Everyone has certain albums that define periods of time in their lives. When I was in middle school, I was obsessed with Adele’s album "19." I loved “Chasing Pavements" much like everyone else, but I loved the whole album, too. I borrowed (well, basically took) my mom’s CD of the album and would listen to it in my room. Each song had so much emotion and so much meaning. I didn’t fully understand a lot of those meanings at the time. I thought of 19-year-olds as so much older than me. I’m 20 now and thinking about when I felt that way is kind of funny. I still swoon over "19" and there’s something special about having loved its songs for so long, about growing with them and them taking on more meaning over time.
I liked some songs on her second album, "21," but I didn’t connect to the album like I did to "19." So when I heard that Adele was releasing a new album this year, I wasn’t that excited. Then my friend showed me the music video for “Hello." After that, I waited for the album in anticipation. I connect to “Hello” in the same way I do to "19." It’s one of those songs that pulls me in, its meaning and my meaning for it combining and making it mine.
Adele’s new album "25" was released on Nov. 20. However, it was not, and may not be, released on streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Rhapsody, according to the article “Adele Is Said to Reject Streaming for ‘25’” by Ben Sisario from The New York Times.
“With less than 24 hours before the release of the album on Friday, the major digital music services were informed that ‘25’ would not be available for streaming, according to three people with direct knowledge of the plans,” Sisario said. “A spokesman for Adele declined to comment.”
Despite this, I’m sure the album will be immensely successful as it has been predicted to be.
The second song on the album stood out to me from the album's slow and soulful theme. “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” is more pop than some of the other songs on the album. Adele says, “Just the guitar, OK, cool,” at the start of the song and it gives it a touch of authenticity. The guitar riff is upbeat, making the song interesting right from the beginning. Serious lyrics about a past relationship mix with a catchy chorus. I loved the song after listening to it once.
Each song is full of meaning and emotion. The songs “I Miss You” and “River Lea” are powerful, heavy ballads, in the distinct and almost cinematic style common of Adele. It’s a great album to put on when you’re emotional or feeling thoughtful.
I am always wowed when I listen to a song once and know that I love it. The fact that Adele has succeeded in this with so many songs on her new album is wonderful and it is so promising for the overall success of the album.
