How Adele Owned 2015 in Just Two Months
In the pop world of 2015, there was Adele, and there was everyone else. Despite giving her peers a nine-and-a-half-month head start, she had no trouble blazing past the competition, becoming not only the year’s most talked-about artist, but its most wildly successful. Imagine a musical Donald Trump, using attention-monopolizing superpowers for good instead of evil and trading in genuine emotion instead of empty bluster: Adele, with her long-awaited 25, was that benevolent juggernaut.
First came “Hello,” the tearjerking, record-setting ballad that served as her official reintroduction. Upon its release, the single captivated the Internet, got remixed by Rick Ross and riffed on by Lionel Richie, and had fans obsessing over its addictive video (which has now been watched more than 700 million times).
By the time of 25’s release in late November, Adele had officially taken over. As producer Paul Epworth put it, she “beat everyone else at their own game.” The album sold 3.38 million copies in its first week (setting a new record), topped the charts and even got spoofed by the Muppets. Adele then took her timeless talent to the stage with dazzling performances at the BBC and Radio City Music Hall, later announcing a massive 2016 tour. And after three quiet years, she opened up: first in a letter to fans, then in a string of interviews where she shared her own regrets and newfound wisdom, addressed the emotional weight of motherhood, and faced the fears and triumphs of making her return. This year, Adele raked in the cash, yes, but she also dominated our emotional lives, stealing back hearts and making history in the process. Here’s how.
October 18th: “Hello” Teased During X Factor Commercial Break
In the three years since her final pre-25 single, the Oscar-winning “Skyfall,” Adele cancelled a U.S. tour due to vocal-cord problems, stayed off social media (for fear of “drunk tweeting”), gave no interviews and largely stayed home to raise her son. But on October 18th, 2015, Adele broke her silence with three words that reshaped the year in pop. “Hello, it’s me” appeared in white letters on an all-black screen while the singer’s unmistakable voice greeted television viewers for 30 thrilling seconds. The surprise teaser aired during a commercial break on the U.K.’s X Factor, igniting a palpable buzz. Adele was back.
October 21st: Adele Announces 25 in Emotional Open Letter
After holding her cards close in the four years since 21, Adele opened up. In an open letter posted on Twitter and Facebook, she confessed, “I feel like I’ve spent my whole life so far wishing it away. Always wishing I was older, wishing I was somewhere else, wishing I could remember and wishing I could forget too.” The singer’s honest message flooded the Internet within seconds — her sentiment was painfully relatable, while her voice felt like fresh air. “My last record was a break-up record and if I had to label this one, I would call it a make-up record,” she wrote. “I’m making up with myself.” She went on to announce the album’s title, 25 — the year she came to a “turning point,” the year she had her son and the year she started the new record. “25 is about getting to know who I’ve become without realizing,” Adele concluded, “And I’m sorry it took so long, but you know, life happened.” She signed with love, and it felt real.
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