The year is 2015. You feel like letting the radio decide today, and Kfm is playing ‘Hello’. You too feel like you’re on the other side. Maybe you aren’t even Adele’s biggest fan, but even you can admit that the song hit home.
It’s been 6 years since Adele’s last album release, dubbed ’25’. However, after her first interview in five years, a live Instagram video and billboards that boomed ’30‘ popping up all over the world (including Johannesburg recently) Adele has stealthily snuck back into the public eye – and South African fans, along with Adele die-hards or just the slightly curious, might want to know what she’s been up to.
The music
Adele’s fourth studio album is almost here. It’s rumoured to be aptly titled according to her age, following the suit of her previous albums.
As Billboard puts it, fans shouldn’t expect another “Hello” anthem. For the Queen of ballads, it’s not about recreating a hit like that, but rather telling the story of this next phase of her life.
“It’s sensitive for me, this record, just in how much I love it,” Adele expressed to American Vogue. The songstress also noted a deep protectiveness over this album.
“I’m not letting go of this one. This is my album. I want to share myself with everyone, but I don’t think I’ll ever let this one go,” she said in reference to how some of her previous albums no longer feel like they belong to her.
The album expresses what Adele wants.
Miss Adele notes that some of her previous albums definitely reflected what she thought people wanted to here. Her latest record is set to reflect the ever pertinent question: “What do I want?”
It’s self-destruction, then self-reflection, followed by self-redemption.
She’s also expressed it to be her side of the story. Ie: The other side, but the one that belongs to her.
A snippet:
@samyahafsaouiTHE FEELINGS ##adele ##easyonme ##30 ##adele30♬ original sound – Samya Hafsaoui
Inspirations
As per her American Vogue interview, factors that went into her creation are reflections of her recent world. That world consisted of her divorce from Simon Konechi, raising their 9-year-old son Angelo, COVID-19, The year of Anxiety as Adele calls the one prior to the pandemic, and the Saturn Return, which she dubs the time where she lost the plot.
Where has Adele been?
If the interviews she’s done say anything about where Adele has been, the most prominent place would be finding herself. The singer notes that she faced a lot of demons in isolation before the pandemic, decided to find strength from anxiety in exercising and like honey to a bee, focusing on her music.
In terms of her ‘new look’ as the internet has had oceans of opinions in regard to her weightloss, the journalist who spoke to Adele said that one should imagine an Adele who is” now as athletic as that voice of hers.”
But Adele doesn’t seem to be particularly bothered about anyone’s opinions. She didn’t succumb to documenting her journey on Instagram either. As per Vogue India, Adele noted that people were shocked because she didn’t share her journey. In response, she said that:
“I did it for myself and not anyone else. So why would I ever share it. I don’t find it fascinating. It’s my body.” Well said.
This seems to be an Adele who has come into her own, much like Lorde. Taking a break from overt publicity, the album we can expect seems to be one drenched in truth and reflection.
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Picture: @Adele