25

I don't like this 'big note ballad' stuff - Celine Dion, KD Lang, Mariah Carey, etc - at times her voice is like fingernails down a blackboard. I wouldn't ever choose to listen to this. Millions think it's wonderful, mostly women, I suspect. To me, it's awful.

It's not the worst it could be. Adele's voice is very strong, pretty much guaranteeing the album will get more than 1 star. The vocal is subtly flourish-y, which sometimes works to its advantage but also sometimes accentuates the subtle autotuning and occasional wacky overproduction. The compositions are generally very weak, being both (lyrically) unrelatable and (musically) unadventurous, almost to the point where it's hard to take Adele's clear vocal talent seriously. The instrumentation is consistently poor, especially the percussion. A few tracks on the latter half of the album are very strong (e.g. Million Years Ago, All I Ask) but most of the songs are unconvincing. Hello: Every time I listen to this song, I like it less than I thought I would. Verses are mediocre (piano isn't given any chance to shine or vary, and the melody is weak). Chorus is catchy and extremely memorable, but it isn't the culmination of several instruments; instead, it's Adele's slightly processed voice with scant flowery adornment. The other instruments aren't contributing enough, and I can't forgive that. Send My Love (To Your New Lover): The harmonies in the chorus are a fantastic choice, and they almost distract from the egregiously stereotypical-pop percussion (invariant bass drum and claps). The contrasting acoustic sound of the verses is solid. I Miss You: The percussion is really fun to focus on in this song. It seems like the drummer can't decide whether he's playing a straight syncopated rhythm or some kind of quintuplet polyrhythm. The indecisiveness actually becomes really distracting, since the rhythm keeps changing slightly each bar. At this point, I was most of the way through the song and had to think of something else to talk about. The backing vocals are nice, I guess. Good outro. When We Were Young: Similar problems as the opening track, albeit with a more interesting verse. The chorus is odd, because Adele's voice is very powerful but the lyrics themselves are pretty bad. Picture Freddie Mercury singing Yellow Submarine. (Huh, that would actually be pretty badass.) Remedy: This one's fine. Not much going on instrumentally, but none of it is bad (in fact, the piano playing is the most adventurous it's been). I really like the outro. Water Under the Bridge: Generic 2010s pop instrumental and chord progression that I tried my best to ignore. Melody is solid in the verses but exactly three different notes in the chorus. River Lea: Clumsy transition from the previous track. The build-up to the chorus is good, but the chorus itself isn't great, mostly because of the percussion. Seriously. With a proper acoustic drum kit, that chorus could actually be the strongest on the album, because the synth(?)(strings?), harmonies, and singing are fantastic here. Love In The Dark: Again, great strings! Nothing else particularly stands out. Million Years Ago: Hang on. This one's actually good. Some clumsy editing (0:50) but overall pretty darn solid. The acoustic guitar sounds much better with Adele's voice than the piano. Also, is that the Autumn Leaves chord progression? Sick! All I Ask: This one's really strong too. The chorus is excellently done, with some seriously great chords complimenting Adele's singing. Sweetest Devotion: It's passable. Bonus points for including percussion sounds that could actually be produced by a real, unprocessed drum kit.

I think I know why somebody would like this

Look, the singles are pretty great, and her voice is incredible, but the majority of this album is boring and repetitive. As a whole, I can’t imagine ever listening to this again.

Капирам да је квалитетно али заиста није нешто што ми се допада.

She definitely has a great voice, but man, all I can think of when I hear her music is waiting for my name to be called at the dentist’s office.

Took 3 listens to get through. Dreadfully boring, a great voice can't save it. 2 stars.

Well you can’t deny the power of her voice. It IS remarkable. “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” feels like a guilty pleasure—it’s very catchy—because the rest of the time I was just kinda of depressed and ultimately bored with the rest. How many love lorn ballads can one person sing? She must have had a really, really hard time if it. So did I, trying to get through the pain and heartache of Every. Single. Track. I’m glad it all came to a positive close with the album finale “Sweet Devotion”, because I was worried for her!

She's a great singer. I'd love to hear her let loose again

Nobody can deny her talent, but holy moly is she one dimensional. Jesus Christ Adele, we get it, your heart was broken. We don’t need 3 (and now 4) albums on the same topic. So very boring. 2/5

Not my music taste listened to a few songs and overall didn't like it Adele isn't my taste

not the same as 19 or 21 - obviously. Was probably distracted by kids so couldn't immerse myself into the album.

Meh. Didn't realize how many songs I had heard before were on this album but nothing really stands out. Totally fine, not an album made for me which is okay.

It’s tuneful enough and there are little smatterings of soul, but there's nothing to merit the hype or sales. Though she does seem older than her 25 years, much of this reads as forced drama and overwrought glorification of personal feelings – almost any cut will do to illustrate the point, but "A Million Years Ago" is perhaps the most obvious example. Clearly there is a market for such emoting, and that more consumers than one realized take seriously or, more likely, find relatable the emotional outpourings of this particular 25-year-old. (And perhaps that’s the appeal / hook of timing records to specific ages.) One suspects one is simply too old and male to fit in that segment. Her voice sounds derivative as if she’s imitating some generic R&B/soul diva of the past; she also doesn’t display a great deal of range, sounding similarly pained-strained across every track. The playing is nothing special and tracks are samey, with “River Lea” the best of a fairly middling lot.

Everyone knows a mouthy fat bird who can sing a bit, this one is no different

Send my love is the best track, the rest are decent

Not for me

Eh.

Im not really a fan of Adele it's just another pop album to me very same..ish I guess I'd say hello is the most well known song to me just because of how much it was on the radio in 2015.

Nothing special.

I always walk away from these Adele albums saying she has a great voice and the music is solid, but it’s music that doesn’t move me a lot. There’s always that last step she doesn’t take.

Olisi ennennäkemätön saavutus tehdä levyllinen hittiballadeja. Tällä on yksi (ja mikä hitti).

