Oh Adele, please don’t ever leave us again. After three long, agonizing years of being deprived of music that makes us want to belt out our feelings at the top of our lungs and have a good cry, Adele has finally graced us with some new music.
The last time Adele was taking over pop radio was in 2012 when she premiered her James Bond theme song “Skyfall.” Following that incredible ballad, Adele basically disappeared from the Earth. All that had been reported on Adele over the last few years was the birth of her son, Angelo. Other than that, she remained hidden from the public eye until about a week ago.
The power of Adele’s grace and voice is evident in the way she officially returned to Hollywood. A 30-second clip appeared during a commercial break of the “X Factor UK” with a blank screen and the haunting lyrics in the background “Hello, it’s me/ I’ve been wondering if after all these years you’d like to meet/ To go over everything/ They say time’s supposed to heal ya, but I ain’t done much healing/” That was it. A timeless voice against a black background. That was all it took for social media to explode with trends about Adele’s return. There was no question who that voice belonged to.
Last Friday, Adele released her brand new singe “Hello” off her upcoming album “25” along with a stunning video filmed using IMAX cameras. Without an elaborate production or multiple actors, Adele conveyed a heartbreaking story about the end of a relationship through her moving words. Whether you like Adele or not, chances are you have heard this song in the past week because she is dominating pop radio once again.
Adele’s voice and song-writing capabilities are so unique that they are almost incomparable to any other artist of this generation. Even if you have never been in a relationship or had your heartbroken, the end of “Hello” leaves you feeling as though Adele understands every painful emotion ever experienced. Yes, the hype surrounding Adele’s return could be a bit much, but people cannot stop talking about her because this type of universal connection from a female, soul musician has been absent on the radio.
It’s not just Adele’s music that fans and the music industry have been missing. It’s her presence and what she represents. “Hello” is different compared to other Top 40 songs. She didn’t return trying to be someone else or follow trends in order to maintain her popularity. There weren’t any gimmicks or scandalous outfits needed for attention. Adele arrived as beautiful and confident as ever without trying to fit in. She is honest and relatable, and her fans still trust her to sing what she truly feels.
Adele said in an interview with BBC Radio 1 that she was “sick” and “nervous” about releasing new music. Well, the critics’ positive reviews, a new Spotify first-day download record, and the most watched YouTube video in 24 hours prove she has nothing to worry about. Adele is back and, hopefully, here to stay.
**All images from Instagram and Tumblr