25

Overall enjoyable - more songs than just Hello

Shoulda been “21.” My respect for Adele is grounded in songs from that time, which my wife and I would play every day to get psyched up on the way to work. I remember feeling a little let down when “25” came out and I guess I still feel that way. There’s no denying the power of the opening track “Hello” … it shows she’s the undisputed master of a certain mood, but it’s not a mood I seek out from music very often. So I kind of get lost in the other tracks that reflect that. I liked the theme and sounds of “River Lea” and “A Million Years Ago”’… but honestly if this comes on I’ll probably switch to her other albums or songs. That probably doesn’t sound like a four star review, but it feels impossible to rate Adele lower. If I had no idea about her other work this might have been a three

She’s got the pipes, no argument. But the material is weepy and a bit boring. How many times can a heart be broken? I guess for Adele, 25 and counting.

I was not very excited to listen to this one. With that being said, it’s really not bad by any means. 25 is a pleasant listen mostly due to the very safe pop formula and Adele’s vocal talents. My biggest gripe is that this kind of music is uninspiring and doesn’t lend to much replay value.

Not a fan of this one

Адель молодец, но слушать этот зычный протяжный ГОЛОСИЩЕ под конец альбома уже становится тяжко, хотя он и крутой, и мощный, и так далее...

She has better albums

4/5

I‘ve never listened to Adele‘s 25. I love love 19 and also enjoy 21 (or is it 22?). This was so viral that I kind of refused to listen to it. Her voice is so beautiful and really mature. When we were young is so beautiful. How cute of her to feel like that at 25. Or mature? I was useless at 25. It’s pretty, lots of big emotions. Still prefer 19.

Great singer. Not as many good songs as on 19.

SO GOOD

Hardest part of listening to this album is that I just want to hear Hello on repeat

I knew it was going to be a great follow-up to the prior Adele album I already encountered so far, but it still managed to exceed my expectations. Excellent record!

the first act of this is some of adele’s best. i think this is both Not how i’m feeling as 25 approaches, and Not what i needed today as i am feeling sad at the moment

It’s just boring to me. It’s a deeper Mariah Carey, but without the fun.

Love this album

These songs are super nostalgic for me. This felt like one of the last major albums before the big sea change in my life in 2016. Going back to 25 after a decade with the lyrics about aging and forgiving past wrongs just makes it hit all that harder. It makes me reflect on where I was, where I am now, and how much I’ve grown. One things for sure, I’m not getting any younger. This has my favorite Adele song (When We Were Young).

Whilst Adele can certainly sing her voice is not really my jam. I enjoyed the plodding/brooding melodrama of Hello - but everything else was very vanilla X-Factor ballads. Lyrically its pretty dumb and thematically its all very samey about the one that got away. Perhaps by the time we get to 50 Adele will have a bit more range in what she writes about.

I'll admit I'm not cool. I'll also admit, a bit more sheepishly, I quite like Adele. Maybe a 'best of' would work best as some of these songs run into each other a little much. 21 her best album?

Not meant for me, but for 5 years you couldn’t escape Hello and Send My Love- and maybe there is a good reason why. When we were young makes me want to gouge my ears out though. First half way way stronger than 2nd.

While I think she got closer to something strong on this than she did with 21, there's still a pretty bad pacing issue with this album. She's still very ballad heavy, and on the one hand I get it, ballads are where she can sing the most. But listening to that many in a row is just not the best experience. Still some really strong highlights though. Favorites: Hello, Send My Love (To Your New Lover), Million Years Ago

I have a lot of admiration for Adele. Her music has had such a profound impact on so many people and she's immensely talented, and she came by her success honestly. I had small children in the Adele era and her music was omnipresent at that time - so I have a lot of positive memories attached to her music, especially the album "21". I had forgotten that this album dwelled so much (and so monolithically) on her heartbreaks and the massive life transitions she was experiencing. I suspect this album spoke (and still speaks) to a lot of people, but it wasn't written for me; which of course is totally fine, but I can't really connect with it. I think it is fair to say this album accomplishes what it sets out to accomplish and does it reasonably well. Personal preferences aside, I think it is also fair to critique the album for being too one-note - more musical risk taking, and more translation of her personal experiences into more universal themes would have been lovely. Lyrically its all too literal, and after a while the music just gets so dreary and monotonous. I wish the strong personal experiences she wanted to work through and express had led to more artistry and creativity, frankly.

