Adele is Back (Again)

Image courtesy of twitter.com

By Ryn Cole

The incredibly famous English singer-songwriter Adele recently released her single “Easy On Me” on October 14, 2021, after not having released new music since 2015. This is not the first time Adele has left fans without her music for years, however, and it seems as though history is repeating itself. After six years without any of her new songs to sing to on the radio, Adele is back again. 

Adele’s last album was released on November 20, 2015, after a hiatus of four years. Before her album 25, she released her single “Hello,” which stayed at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for ten consecutive weeks. After such a long wait, her fans were ecstatic for a new song to be released. 

Her second studio album, 21, released four years before 25 included her hit singles “Rolling in the Deep,” “Rumour Has It,” and “Set Fire to the Rain.” This album and these three singles first gained Adele the popularity she has now, and she continues to release music that reaches number one spots on the charts even when she seemingly leaves the music industry for years on end. 

“Easy On Me” has swept the world off its feet. The song depicts Adele’s feelings regarding the last year of her life, her understanding of her childhood, and her feelings of abandonment while navigating the experience of growing up. Like many of her songs, “Easy On Me” is an open and honest account of her life while also being broad enough to remain relatable to a wide audience. 

“Easy On Me” is the first single off of her new album entitled 30, which will be released on November 19, 2021. When on Instagram Live on October 9, a fan asked Adele what this next album will be about. Adele answered with a short, “Divorce, babe. Divorce.” 

Adele went through a messy divorce with her ex-husband, Simon Konecki, in January of this year. The two were officially married in 2018, separated in 2019, and finalized their divorce in March of 2021. She opened up in an interview about her relationship with Konecki, saying that their marriage “just wasn’t right for me anymore.” 

While trying to cope with her feelings in regard to the last year, Adele came to the realization that her overall happiness was more important than keeping up with a marriage that was not fulfilling to her anymore. She focused her emotions on her songwriting and is finally prepared to release these feelings regarding her personal life with her audience. 

She wrote “Easy On Me” to explain to her son why she could not stay in her marriage anymore. In an interview with Vogue, Adele said, “I wanted to explain to him through this record, when he’s in his twenties or thirties, who I am and why I voluntarily chose to dismantle his entire life in the pursuit of my own happiness.” 

It is safe to assume that after the year she has had, 30 will be filled with intense, emotionally raw lyrics on the loss of love and the understanding of life. Her fans look forward to hearing her voice showcased in well-produced ballads with meaningful lyrics. Her songs are not known for being cheery dance bops, and this next album will likely be no exception, especially if “Easy On Me” is any indication. 

Now that Adele is back and ready to release what could be the heartbreak soundtrack for autumn 2021, her audience could not be more excited. While listeners eagerly await her new album, the question still lingers in the air: Will Adele stick around this time, or can we expect to not hear from her for years again? Hopefully, it will be the former.