Not my style at all. Production is good. Her voice is powerful. But those lyrics are cheesy af

Adele’s voice is awesome, super pretty and very strong. The showcase of what she is capable of is the most impressive thing here, but she doesn’t do enough with it to keep it interesting. Her melodies aren’t super interesting and most of the album is sad melancholic piano with her going quiet then erupting into the highest high she can get. Her vocal ability is impressive and that doesn’t come as a surprise, but nothing on this album does

It’s not that I don’t get Adele, it’s that I don’t like her music. When she’s not boring, she’s irritating, when she’s neither, she’s sometimes ok.

She's clearly talented, but damn that was bland.

Listen, I understand why 21 is on this list. But 25? Is it just because it's Adele that people assume it's a good album? Most songs go on for way too long, and so many of them are incredibly dull. There is no need for this album to be on this list. It's nothing special.

It was okay. Not my style of music.

Liked a few of the songs. Overall, not my preferred genre. 2/5

meh

You know how some people still think that Taylor Swift is only capable of writing about boys and break-ups? Adele is who they’re really thinking about. Not a fan. D

Back once again with the beige mistress. Now that she has more money than she knows what to do with, and has unveiled yet another slab of Live Laugh Love in aural form as 30, how about not making 35 yet another MOR product and use that voice for something artistically interesting. For example: Get Rick Rubin in as producer. Get Massive Attack in as writers/producers - they conjured a career-best out of Liz Frazer for Teardrop following great outings with Tracey Thorn and Shara Nelson, so know a thing or two about great female voices. Get Sigur Ros in - no need for a lyric sheet at all. Steve Albini at the controls - maybe a stretch, but what have you got to lose? He'd make a 12-track album in two days, and you don't need to share the royalties. Even - gawd help me - Dave Grohl would be something better. The album? It's not one star. That would indicate something to object to. It's Stella Artois, it's Pizza Express it's a Ford Focus.

Bon. On se fait un peu chier, non ? Elle chante très bien mais c'est lisse. Water under the bridge commence avec une instru électro très nulle mais c'est paradoxalement celle qui sort un peu du lot, avec Million Years Ago et All I Ask. Globalement j'ai l'impression que toutes les chansons étaient deux fois trop longue par rapport à ce qu'elles avaient à apporter.

You're onto a losing battle when you don't particularly warm to a vocalists voice or style, we're all different and despite the quality of the production and song writing, it's just not for me.

I've never really understand the hype of Adele. I really didn't like this album on release and don't like it to this day. It's not my kind of music.

Without doubt Adele can sing, and probably her earlier albums would be classed significantly better than this album... but... and for me it's a big but.... because I simply don't get the hype about Adele. Maybe I'm just a grumpy old male, im not in touch with my feminine side, but I really can't be bothered listening to power ballads about jilted love, and you dont realise what youve let slip past your fingers...ya de ya de ya... and this album has that theme running right through it, with little variation between tracks on musical arrangement or theme of lyrics. Simply said, her album 19 was her best, but 25 is just boring.

If someone else sang Adele's songs I would probably like them. Second track on this album is decent.

She’s great and everything but I will never listen to this record again.

It started off fairly good, but since every song sounds the bloody same it got incredibly tedious and predictable very quickly

I admittedly let out a sigh when I saw that I’d be listening to Adele today. I’m not sure about anywhere else in the world but her music is quite inescapable in the UK, especially after an album is released. I personally don’t see the fuss, but I’ve never listened to this particular album in full before. Let’s see if I can be swayed. Songs I already knew: Hello, Send My Love (To Your New Love), When We Were Young, Water Under The Bridge Favourites: Million Years Ago I’m likely going to be repeating a lot of what I said in my previous Adele review here but I think that’s fair as her music has t really changed. I can appreciate that she is a great singer, but her music is just so dull and mopey. There’s nothing wrong with having a few ballads, but almost ever song here makes me want to die. The anomaly here was Million Years Ago which I found really pleasant and different, but otherwise it’s just a miserable album (and not in a fun way).

2/5 Best: When We Were Young Worst: Send My Love (To Your New Lover)

I dunno, I get it, just not the biggest fan.

Was actually quite enjoying the first few tracks but then it just all got quite boring beyond that

Not my kind of music.

what a boring album... good voice but shitty lyrics... the instrumentals aren't as bad but don't make it... 4/10 (2/5)

How can someone so talented be so boring?

A few very strong tracks, but overall it felt like a slog to get through it.

Hon sjunger bra men det är ju inte särskilt spännande.

Da e vel greit, men ikkje nåke for meg

Nice voice, but nothing special with the songwriting

Esta todo muy lindo con adele pero realmente es monotono, incluso se repite el delivery y el flow de adele sobre algunas canciones que no tienen conexión alguna 4/10. Solo lo salvan los singles y su gran voz.

There is no denying Adele’s voice, but this is not really my style of music. I find it a little overwrought.

Great vocals hiding mediocre songs. The 21st century Great British curse.

i don't like pop, boring, i'm sorry [it's not 1, only just because of her voice, duh]

Not my thing. I think it’s because this is the sound of pop that I was surrounded with growing up, and as such doesn’t appeal to me. Also, she has an album named 21 on the list and one named 25??

Songs for heartbroken girls

I always walk away from these Adele albums saying she has a great voice and the music is solid, but it’s music that doesn’t move me a lot. There’s always that last step she doesn’t take.

1st listen. This could have been called "I'm Sad, But Listen to What I Can Do With My Voice." It gets boring. "Send My Love" and "Sweetest Devotion" save it from being a 1.

Like I've left the radio on to a station I don't listen to. Or a doctor's waiting room. Completely inoffensive and fine to listen to, my daughter had blood tests this morning so it was nice to have something like this instead of subjecting her to Napalm Death again. It's all good obviously, she's ridiculously successful for a reason. Surprised that I don't know a single one of these songs, would assume I'd have heard at least one of them everywhere but nope. And clearly I'll never listen to this again.

Good highs, but not as good as the others

Nice songs, and she has a nice voice. However.....she sings the exact same on every single song and her voice inflections wears thin pretty quickly. "River Lea" was the best song. The rest all sort of melded together. I couldn't tell where one song ended and the next had begun.

Not my thing. Good production, good voice. But not my thing.

boring?

