By KELLI SKYE FADROSKI
November 20, 2015
If you sobbed uncontrollably after hearing Adele’s single “Hello,” which hit radio airwaves Oct. 23, you’re not alone. The 25-year-old British singer-songwriter has mastered the ability to make even the manliest of men and the toughest women break down and feel all of the feelings with her powerhouse vocals and a songwriting ability that can really tug at those heartstrings.
She’s raw, vulnerable, candid and above all, brutally honest. Adele can conjure up memories of heartbreak that make fans openly weep as they heap spoonfuls of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream into their faces or encourage scorn lovers to set their ex’s belongings on fire. Her new album, “25,” which comes out today, picks right up where her two previous records, 2008’s “19” and 2011’s “21,” left off. She’s titled her records based on the age she is at the time of their release, each of them offering a glimpse into some of the most personal moments during those particular stages.
A lot has changed for Adele since the last time she dropped an album – the one that earned a record-tying six Grammy awards in 2012. For starters, she found new love with boyfriend Simon Konecki and the couple now have a 3-year-old son, Angelo, who was born in October 2012. Though some of that new found happiness has seeped into “25,” she’s still yanking those heartstrings.
“Hello” is a simple track with a piano that plays secondary to her extremely raw vocal that soars so powerfully in the chorus. She tries something new with “Send My Love (To Your New Lover),” which has a big pop, almost Katy Perry-sounding chorus, and with “Million Years Ago,” the vocal is deep and low in places (think Mariah Carey) as it’s floated along by a Flamenco-esque guitar.
In honor of the new record, I’ve compiled a quick top five list of some of Adele’s most heart-wrenching cuts, so please join me as I sing terribly, and weep along.
5. “Chasing Pavements”
This was the second single off of Adele’s debut “19,” a blue-eyed soul record filled with lyrics about love and loss. For most, “Chasing Pavements,” which went on to win Adele her first Grammy in 2009, was their initial, very small sample of her mighty talents. She inked the song after feeling like she had spent too much time chasing after a guy who had ultimately cheated on her.
Saddest lyric: “I build myself up and fly around in circles, waiting as my heart drops and my back begins to tingle. Finally could this be it or … should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements? Even if it leads nowhere?”
4. “Hello”
What?! Am I heartless and insane to make this NOT the saddest Adele song of all time?! Yes, this beautiful ballad cracks the top five, but I don’t believe it’s the saddest piece to come from Adele. It’s definitely more grown up and personal, playing out much more like a conversation than a typical song. She has said in interviews that it’s not about an ex-lover, but more about growing apart from people that she has loved in her life.
Saddest lyric: “Hello from the outside at least I can say that I’ve tried. To tell you I’m sorry, for breaking your heart. But it didn’t matter, it clearly doesn’t tear you apart anymore.”
3. “To Make You Feel My Love”
Alright, so she didn’t write this song, Bob Dylan did. It has been covered by several artists, including country superstar Garth Brooks, but Adele’s version is absolutely haunting. Peppered in with the other emotional material on “19,” this cover fits right in.
Saddest lyric: “I know you haven’t made your mind up yet, but I will never do you wrong. I’ve known it from the moment that we met, no doubt in my mind where you belong.”
2. “Someone Like You”
A single off of Adele’s second record that hits like a hard roundhouse kick straight to the gut. Nothing is worse than seeing someone you’re no longer romantically involved with but still have feelings for living and carrying on happily with someone else. Adele unapologetically chronicles that tragically sad experience and the mistake so many of us have made about reaching out to that lost love, only to be rejected once more. Grab that pint of ice cream and a giant spoon now!
Saddest lyric: “I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited but I couldn’t stay away, I couldn’t fight it. I had hoped you’d see my face and that you’d be reminded that for me it isn’t over.”
1. “Don’t You Remember”
Oh, Adele. The pleading vocal and lyrics on “Don’t You Remember” is the final stab and twist to an already wounded heart. Co-written by Adele and her longtime collaborator, Dan Wilson, and produced by the crafty Rick Rubin, this is definitely still the saddest Adele song of all time. It’s targeted at those who have always wanted to pull up to an ex-lover’s house and have a moment like John Cusack in “Say Anything.” It’s better to just sing along to this song and cry quietly to yourself because if you’re not Adele and you just say these things out loud, you sound like a crazy stage five clinger: “Don’t you remember you loved me!”
Saddest lyric: “Gave you the space so you could breathe. I kept my distance so you would be free. And hoped that you’d find the missing piece to bring you back to me. Why don’t you remember? Don’t you remember? The reason you loved me before. Baby, please remember me once more.”
NOT MINE. CTTO: THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
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