead I will just say that you need to hear this album, easily one of the year's best. "25" is an album we can all relate to, if you can't, then you must never have had your heart broken!
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