MANILA, Philippines — After what seemed like an eternity, 15-time Grammy winner Adele reemerged with a clip of her upcoming new single "Easy on Me," which is slated for an October 15 release, hopefully leading up to her much-awaited new album, too.
This week, the "Rolling in the Deep" hitmaker has confirmed the fan theory that she is coming back with fresh music, and is ready to remind everyone why her last studio album "25" won the coveted album of the year at the 2016 Grammy Awards.
The singer-songwriter posted an emotional piano ballad along with moody black-and-white visuals that resemble the aesthetics of her 2015 hit track "Hello," but offers a glimpse of a brand new Adele; someone wiser and self-assured.
Despite her upcoming album being shrouded in mystery, Adele always leaves clues, and if you’ve been paying attention to her music all these years, you’ll easily be able to connect the dots just like what we did. So, while we await the release of her new eminent album, here’s what we know so far.
‘30’ is Adele’s new era
Adele has recently dropped hints about her upcoming album with a slew of "30" projections spotted in different iconic locations around the globe. Of course, her eagle-eyed fans were quick to connect this to the British musician as she previously named her albums after her age.
"19" came out when she was 19, followed by “21” when she was 22, and “25” came after when she was 27. Adele, now 33, is pointing us all to the very obvious clue--that after a five-plus-year hiatus, the new era of "30" is very much on its way.
adele hasn't even released the album yet and has already outdone everyone #Adele30 pic.twitter.com/VyKJra2RZB
— ???????????????? (@outsideriah) October 1, 2021
Thematic songwriting that is distinctively Adele
Adele writes most of her songs with lyrics taking inspiration from her past experiences, the good and the bad.
As a lyricist, Adele is known for her thematic soul-baring songs that speak her truth about life, relationships, failures, and triumphs. So, are we going to be hearing a sappy song about divorce in her new album (Adele filed for divorce in 2019)? Perhaps not.
In an interview she did with Vogue this week, she revealed that after her divorce, she focused her attention on picking herself back up. She added that she wanted her son to see her love and be loved. Adele has been on a journey to find her true happiness ever since.
In addition, she pointed out that if the new album has something to do with divorce, it will be more of her “divorcing herself.”
It might be too early to assume but looks like we’re going to be served with themes like “self-realization” and “taking control of one’s journey.”
‘Easy on Me’ could be about her overcoming her anxiety
In her Vogue cover interview, Adele revealed that she struggled with anxiety, and just like most of us, she suffered from it--a lot. She also admitted that getting into fitness was not all about wanting to lose weight, but because it helped with her anxiety.
Though the new song doesn’t have available lyrics yet, the 20-second clip was more than enough for us to speculate how it could turn out. Similar to her ‘Million Years Ago,’ which combines a cathartic sound and heavier lyrics, ‘Easy on Me’ could very well have the same out-of-body experience.
It’s coming full circle for Adele
In her Vogue interview, she mentioned that her new album is quite a personal one, adding that "21" became so successful that everyone just took it as the tune of their lives. For "30" however, she intends to keep a part of it just for herself.
As the new album focuses on showing Adele’s vulnerability and authenticity, selecting the small team to work on the album came naturally to the Queen of hearts. She tapped her long-time friend and ‘Hello’ collaborator Greg Kurstin, together with legendary music producer Max Martin, and joined by Inflo and Ludwig Göransson.
A music video and several TV appearances in the works
For a massive global pop superstar such as Adele, one can only expect that her comeback single will be paired with a music video and a string of television appearances both in the U.K. and the United States to promote her music.
Everyone already knows that she lost weight, but based on her Vogue cover, we could be seeing a fitter, healthier, and blossoming Adele.