When Adele Laurie Blue Adkins last released an album, her sophomore release, 21, in 2011, it almost singlehandedly saved the record industry – topping the charts in more than 30 countries, and selling over 30 million copies. The phenomenal 21 also picked up pretty much every music award going. Count ’em – seven Grammys, two Brits, two Ivor Novellos, three AMAs, two Aims, an Ascap, an Impala, two Q awards, a Mobo, two Music Week awards and four MTV Awards. And that’s just for starters. Needless to say, the big-voiced Londoner had to buy another house just for the extra shelf space.
So four years on, here we go again. Given the instant success of its first cut, ‘Hello’ – which sold 1,112,000 digital downloads and hit 61.2 million streams in its first week – it’s already a given that Adele’s third album will be another global smash. Even in terms of physical CD sales, she’s the kind of radio-friendly unit-shifter that Tesco and Topaz stock buyers salivate over. But is 25 any good?
Well, the answer is ‘yes’ indeed. If you liked the last record, with all of its righteous anger and emotional balladry, you’re going to like this one, too. Adele, after all, was hardly going to go hip-hop at this stage.
In a statement released last month, confirming that the album would indeed be titled 25, the 27-year-old Londoner said, “My last record was a break-up record, and if I had to label this one, I would call it a make-up record. Making up for lost time. Making up for everything I ever did and never did. 25 is about getting to know who I’ve become without realising. And I’m sorry it took so long but, you know, life happened.”
There’s no arguing with that. Life for Adele has happened at hyper-speed in recent years. 21 made her a global superstar, which must have been something of a distraction. She also became a mother. However, songs about being mega-famous and changing nappies aren’t going to do it (the four-year delay is partly due to the fact that she wrote and then scrapped an entire album about motherhood).
Mostly, then, she’s back on familiar ground. Adele made her name creatively mining one failed relationship (result!), but doesn’t appear to have fully exhausted that pain yet. She may be happy with a new man, but the old one isn’t entirely out of her system. Thus, while the raw hurt and anger so openly displayed on 21 isn’t so much in evidence here, there’s still a touch of passive-aggression even in an upbeat song such as ‘Send My Love To Your New Lover’. “Send my love to your new lover,” she sings, “I hope you treat her better.” The eerie ‘I Miss You’ also seems to be addressed to her ex, as does the regretful power ballad ‘When We Were Young’.
She writes about dealing with the pressures of fame on ‘Million Years Ago’, a decent stab at French chanson. “Around the streets where I grew up,” she intones, “They can’t look me in the eye/ It’s like they’re scared of me/ I try to think of things to say/ Like a joke or a memory/ But they don’t recognise me.”
While it’s all musically polished and melodically flowing, and there’s absolutely no arguing with the power of her vocals, it’s hard to know how much of herself Adele is really revealing in these seemingly deeply personal songs. The powerful persona of its prime mover notwithstanding, this entire album is a team effort. Every single track is a lyrical co-write.
She has also worked with a remarkable array of producers. Sessions with Blur’s Damon Albarn ended acrimoniously, but the credits list Danger Mouse, Samuel Dixon, Paul Epworth, Greg Kurstin, Max Martin, Linda Perry, Ariel Rechtshaid, Mark Ronson and Ryan Tedder. Amazingly, with so many cooks at work, the broth hasn’t been spoiled.
The recipe hasn’t been changed much, either. Whilst there aren’t many duds, ‘Water Under The Bridge’ and ‘Love in the Dark’ are relatively bland and MOR. To these ears, one of the standouts is the Danger Mouse–produced, darkly propulsive ‘River Lea’: “Sometimes I feel so lonely in the arms of your touch/ But I know that’s just me because nothing ever is enough.”
All told, 25 is another lovelorn confessional blockbuster, guaranteed to sell millions of copies and emotionally soundtrack every other wedding, funeral, 21st birthday party and acrimonious break-up from now until the release of 29 (or maybe 30). The record industry can heave a collective sigh of relief – as can the Tesco and Topaz buyers. Adele has done it again. Here’s to heartbreak!