No shade, she’s got a lovely voice. I just can’t enjoy a whole album of what seems like slightly canned music. I think 2 starts is doing her dirty, but 3 is too many…

Le mec a eu du bol de se faire larguer, il a dû échapper à une relation bien toxique et étouffante. C'est bien produit, techniquement elle assure, mais ça ne me touche pas, c'est répétitif et vite plombant et chiant. Ça ne sera pas pour moi.

Eh just wasn't in the mood. Found it a bit much.

Adele is such a frustrating artist. Amazing singer, good songwriter, but always sticks to the same method and style. Lots of these songs follow the same structure. It makes for a record that meanders way too long. This had potential to be great.

Adele

I wish adele had decided to keep the legendary status she had before dropping this album instead of continuing releasing mid music

Has some highlights but overall pretty boring. That's too bad.

notes - adele’s third album - bunch of big hits on it - cant say ive ever sat down and listened to an adele album front to back until now - i always found her music just okay, if at times a bit grating - credits on here from basically every big name pop songwriter in the industry - the whole thing feels super… sanitized - like i feel like the emotion doesnt hit as well because of how its produced - shes an undeniably good vocalist but i wish there was less polish fav - i miss you - love the way the drums sound, maybe a tad too long least fav - remedy - FUCK ryan tedder 2.5/5 not my type

Meh

Her voice is brilliant which makes it even worse that she makes the same bland song over and over again. Sounds like it's been professionally honed to be inoffensive as possible in order to maximise profit. Hope this is the last Adele on here.

The extra star is for Hello, undeniably a good song. I didn't enjoy it - lots of wailing. The majority of the album is made up of forgettable easy-listening café music. Sorry Adele, better luck next time.

She's got a great voice and it sounds very well put together. Very honest, but it's all very samey. Liked it more than I thought I would but shouldn't think I'll listen again

This was alright, nothing wow factor, Adele has a great voice though

Urgh. I'd been dreading this day. On a Saturday too. I predict this isn't going to do good things for my Parkrun time. Having said that, hello, Hello! What a powerful and moving song. It genuinely affected me. The rest, not so much. It's largely generic pap. The strategy of releasing one big single and somehow getting the 6 o'clock news to promote her album has worked a treat for Adel. Rating: 2/5 Playlist track: Hello Date listened: 26/11/22 P.S. I was right. Almost 30 minutes this morning.

Dit een dagje uitgestelt en hello wel even geskipt. Soms geen slechte nummers maar vaak wel iets wat ik niet nog een keer uit mezelf ga luisteren.

2/5. Some good songs but mostly bland pop.

Quite boring

I don’t mind admitting to enjoying some of Adele’s singles (like the first couple of songs) but I find a lot of the album tracks too cloying. Water Under the Bridge sounds exactly like a piece of stock background music for an ‘inspirational’ corporate video FFS. There’s half a decent album in there, but not a must hear. It’s a 2.5 for 25.

Yeah she can sing, good album I guess, not an abomination but not sure its list worthy and first representative of the 2010's. 21 is better

I can appreciate her voice but just find this boring

Fine in its own right, but I got kinda tired of a whole album of melancholy, sickly-(bitter)sweet piano ballads. I don’t care for this genre. She should make a rock album, her voice has the power. I think I recognized 4 songs. Maybe 5.

I've probably heard most of this album 10,000 times. Adele is very talented and has a phenomenal voice. I am rarely in the mood to go out of my way to listen to her music, but I don't mind hearing it. I think for me she's been overplayed to death.

Her voice is amazing, and I can see myself listening to a couple of songs again, bit entire album of this vibe istoo much brokenhearted melancholy for me to really ate it highly. Insane voice though.

Hello- solid single to start us out👍 Send my love- catchy but not much substance I Miss you - strange vibe with this one When we were young- love vocals on this one👍 Remedy- this is an ultrageneric piano ballad All rest of songs are similarly meh to me Is this a competent album? Yes but its also really fucking boring 2/5

Goes on a bit doesn't it?

Adele has an incredible voice but this isn't exactly my kind of music, it doesn't help that at my old job we played the same radio station everyday and I would hear at least 1 of these songs several times a day, every single day. I did actually enjoy the last 3 songs on the album though, with Million Years Ago being my favorite.

Not her best, but grew on me. Album listen

What an incredibly boring album

Ujevnt.

6 tracks in and my attention's starting to wander. She reminds me of the date from hell. You know the one. She is really attractive with this sardonic sense of humour. After two cocktails she's given the bottle of white a fair going over, and is now totally off about a past relationship. The humour has gone and you are just waiting for the night to end. It's nice for Adele that's she's made a bucket of money from her angst, but maybe it's time to move on.

I think adele is fine, ive never been her biggest fan tho. This album was alright

Given 21 is on the list, I don’t agree that 25 needs to be on the list too. This is just a more boring version of 21.

A lab-grown, executive-directed, soulless album with about as much cultural impact as the first Avatar movie. Adele has great vocals, but some of the vocal rhythms/song structures here are so tortured they should be protected under the Geneva convention.

Meh. Some of the songs are okay, I guess. It's a pretty boring album overall.

Great set of pipes on her, but too pop for me.

Another mega-pop artist one struggles to get and/or is not much moved by.

raw talent x megabucks production = love island montage soundtrack

Viel zu glatt, zu viel Pathos. Teilweise zieht sich bei mir alles zusammen, wenn sie hoch und laut singt. 1 Punkt kommt mir aber zu hart vor, daher 2.

Cheer the fuck up. After 3 albums did She ever stop to think the problem might be her? Songwriting is actually pretty basic considering there's a team of the fuckers. strong vocal tbf but theres plenty of those. 2/5

I like Rolling In The Deep and Someone Like You, neither of which is on this album. Still, I thought this album has some potential to be a nice one. Turns out, I really don't care for any of her other songs than the two aforementioned. Adele has a really good voice. But her songs are soooo boring. It's just cookie-cutter pop music. A complete waste of time.

I thought I had already reviewed this. But no, this is the same album with a slightly different cover.