Day 127 First listen- What a gorgeous album! Her voice is absolutely majestic and the melodies are chef's kiss. (4/5)

miss adele already know most of these songs just by listening on the radio wish i would've listened to this album when i was 25 but here i am, freshly 28 giving it a shot i think this album was really going for commercial success which is why it's a bit mid and i think even adele knows this... and why some people question where the risk is kind of crazy this is the album that beat Beyonce's Lemonade and while adele really is that girl, i very much so understand why she had the reaction she did when we were young is an all time banger though

Not my favorite by Adele, but still a solid album. When We Were Young is a stand out.

Didn't realize how many songs I knew from this album. It's a good one. Like it better than 21.

This is the best album from Adele the singer. "When We Were Young" might be her best song. It's lyrically, musically, emotionally, creating a scene that's personal yet relatable. It's specific and intimate, but still draws you in and asks you to engage personally. I've never had that experience, but I've have that emotion. The rest of the album feels like she's filling out the test. She aced the class on the midterms. 19 is an intimate open mike, 21 is an emotional powerhouse, and 25 is fine. Hello wants to be Someone Like You, and Send My Love and Water Under the Bride want to be power anthems without selling the power. It's got a few great deep cuts, like Million Years Ago or All I Ask, but as an album, I'd rank this last of her first three. And yet, it's Adele. Her worst song would be an album gem for damn near anyone. Again, I think this is her weakest album, and yet...

Adele!!! The vocals are on point, transcendent at times. Generational talent!!

5/10

Not as good as her earlier stuff but still some bangers on there

I don’t listen to a lot of Adele. She’s not my favorite artist. Her voice is cool, but this is not an album nor artist that I resonate with. I remember vibing to Rolling In The Deep though. But I find her music to be too depressing and somber for my taste. So I’ll give her a 2 as she is talented, but this is not for me.

Her smoky voice is really fascinating. I genuinely think so. But, strangely enough, I didn’t feel very drawn to this album. Maybe it’s just a matter of taste. If I had an amazing voice like hers, I think I’d want to explore very different kinds of music.

I've already listened to his album (30). It's not 21 but it still slaps. I have great memories of this album.

Her third album. Pop. Hello is a really big opening track. Fantastic. Adele's voice is just great and it hits hard. When We Were Young is also one I like. The rest of the album stays in that safe 'Pop' lane. I am left wishing she'd take more risks both musically and with the subject matter. Unbelievably talented, safe.

desculpa adele esse aqui é mto ruim

pior que o 21 eu boto fé de tá aqui porque até a minha irmã era obcecada naquele album. agora esse aqui? sei nao... eh bem produzido e a voz dela eh boa né. mas só isso. bem chatim e sem graça.

Stunning voice, stunning pop. Some skips.

Excellent. Great vocalist

No

Tricky... Amazing voice and production and the first half is 5 stars... But it does get boring towards the end, as it keeps bringing up the same sad ballads... This brings it down, but not by much.

5 stars, no notes!

Ещё один поп-блокбастер.

Naaah, jednak tylko single. Wspaniały wokal, ale kompozycje banalne

Removed Album #18 (List: https://pastebin.com/cSThNiK9) Hey, another snubbed pick. This time it's Adele whose on the chopping block, having had both of her albums mercilessly struck from future editions of the book. How tragic. Anyways, time for yet another contempop album, this time twenty-six albums after the previous one. Normally I would malign these contemporary picks, though I appreciate these albums as an opportunity to unwind (even if my review of Taylor Swift's 1989 album occupied way too much of my time). I probably know a respectable number of Adele songs thanks to radio osmosis, though the only one I can think of off the top of my head is Skyfall. I can see the niche Adele occupies in the normiesphere, though I've always had a slightly unfavourable impression of her, truth be told. The deep vocal style is deeply restrictive and immensely boring, and I'm not a fan of the needless dramatism and vapid introspection which surrounds her public image. That being said, I've never engaged with Adele's music all that closely, so I can forego being a cynical twat on this occasion. Yeah, it's Adele. Perfectly fine adult contemporary music, though there isn't much in here for me to latch onto underneath the hood. I can commend Adele's singing - she's a pretty distinctive vocalist. I'm not a fan of this modern singing style where vocalists go bonkers and oscillate between every pitch in the singing book, but I can admire the fact that she pulls of this brand off singing well. The instrumentals are also solid, if superficially appealing. I've heard "Hello" before. It's a fine song. Good vocal melody during the chorus, and the adult contemporary instrumental is archetypical, but decent. The high notes near the end of the song do not land, however. "Send My Love" is another heard-beforer, though I didn't know this was an Adele song. It sounds like it came out a little earlier than it did. Anyways, it's also a solid track. The plucky acoustic instrumental makes for some easy listening, and the songwriting is, again, very adept during the chorus. I've also heard "When We Were Young" before. It's solid. I'm always a sucker for the piano, and those backing vocals during the latter-half of the song is good. "Water Under the Bridge" is my pick for the best song on the album (I've also heard it before, unsurprisingly). Again, the plucky guitars give the song a nice sound, and the song has the best vocal melody during the chorus. The bridge in the latter half of the song is pretty good, too. Alright, book time. I gotta bust out my shitty 2016 edition pdf which takes forever to load. First album to sell three million in a week. Danger Mouse was one of the songwriters on this, which is surprising. "Authentic", which is bullshit for a slam dunk pop album. "...the most powerful singer of her generation and a savior of the medium that this book celebrates". These curators sold the fuck out. Anyways, I'm not convinced yet. Over to Wikipedia I go. "Hello" was an international chart-topper and the fastest-selling digital single. Best-selling album of 2015. Kind of brought back the album era. Award-winning. Record-breaking tour. Modest critical reception. I always thought Taylor Swift was the alpha female of contemporary pop music, but I guess Adele completely blows her the fuck out. Anyways, all of the reasons I'm getting for why this album is in here comes down to money, money and money, which is likely the reason as to why it was removed from future editions of the book. I cannot be bought out, and this album shall be rightfully placed into the woodchipper where it belongs. In place of this album, I humbly submit Recommended Music by Halcali for inclusion on the list.

