Adele’s "25" was probably the most heavily anticipated album drop of 2015, and I don’t think anyone truly believed that the British songstress could uphold the incredible standards of her first two albums.
Well, once again, we were wrong.
Why is Adele still so successful? Maybe it’s her lack of interest in impressing anyone but herself or her steadfast commitment to quality. Maybe it’s because she never pretends to be anything she isn’t and never assumes the mantle of heavy pop production that is so common these days.
And maybe it’s because both her voice and her impeccable songwriting skills are unabashedly brilliant. Whatever it is, I’ve compiled what are (in my opinion) the best lyrics from her new album. Grab a few tissues, take a listen and enjoy.
"Hello"
“They say that time's supposed to heal, yeah, but I ain't done much healing.”
It doesn’t matter if you’ve never actually experienced a relationship like this; Adele’s way with words makes it a hard statement not to identify with. She encompasses all our regrets and mistakes into one apologetic and moving statement.
"Send My Love (To Your New Lover)"
“I’m giving you up, I’ve forgiven it all, you set me free.”
A very jazzy redemption song and worth a listen if you’ve finally moved on from that one toxic person. Probably the classiest way to tell someone you're heading onward and upward (without them).
"I Miss You"
“I want every single piece of you, I want your heavens and your oceans too. Treat me soft but touch me cruel, I want to teach you things you never knew.”
The subtle drum and clever lyrics are beautiful and sad, but there is a strength in all of her words. There's something so romantic and bittersweet about wanting to save someone or something, even if it might be impossible.
"When We Were Young"
“We were sad of getting old, it made us restless, I’m so mad I’m getting old, it makes me reckless.”
Appropriate for the time in your life when you’ve never felt quite so old or quite so young. And for of the all times that you run into your old flame in your neighborhood grocery store and feel nostalgic for the old days.
"Remedy"
"But when the pain cuts you deep, when the night keeps you from sleeping, just look and you will see, that I will be your remedy."
A soulful piano ballad for all the people in your life you want to break through to. Most effectively used while channeling Lloyd Dobler outside your true love's window.
"Water Under the Bridge"
“If you’re not the one for me, why do I hate the idea of being free?”
An ode to all the grey areas in your life. They say that if you love something, you let it go, but we all know how hard it is to do that. Luckily, so does Adele.
"River Lea"
“It’s in my blood and I stain every heart I use to heal the pain.”
It’s not a new concept that every little action in our lives has a reaction, and sometimes the events that change us the most leave their mark all over our lives and our choices.
"Love in the Dark"
"I can't love you in the dark, it feels like we're oceans apart. There's so much space between us, maybe we're already defeated."
Adele really bringing it home with some very good and very relevant points about those not-quite-relationship relationships. The truth does sting a little bit.
"Million Years Ago"
“I let my heart decide the way, a million years ago.”
A lyric and a song that any 20-year-old can probably identify with. Our growing pains aren’t easy, but at least we can take comfort that other people are feeling this, too.
"All I Ask"
“Hold me like I’m more than just a friend, give me a memory I can use.”
An honest tribute to rekindling the flame with the one that got away. Or, possibly, an honest tribute to rekindling the flame with any fast food joint/bar where you have yet to reclaim your dignity.
"Sweetest Devotion"
“I’ve been looking for you, baby, in every face I’ve ever known. There’s just something about your loving that finally feels like home.”
After a long and emotional journey through the process of letting go, it’s refreshing to hear a song that celebrates everything good about love.