Similar to how her previous album sweeped Grammy awards, 25 walked away with two awards and the leading single, "Hello", earned 3. Obviously, the industry views Adele as a powerhouse. I do not share that sentiment. They're not bad songs, but they're not the most fantastic or memorable songs either. Adele does little to push her pop songs in new and interesting directions. Great for casual listening audiences that tune into the radio and not much more, but not so much for me. Has Adele earned a rightful spot in the annals of pop history? Sure. Has she earned a spot on any of my playlists? Probably not.

Quite like Adele as a singles artist, none of the songs I knew were here though and found it surprisingly dull

Some songs like I Miss You and When We Were Young are very interesting. Others like Send My Love and Water Under The Bridge are obnoxious. Very two-sided album.

Love the voice, but the songs have a sameness to them that gets tedious after a while.

Amazing voice but not really my thing. Obviously have heard Hello a million times, everywhere...but liked Send My Love and Million Years Ago more. Paul adds: Great voice, but there's a sameness about the songs that makes it feel tedious by the end.

Ik weet dat dit goed is, maar het is gewoon niks voor mij...

Het zit allemaal best goed in elkaar en ze is een geweldige zangeres. Maar het pakt me gewoon niet zo.

Tja wat moet ik hier dan mee? Muziekaal en vocaal is het echt erg goed, dat hoor ik wel. Maar het doet me werkelijk niks.

This one would be better featuring in a book called “1001 albums you will likely be subjected to before you die”. I may be jaded partly by the fact that it wss only a week ago that i got 21, another Adele album. Full disclosure. i did not listen to all of it. But i tried. Twice. both times i made it about 6-7 songs in before I realised i wasn’t listening and her voice was distracting me from my thoughts and irritating me. i was quite surprised to hear that she actualy wrote a lot of these songs herself. They sound like they are manufactured to showcase her voice. But they are bland, manufactured pop trash. Kmart background noise. Great music sounds like it is beimg performed with passion. This has some of the ingredients, her voice is good, it is clearly well produced and no doubt the session musicians are spot on. But it has no soul. No narrative. And her great voice becomes whiney. No thanks. i hope there are no more Adele albums in this project.

Like the first song, the rest not really a fan.

I wanted to DNF this right from the start it is too 'safe' and lacks authenticity. Adele can sing but this was a painful listen every track lacked character and felt like commercial radio.

The chorus of the second song was kind of fun, it was a struggle to stay awake for the rest of the album. Boring generic mom music.

This is definitely not my kind of music.

I'm an absolute sucker for amazing, goosebumps inducing female vocals. I have wept many times listening to Aretha Franklin. I get chills from Mavis Staples, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Erykah Badu, Loleatta Holloway, Jill Scott etc. I feel nothing when I listen to Adele. My brain knows she's a powerful and amazingly talented singer, my body feels nothing. I considered giving it a 2 because it's not offensively bad but I really don't like it, found it hard to get through and really hope I don't have to hear it again.

I think this is the first album I've listened to on this list that made me agitated The different writers and producers on every track make it a jumbled, irritating mess Some of the individual production is ok and it can't be denied that Adele has a good voice when she's not wailing like a banshee, but the whole is so much less than the sum of its parts. I'll be actively avoiding this album in the future and it's mind bendingly irritating lyrics and themes

Big snooze. Just don't care. 1/5

0.25

Department store music

I could produce an album on par with this in 30 mins. Yes, the AI is going to take Adele's job.

Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh How has it been 11 years since this album came out? I really hope this is the one and only Adele album you force me to listen to on this list. I’m still in pain from the amount of Adele we were force fed in 2010-2015. HAVE MERCY. ENOUGH FOR A LIFETIME. This wasn’t as painful as 21 but if this made it to the list I can’t imagine how 21 won’t. I’ll give credit where credit is due. Undoubtedly, Adele has talent, a great voice and some good lyrics. It does not mean I need to listen, or enjoy listening, to her. Whilst her pitch is fine, her voice can actively annoy me in its transitions. I don’t like being a hater but listening to this album didn’t change my mind. Hello needs to be buried in a time capsule only to be resuscitated after a nuclear winter. She seems like a funny person so I am sorry. Maybe poor Adele is just the victim of over-commercialisation? I’ll let her weep with her millions.

Just yearning, nothing much happens in here

no

What I thought was many different blandly overproduced and homogenized musicians playing in the dance clubs of the 2010's was in fact mostly Adele, it would seem. I was surprised by how much I disliked something so polished

Her undoubted talent doesn't begin to make up for how dull everything she writes is. 2/10

No podcast episode

I've listened to too much Adele, and now hearing her voice just annoys me.

I know this is well executed for what it tries to be, but I can't stand this kind of whiny, bombastic pop that wants to be so heartfelt and emotional, but feels as deep as a puddle to me while sounding like the calculated chart success it logically had to become.

Music for those who miss having a spouse to beat.

this was... not fun. it felt repetitive and uninteresting. hollow and soulless. i'm sure other people can appreciate it but... not me. only interesting thing i found about it was that one of the songs was a tiktok meme recently.

Det her går ikke

Musikk for folk som ikke bryr sæ om musikk. Komposisjonan e så vanvittig kjedelig. Hør på pianoet på Hello.. e det mulig?!?! Adele har en vanvittig stemme. Synd noen menn i dress skal teame ho opp med Espen Lindan rundt i verden. Det høres ut som man har gått inn i suno og bedt den lage 10 ballada i moll.

Oh no. No. No. No. No. Great voice. Not for me.

Hello When We Were Young

I am happy for the millions of people who love this, an entire album of power ballads did not really work for me

Like every other human in the Anglophone world, I've heard Adele plenty of times, so I knew what I was getting into before listening to this album. I can acknowledge she's a good singer and I've even liked some of her songs. But this was a painfully dull listen. I'm almost sorry I disliked this as much as I did. I felt like I was chewing on white bread for 45 minutes. The soporific ballads aren't even the worst part, the Max Martin "pop" songs are just gruelling; it's rare for me to straight-up skip a song, but I needed to do that twice on this listen. Some of these tracks sound like background music on an autoplay ad when you're watching YouTube. She sold a zillion copies, though, so what do I know? Am I so out of touch? No, it's the boomer parents who are wrong.

