25: Not Adele's Best Work?
British singer Adele's new album lacks the passion and pureness found in her earlier works.
December 2015
Amanda Nerenberg '18
British singer Adele Adkins holds the number one album spot for the the third consecutive week, but is this album worth all the fuss?
I agree that Adele has one of the best voices out there, and trust me, I should know; I’ve been following her since her first album, 19, debuted in 2008. Adkins had originally written about the loss of love, and the feeling of heartbreak in previous years. But within this new album she decided to take a different route, calling this her “make-up” album. In a letter to her fans, she wrote, “25 is about getting to know who I’ve become without realizing. And I’m sorry it took so long, but you know, life happened.”
There are many rumors floating around about why Adele’s recent album was produced so long after her previous album. One anonymous source believes that she had finished her album back in 2013, with much struggle and writer's block. She believed as though she had ‘lost her ability to write songs’ and even considered quitting. Finally, she put together an album, but after given to her producers, they declined the work. Together, they spent the next two years re-working her songs, perfecting them from their original form.
Although I feel her album along with her talent is riveting, I do believe 25 is lacking in passion. To me, "Hello" pales in comparison to others such as "Rolling in the Deep" and "Someone Like You". If the album had been realized when Adele had first finished writing it, I feel as though her raw work is what really would have made this album better than the rest. She has so much potential, and by the looks of it, she will continue to put out albums. But I think it is very important that she sticks by her work, and keeps her writing as truthful and raw as it can be. Without her pureness and full passion invested in her music, the songs tend to lack that bit of oomph and spirit.