English pop artist Adele has been absent from the music scene for the past three years. On Oct. 23, she broke her silence with the release of her single “Hello.” The song is from her upcoming third album “25.”
“Hello” is a soulful piano ballad that has struck emotional chords for many listeners. Almost everyone has experienced the pains of calling an ex in hopes of reconnecting. The lyrics of Adele’s single explore how isolated one may feel on the other side of the phone when they call and get the answering machine—again. Musically, listeners can hear the regret wrapped up in the call, and the continuous missed connection creates a sense of helplessness and rejection.
When I first heard “Hello,” I was disappointed with a few aspects of the song. The opening reminded me of the classic Adele I used to know
in high school, but soon I found myself thinking, “I have heard this before.” Lately, all pop music has the same format, chord progression and lyrical melodies.
“Hello” is a typical pop song, and I don’t think there is anything original about it, except for Adele’s bluesy interpretation of the music. My favorite part of the song is the chorus when Adele starts to belt, and I felt reminiscent of the famous “Rolling in the Deep” track that is basically a classic now.
What made Adele’s music so powerful when she first started out was her unique style. Her voice was unlike anything pop music fans had heard before, maybe because she does not have to be auto- tuned. Her music was played on mainstream pop radio stations, but the core of her music was not pop.
Blues and jazz combinations from her original music is what put Adele on the map, and that is where she operates the best.
Though it is catchy, “Hello” is just a basic pop track with Adele’s voice on top. If the original artist performing “Hello” were Taylor Swift or Selena Gomez, it would have had the exact same effect, but try to put Swift or Gomez on a blues track and the end result would just be weird and out of place.
Adele is representative of a musical genre quickly going out of style. She is a true jazz/blues artist and her voice would be showcased infinitely better on a jazz/blues track.
I think Adele may have sold out to the pop scene just to get her voice back out there, but I hope the rest of the tracks on her upcoming album are more true to her style. I also think Adele did an amazing job with the song, despite the genre, and many artists can’t do that.
“Hello” has gotten mostly rave reviews since its release.
Adele’s new album “25” will be released on Nov. 20.