(door creaking) Hello? Is that you u/Professional-Ice-978? It's me. I was wondering why this album sucks so much LOL (soft piano music) I tend to write these 1001 reviews as I'm listening to the album that the generator gifted me that morning and I'm (almost 400 albums in) starting to think that maybe I need to change that because what is tolerable for 2-3 songs (however painful) becomes a sort of audio torture (I'm hurting) by songs 7-9 and I really mean that (man!) my ears actually hurt right now- no not a theatrical metaphor my ears (both of them) HURT! So, this review will start off nice-ish (if slightly catty) and end up a flopping about/around starless shape - an unnamable thing recently released from the bile lined rectum of some Lovecraftian creature. OK, so maybe not so nice. Yes, she can sing and she won't let you forget that fact for what feels like 100 hours. I imagine few people on the 1001 list have a better voice than Adele and even fewer have released a more boring, disposable album than 25. An album that was recorded in 17 studios with 15 producers over a period of two years. You think about that, OK. Hello? No, seriously think about why it took 17 studios, 15 producers AND two years to get this fucker finished. HELLO ADELE! Please end my will to live just do it in song after song (11 total-collect them all!) that explores in the finest of detail how unique your life experience is and sing it loud enough to kill random sea life for hundreds of miles from each of the 17 studios needed to capture the complexities of being a wealthy 20 something girl that needs 15 producers just to say hello. 25 has 11 songs each one more tepid and pointless than the last one. Big and goopy lyrics about her big and goopy fucking life. Each song needing 1.3 studios and 1.2 producers to create what would become a pieced together beast of burden, Adele's monster she named "Twenty-Five" and set loose on the world AKA her stage. How does such a big powerful voice like the one Adele possesses carry so little of an emotional punch? Hello, Adele? Is that you? Hello? I was wondering if you could tell us about the latest cad who broke your heart HELLO (!!!) hello, how are you? Me? OMG hello! I'm fine! Only two songs to go! Yay! 25 sounds like it was created by AI (of course it wasn't) in its soul crushing uncanny valley perpetual state of mind-numbing perfection. It's idea of perfection anyways. Eleven songs so bloody formulaic that it's difficult to distinguish one from the other. How sad that millions of people bought this album in hopes of feeling something only to be left with nothing but a deep emptiness and a ringing in the ears provided by Adele's stunning and stunningly evil booming voice that put more dark thoughts in my head than Throbbing Gristle and Slayer combined ever did. Hello? OH, right! Fuck off then.

I have never understood the appeal of Adele and now that I have listened to a whole album by her, I understand it even less. She might be a talented singer, but I simply do not like her voice. This album felt like the saltines of music; utterly bland. It felt like the songs kept one upping each other to be my least favorite. The only track I kind of liked was the last song, but I would have liked it more with a different singer. Either way I won't listen to this again besides when the radio at work forces me to suffer through the singles. Favorite Track - Sweetest Devotion Least Favorite Track - All I Ask ⭐️

laaaaaaaangweilig

Adele is a great vocalist, however, being a great vocalist does not mean you make good music. This sounds like it's made to be played in retail stores. It lacks emotion and I can't find anything redeeming about this album. 2/10

So boring

This was a real slog for me. So depressing I couldn't get through more than a track or two before turning it off. A thoroughly miserable 48 minutes

I quite like “Rolling In The Deep” but this is unlistenable, albeit more listenable than the Zep and the other albums unfeasibly below 25 in the one stars. Tom.

Look, Adele's vocal ability is beyond question. She has one of the great voices of her generation. But the music it serves? I've never been able to connect with it. With all due respect, 25 felt like 21, but part II, the same core concept (heartbreak, reflection, moving on), just polished to a higher sheen. It's very common human emotions, sung by a magnificent voice, but I struggle to see the artistic evolution. I'm left with a recurring question, aside from being a supremely gifted vocalist, what makes this an Adele album? What is her artistic signature? If you took her voice off these tracks, what's to stop them being recorded by anyone else? (Nothing). All I Ask is the undeniable highlight. And it's telling that it takes a co-writer like Bruno Mars to inject that level of drama and structure. It feels like an outside vision finally matching her vocal power. What I don't hear in her work is rage. Or hunger. The sense of an artist with something to prove, pushing against expectations. Commit fully to a vision. If she don't have one, find a collaborator who can help you build it. Don't settle for this level of polished mediocrity. Because true greatness demands you give it everything you have. And that brings me to the Grammys. 25 won Album of the Year. Over Lemonade. You may not be a Beyoncé fan, but you cannot deny she took similar theme, infidelity and forgiveness and transform into something sonically new. She took a risk. Adele won with... the piano ballad album. Again. Isn't it wild she used to be compared to Amy Winehouse? Beyond the British passport and a vague jazz inflection, the comparison falls apart. Amy wrote from addiction, from a love so consuming it destroyed her. Her music is a scar. Adele writes from feelings that are sanitised. There's value in that relatability. But it's not the same artistic weight. It's not Back to Black. It's albums so meticulously safe they feel like they could be sung by anyone. We know, she'll keep winning Grammys for albums that sound magnificent in the moment and dissolve from cultural memory the next. But damn. What if she stopped playing it safe?

every song sound the same

Decent 1,5

- I know she's supposed to have a great voice, but it just sounds strained and melodramatic, most of the time. Shouting and vocal fry are what she uses for emotion, and I just don't feel it. When she sticks to just the melodic tone in her lower register, it's nice, but she's mostly shouting. She doesn't really have much range where she can keep the tone controlled. - Other than Hello, I find the songs boring and basic. The instrumentation is nothing much, the melodies aren't that interesting, and it's sterile and overproduced. - No thanks to all the songs being about her breakup, too. The lyrics are pretty embarrassing. - This really does nothing for me.

Heard some tracks. Expectations: Mid - Verdict: Dislike - Maybe not outright bad but definitely not my thing. I think 21 should be on this list but I cannot for the life of me see why this has been.

