Ever since her much anticipated comeback, Adele has been all the rage. Her newest album, “25,” shattered records left and right following its November release, and “Hello” refused to surrender its seat atop the Billboard Hot 100 for weeks following its debut.
Adele’s gargantuan success is not, by any means, unfounded. There’s a reason why she’s in a league of her own.
Adele’s got the total package – a signature look, powerhouse vocals, and a stage presence that negates the need for elaborate choreography or ill-fitting costumes. However, one of the biggest things that makes Adele so special transcends even Adele herself: her lyrics.
Nowadays, an alarmingly large number of songs on the radio revolve around sex, drugs, and drinking. More importantly, these songs encourage their listeners to practice indifference and emotional detachment while engaging in these activities. It’s only ever about no-strings-attached sex, or drinking to get rid of the pain. Substance abuse, the objectification of the female body, and a pressing need to live life with “no regrets” are all pervasive themes in 21st-century pop.
Adele doesn’t touch upon any of the aforementioned topics; instead, she sings about love. There’s a vulnerability to Adele’s lyrics that’s missing in mainstream music. She isn’t afraid to delve into the ugly side of love, to discuss the not-so-pretty emotions that we too often keep bottled up and stowed away. When it comes to her feelings, she’s completely transparent. It’s the reason why we tear up when we watch Adele sing “Someone Like You” live in Royal Albert Hall: we understand her.
There’s a universality to Adele’s music that is unmatched by any other performer’s body of work. It doesn’t matter how old you are, where you come from, or what you’ve been through – Adele’s music will cut straight through to your core. As a college-aged student, it’s kind of impossible to directly relate to the misspent youth she refers to in songs like “When We Were Young.” But it doesn’t matter. The underlying themes – pain, longing, regret – are feelings we’ve all experienced, and they’re very same feelings that’ll sleeve your arms in goose-bumps whenever you listen to that song.
Perhaps our love for all things Adele represents something bigger. Perhaps it reflects our generation’s desire for more “real” music. This isn’t to discredit mainstream pop; the songs on the radio are ridiculously fun to jam out to. They make us feel invincible. However, it’s important to take off the armor sometimes. Music is such a powerful medium, and it should serve more purpose than mere background noise for a wild night out. It should be used to tune into our own emotions, to tune into those of the people around us, and above all, to get a good cry out of us when we need it most (cue the opening strains to “Make You Feel My Love”).