Following her chart-topping album, “21,” Adele decided to throw in the towel on heartbreak ballads, at least for a few years, in order to focus on her new family. Many fans, while happy for the British pop singer’s new love, were worried they wouldn’t be getting another album. So, when news of the first single broke, fans could hardly contain their excitement, and with good reason.
“Hello,” the first single off “25,” set a high bar for the rest of the album. The track had a similar sound to “21,” and had the same incredible lyrics that brought back memories of an old friend or partner in almost everyone who listened to it. In that moment, we all shared Adele’s feelings of sorrow.
The next track on the iTunes version is “When We Were Young,” another big ballad with strong vocals, but not a lot of range. There’s a heavy emphasis on piano again, and a pattern begins to emerge for this album. “Love in the Dark” follows the same soft piano melody that builds into a crescendo for the chorus. In fact, up until “Sweetest Devotion,” all the tracks follow the same pattern. While the lyrics are good and Adele’s vocal performance is – as always – incredible, the same piano-centric score gets repetitive and boring about three tracks in.
Thankfully, “Sweetest Devotion” cuts in with a completely different sound, featuring guitar and a strong drum beat. The track becomes hugely successful, because it doesn’t sound like a typical Adele song.
The album cuts back into power ballads at the start of “Million Years Ago.” Even though it has the same mellow vibes as the other tracks, the song also creates a happy atmosphere, thanks to the use of classical guitar in lieu of the piano.
“I Miss You” is really the powerhouse of the album. The drums make a return with a really cool but relatively simple beat. The backing vocals also give a sort of creepy feeling to the song, which sets it apart from the rest of the album. Adele puts everything she has into her vocal performance, and, though it does take a little bit to warm up to it, “I Miss You” is definitely one of the best songs on the album.
Top Tracks: “I Miss You,” and “Sweetest Devotion”
Verdict: The album is a little boring, especially the iTunes version, which has a different order than the Target version. “Hello” still makes you think about that cutie at CVS that complemented your shirt, but the rest of the album feels like standing behind the register for eight hours with no customers. There’s some relief in between songs, but, overall, “25” does not live up to the hype.
Grade: B-