When this was released I ignored the hype despite "Hello" being constantly blasted from every speaker for what felt like an eternity. So today was my first time listening to the album in full. If there's this much navel-gazing and wallowing on 25, I hope I'm not around to hear 50. Seriously: Adele, you aren't even a third of the way through your life expectancy. You have so much to live for. Let go. Especially please detach yourself from the enablers that are making you sell this formulaic BS. If you, dear reader, are caught up in the unreachable past as much as Adele is on this album, you have my sympathies and please MOVE ON AND GET ON WITH LIFE.

I was up in my office listening as Marianne played this downstairs. It's difficult to put into words how I feel when Adele's music plays. I don't want to feel this way.

the other one was better.

Not the best collection of songs from Adele. Her other album, also on the list, is much more inspired. This feels less enticing than her earlier records. 6/10 [DROP]

In a nutshell: soulless. This was the prime opportunity for Adele to try something new with her strong soulful voice and her arrangements. But she chose the safe route, which is more commercially viable and BORING. You only need to hear one single from previous albums 19 and 21 to get an idea of what she is capable of. Sorry, babes. Overall: 2/10

If you ;like screeching women, this is for you. I don't.

white noise

Adele has a fantastic voice. Hello is a very soulful, booming ballad. Everything else is the most bland, radio filler shite that is not just repetitive, boring to listen to, repetitive, a waste of time, repetitive -- but also feels so fake that it's offensive. Also where the hell is the bass? Why is the piano so exceptionally thin and tinny? I just got good speakers!

No heart no soul. And I absolutely hate her guttural voice.

Setting: DCS Airport, 8:45 am. Cold, but sunny. I'm trying to give this an honest listen, but it's a rough go. I'm a bit shocked to hear this is closer to Imagine Dragons in production and songwriting. I was hoping for something a bit more soulful, but this has all the markings of a profit-driven drivel written to be played in supermarkets and animal rescue commercials. Occasionally, the production offers tiny surprises and hidden elements. But when every song repeats its anthemic chorus 6 times in a 3 minute span, the whole experience grows tiresome. It's just absolutely soulless.

desculpa adele esse aqui é mto ruim

No

Same stuff as her previous album on this list. Over emotional adult oriented pop music and these songs have been written many times before. Not my stuff.

never liked adele. obviously good production and vocal treatment, but too dour and slow for me.

The vocals were fantastic, then song 2 same vocals. Song 3 more of the same. Song 4 the same. The same. Same.

I listened to the whole album. I gave it a chance. I didn't like anything about it. Painfully boring and uninspiring.

Listening to this felt like getting a simultaneous root canal and appendicectomy without any anesthetic.

Shite

Caterwauling

Maybe a curse of her voice, but all the artistic wailing really makes everything sound the same

Why?

No va

This is laughably bad

Ok

Shyte

è un cazzo di meme sto album

Just awful

C'est d'la calice de marde, chus tanné man.

Is it called 25 because that's how many years it feels like to listen through this bloated ass album? They almost got me. I was pleasantly suprised by a couple of songs at the start of the album, but then the expected masturbatory ballad-shit started rolling in. I can see why your average moron would love this album, they probably only listened to 4 tracks anyway. Anyway I was not expecting much, and I was ultimately proven right. I'm not a contrarian, I just have better taste in music than most people. Don't get it twisted.

Few okay tracks but its all so earnest and dull.

The singing frog.

Det här albumet slumpades fram för mig även innan vi startade gruppen. Det är plågsamt tråkigt. Det krävdes en oerhörd viljestyrka för att ta sig igenom detta från början till slut, då. Jag lyssnar inte en gång till på detta. Ändlösa mello-ballader. "Här ska säljas. In med en hit-artist och ett gäng hit-låtskrivare." Det är möjligt att Adele haft ambitioner, men det hörs inte.

Nobody cares about that album. Even Adele fans.

Never listened to her. However, it seems like every time I walk through a mall I hear this type of music coming out of tween clothing store. I think that’s where this music belongs.

Disagree.

Absolutely nothing does it for me here. Great voice, but it does not make up for lousy arrangements and average lyrics. Personally found it boring

Astounded me when I looked today that Adele is nearly 40...wow! Clever usage of her ages over her career for the the album titles - I like that, wonder how high it'll go? 80? (The Comeback/covers)? No disputation of her voice, success, awards, sell out gigs, 2 years performing at Caesar Palace, Vegas tells you that she ain't no fluke. SO, I took the plunge today and briefly listened to this album, and sorry (not sorry) but it's just all too predictable, show bizzy, shouty in a poppy way, songs that you hear at a wedding and everyone seems to know it.... Word. By. Word. (except me, and I asks who this is and get looked at as if I'm an alien). Think she's this generation's Celine Dione. Had to listen to A Moon Shaped Pool for a cleanse. Maybe it's me? My age? Just grumpy? Sorry (not sorry).

This is not a good album. Instantly forgettable.

Absolute hot dog water. Tried to power through the first annoying radio song only to be followed by another radio song that I didn’t know was Adele’s. I like pop, I really do, but I cannot relate to or enjoy any of this wine mom garbage.

fuck no

Didn’t listen to it

It's okay to write a sparse track with powerful lyrics about something you feel passionate about. But 12 in a row? Naw dawg. Imma pass.

182/1089 - Damn, I really hate her voice. Sounds like a woman version of Eddie Vedder. Not as bad as Kendrick Lamar or Ian Curtis I guess but that's not exactly a high bar. The instrumental is boring and lifeless relying too much on long pads with no real rhythmic variation or humanization of the sampled percussion. I think it sounds good in DAW music to slightly vary the velocities of the drums in a lot of music (not to mention the beat). If you don't do that then it sounds like I'm listening to some baby Nintendo MIDI or youtuber FL-studio-slop. Non-list rec. Mockroot - Tigran Hamasyan (2015) Really cool modern jazz pianist with a very unique rhythmic language.

Everyone who I’ve ever said “I hate Adele’s voice” to thinks I’m just being a contrarian douche hater. As if “good vocals” are some objective truth. To my ears & my subjective taste, I can’t stand Adele. It’s nothing against the songwriting (which I find is a little bland at moments that is clearly bolstered by her voice). Was hoping to find something interesting this time around but when Water Under the Bridge plays I just can’t do it. This album was everywhere in 2015 & I don’t wanna go back. That said, at least enduring the whole album led to Sweetest Devotion, which I thought was kinda okay.

This coward didn’t call any of her albums “dude you’re getting” so automatic 1 star

Zeer oninteressante muziek.

No

I hate pop music -- this album did not help. I kind of wish "30" was on this list instead, as I've been wanting to listen to that one and even a few quick samples immediately demonstrate significantly more interesting and complex musical choices. "25" is loaded with the simplest chord changes imaginable, and easy, boring lyricism. There are a couple hits here, and Adele's voice is unmistakably fantastic, but this album is a perfect example of why I can never seem to get into pop: it's homogenous, it's risk-averse, and it's just plain uninteresting. Fave songs: - Sweetest Devotion - that's it

Adele has such a powerful voice, but all these songs just grate on me. Every song sounds like the last one. Boring. On this album it sounds like she is trying to chase something from the past. Sometimes the past is best left there. Time to move on and create something exciting and new. The subject matter of the songs are all around heartbreak. Suicide music. Give it a rest. Is it pretentious to just put her mug on the cover, is this expecting everyone will recognise her and not need her name or the albums. She is good, but overrated, and this album proves that.

Det här är plågsamt tråkigt. Det krävs en oerhörd viljestyrka för att ta sig igenom detta från början till slut. Ändlösa mello-ballader. "Här ska säljas. In med en hit-artist och ett gäng hit-låtskrivare." Det är möjligt att Adele haft ambitioner, men det hörs inte.

Worst so far.

I thought it was pretty boring

Adele is certainly a talented, powerful, and passionate singer. But that’s where it stops for me. The music and hooks are generally boring and forgettable to me. The soft pop with big choruses and electronic drums feels formulaic and tired. 2 or 3 songs had an interesting enough vocal, lyrical, or musical aspect to note, but otherwise the album sailed right past me.

Boring crappy lovesongs, blegh.

Another Adele album. 4 years in the making. Was it worth it. Well in the sense of 3 years without it, yes it was. In fact another 10 would not have gone amiss. Her voice is OK, but nothing special. I mean, she's no Christine MacVie (Perfect), Chrissie Hynde, or Gladys Knight. The River Lea was the only halfway decent track but doesn't make it much worthwhile. 1

M.e.h. she had lost any appeal I may have had 4 years before. Her singing style had become so last decade. the songs were up her own arse. Nothing to see here.

I’m not a fan of this music.

Woke bitch

One star is still too much.

Over-produced, over-perfect, over-written. Not one error on this album in the worst possible way - every possible human element has been air-brushed and facelifted, removing all possible flaws. I find that an odd choice for such a dour and downcast album, though this may be a snapshot of pop music at the time. Adele's performance isn't bad at all, though this does not fix the fundamental flaws of this album. Best Tracks: - Sweetest Devotion Worst Tracks: - Send My Love (To Your New Lover) - Water Under The Bridge - Million Years Ago Rating: 2/10

Jumpscare of Adele's entire fucking face blown up on the cover. At its most energetic, this record is soporific. At its most innovative, this record is predictable. At its most lyrically and compositionally challenging, this record is lowest-common-denominator. I hate this style of singing.

Never was a fun of Adele. As I see an overhyped pop singer with a minimum difference with other thousands of pop singers. Yes, she has a strong voice and individuality, but I feel literally nothing when I hear those songs with 1B+ plays . Not for me.

Not my cup of tea. Good voice tho

Way over played.

Surprisingly good. Not an album I’ve previously rated, always too much country, but once you get past the twang there are some really strong tracks. Will listen again.

One minute into Hello I was thinking "Hey, not too bad, I might like this after all". Unfortunatley that was the point the balladering, that often verges on caterwauling, kicked in and largely didn't let up for the next 47 minutes.

really boring how anyone can listen past hello without falling asleep is a wonder to me 3/10 Favourite: None Least Favourite: Remedy

Enduring this was great... suffering.

I just dont like Adele

might hit if you just went through a bad breakup

Way too over produced. She does have a great voice but, the lyrics she sings were crappy. I do not feel that she learned anything about herself by the end of this album. She kept making the same mistakes over and over again and then whining about it for forty-five minutes.

shit

Showcase for her power voice. Other interesting aspects of music take a back seat, sadly, so I'm pretty bored by mid-track-2 and it never picked up.

I think everyone is well aware of Adele. Whilst I’m personally not into the power ballads, she does have a nice voice and lyrics which go beyond the typical themes of most pop songs. The production is clean to a fault, largely resulting in a cold and soulless background. Surprised how many songs on here have been overplayed in the mainstream. Holy shit the start of water under the bridge sounds like corporate ad music - I thought I was getting a Spotify ad! 1.5/5

not gonna say much because i feel like i said it all for 21 and this is mostly more of the same. there are a few songs in here that are fine/a bit catchy but i attribute that mostly to the production decisions of Max Martin and Greg Kurstin. but at the end of the day (and i said this last time too) i kind of feel like Adele is good music for people who don't listen to a lot of music lol

truly dreadful stuff

Headbangingly dull.

The Venn diagram of people who like this album and people who have owned a "Live, Laugh, Love" poster is practically a circle. I tolerated the first Adele album but, however good her voice is, this really started to get on my tits.

nice voice.

Utterly boring, I don't really mind if she can sing.

hated every second of it

Her voice is pretty and fairly dynamic, but the music doesn't do anything for me. It all feels calculated and produced for mass consumption. There's nothing here that's essential or "must" be heard.

Really couldn’t get along with it. Songs felt either forced or almost cringe. A difficult third album.

I'm not sure why this is included in the list. Is it because it was so massively popular? I don't think popularity is an indicator of quality. To me, this is bland and over-produced and lacking emotionally.

Not my style

This is what I expected it to sound like. Great singer, strong production, and songs I couldn’t care less about. 1.5 stars.

In one ear, out the other. My brain does not register this as music.

Incredible voice but one of the most soulless and uninspired series of recordings ever made. Just terribly empty in production, writing, and arranging

Adele is só boring....zzzzzzzzzzzzzźzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Not for me DNF

Another reviewer said Adele is obviously talented but makes such uninteresting and uninspired music, and I have to agree. It’s a well-crafted album that doesn’t make you feel the emotions it’s trying to make you feel. No original point of view, very sterile album.

One trick pony x

To cheese sens as for me. Not my type of expression in the voice. Maybe i will try to listen to it again

No

Genuinamente aburrido y plano. Entiendo que tiene un gran rango vocal y voz, pero lo que hace con ella me parece muy dull

I’m not a big fan of belters, all of my favourite vocalists are masters of phrasing or timbre or have unique or even bad voices but a ‘fuck it we roll’ attitude. Adele’s sort of singing is technically fine, very good, but I find it really difficult to get into. I think part of that is that, especially on this album, she’s not given very much to work with dynamically. Because it’s been decided that Adele’s biggest selling point is the power of her vocals, all of the choruses have to showcase those vocals. And so it becomes repetitive, soft verse builds towards powerhouse chorus, bonus points if she jumps the octave, and once you notice that trend, it makes the listening experience painfully boring. It also made really really anxious for a reason I can’t quite explain. I straight up hated the way this made me feel. I think I have to go on the record and say this is my least favourite album that I’ve had to listen to so far. Not only did it bore me, but it also overwhelmed me to the point that I genuinely think I almost had a panic attack

Oh good, more Adele. Just when I was in need of a good yawn.

No, just a million times no. No, no, no, no, no.

Talented musician but not my cup of tea

OK, the last Adele album I got on this thing surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. On the other hand: this album fucking honks. This selling a billion copies is all the proof you need that your average human being is boring beyond belief and has absolutely abysmal taste

Ugh

so glad this album generator is exposing me to all these obscure overlooked artists like goddamn Adele.

Kinda soulless for how strong the vocal talent is. Boring listen.

The Grammy's are Racist. I'll be honest I was content after Hello, every song beyond is just a test of my patience. The only other track I can even remark on is Million Years Ago, it has a "fantasy tavern" sound that was kind of neat. Not enough to return to though.

I was dreading this moment, I knew it would come eventually. I gave it a listen out if respect but never again. If anyone put this on I would leave and for that strong feeling alone it gets a star.

Tried to listen objectively but very difficult, what did i actually not like about this? Great voice, great production, boring music!

"Adele! Do your thing!" "Where's me bloody orchestra?" "In the faacking studio, innit?" "Oh, I dunno, mate. Quite honestly, I'm just not feeling it." "Right! Bring in the boyfriend!" "Wha? Simon?" "Hi babes. Listen it's not you, it's me..."

No thank you.

Just not my shit.

She can definitely hold a note without coming up for air, but musically this album is the equivalent of C-grade middle school project. 1.0/5.0: Embarrassing

Overrated

Please see review for 21. Nothing has changed. So boring. Could be same album. 5th 1 out of 5 on trot now. Help! 0.9/5 3/4/24

Don’t even need to listen

DOG SHIT

This could work for me if Adele was a better lyricist, but it mostly misses me. Clumsy wording shouted over soft piano is annoying to me.

No me gusta

not my cup of tea

It’s not horrible, it’s just not good. I remember liking her prior album but never listened to this one until today. The singles didn’t interest me enough to listen to the album and that was a good call on my part.

Woah this is was truly wild and truly a journey and truly a lot. I had no idea what Adele sounded like, it's so big and so dramatic. Obviously she has a great voice, but this is so far off from anything that would remotely be considered enjoyable for me. It was rough to get through.

Really just not a big Adele fan

Undoubtedly great voice and talent but the songs are just not my thing. Boring!

Completely overrated in my opinion. Sure, she has a good voice, but so do a lot of people. I just find it all a bit mannered.

Overhyped mom music. Not my scene

Binned half way through 1st song. Not for me at all.

Good voice with nothing to say. Overproduced, uninspired, dull. Cash grab.

no thanks

Absolutely not my music

👎

nope! her voice is like nails on a chalkboard! just bc you CAN hit all the high notes doesn’t mean you should!

Obviously, amazing voice. But the songs don't make me feel anything and feel too... general and boring.

SHit

Boring

I fell asleep halfway through. Favorite track: Water Under the Bridge (favorite is stretching it.)

Not a fan

Feels more contrived after she blew up. “Here I am, Adele, making an Adele album.” I appreciate the rare maturity of “Send Your Love” as far as pop music goes. I might like some of this with more raw production.

Barf.

I live in little old Blighty. i don't have to listen to this album to know what this album sounds like, it was inescapable at the time and i'm pretty certain it won't have gotten any better.

21 was a lovely album of well constructed songs with a lot of soul influences. Nice suprise. This is a bunch over the top songs where Adele is straining her voice. I really did not enjoy this. Shame as 21 was a nice suprise

This is worse than Hitler.

Dull as ditch water to me. Musical beige

Mum-core. Water Under the Bridge is alright then back to boring piano.

Hoewel deze vrouw een wereldstem heeft, lukt het d’r inhoudelijk weinig neer te zetten. Het tweede nummer Send My Love (wist niet dat die van haar was) gaat al te lang door terwijl die netjes binnen de vier minuten valt. Verder vooral krokodillentranentrekkers en huisvrouwen muziek

Oh well, at least the portrait on the cover is quite nice. I think this is probably the worst album that the 1001 has sent my way.

poštujem, ali nije za mene.

I didnt listen to this shit, why is this even on the list

Skip

Aw c'mon. *21* was not for me yet I could still respect folks who loved it. But it's way harder for me to do with this other record. What's the next step? Céline f*cking Dion? Removed from the list in 2018, apparently. Next, please. Number of albums left to review: 742 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 126 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 65 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 68 (including this one)

Not a bloody chance I'm putting myself through this again

Ryan sucks a bunch. Does she have a good voice? I don't know. It's kind of annoying. I did not need to hear this before I died.