Amazing

not bad

I simply ADORE Adele's voice and the whole album was better than I remembered.

Any list of Britain's top 10 singers of all time could credibly include Adele, and I'm sure more than a few would put her at number 1. As a young woman stil she still has a huge career ahead. But here in 25 we already see the raw talent of 19 now maturing. Hello is so powerful and soulful. When We Were Young doubly so.

not a fan

"Hello"?.....More like GOODBYE!!!!

Zzzzzzzz

it was okay, i can see why it was so popular. It’s just not for me. this album was very of the era though sooo…5/10

Wow, i think ive heard every song on this album before. I just wasnt bothered. Still isnt.

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.

Too polished

She is an excellent singer, and her albums are beautifully produced. I have to say, I really enjoyed this — particularly a few tracks that stood out, and the overall impression is rather grand and dramatic.

Amazing vocalist, with soul grabbing stories. Production values through the roof, this truly wakes up my audio gear; it's like she is singing right next to me in a huge studio space, the players are there but way out there. Sadly this type of music isn't really my jam. While I enjoy the whole as a masterful product of the music industry machine, mainstream pop music doesn't really work for me.

#168/1001. Hello from the other side - from the listener side. I honestly think you have your right to express all your big and sad and awful and disgusting feelings and emotions with your amazing voice, but I feel it is all a bit too much. You know all the emotions sound quite the same, or at least the songs do, I am not sure if singing them aloud helps you or some other listeners or should you perhaps consult a therapist or something. Perhaps you have and there were a lot of things to discuss and a lot of trauma to go through. Yes it does feel sincere here too, but it is not anything I would really need in my life at the moment. Thanks and goodbye.

Everyone knows the blockbuster tracks off “25” but as equally impressive is the fact that the non-single tracks almost all stand as equally strong. Together they all form a deep emotive album of love loss and longing. The only exception is “a million years ago” while lyrically it fits with the rest of “25” sonically it’s soft strumming guitar gives a Spanish vibe that feels out of place

Firstly, Adele’s voice is of course the main draw here. The music that supports it can be a weird mix, oddly flipping between piano balladry and something akin to dance beats, with some sweeping orchestration thrown in for good measure, to varying degrees of success. Lyrics are mainly your typical affair of love and heartbreak. Nothing too memorable.

2.8

Yes Adele is an impressive vocalist, but did this album really need to make this list? It's boring radio music for folks who had teenage pregnancies

Went in skeptical, glad I listened.

Great voice and first few songs are great. Gets a bit weaker down the album

It's good. There are some big hits in there but also some filler. Good background music.

She is undeniably a good singer, but I really didn't find anything interesting

She’s got some bangers and soaring moments but it’s overwhelmingly fine

Büro, Heidenheim, Deutschland. Schon gut, ja.

At first I thought "Okay, I'm not the target audience but she has a great voice and this is well crafted and well produced pop music ". Three songs in though, and I couldn't wait for it to be finished. This is suffocated, systematic songwriting. Every second worked out and formulated so that it's reminiscent of itself and every other high charting pop star. Sure, it's through the packaging of a young woman singing (still fucking more) break up songs, but it's the same product as Ed Sheeran, Meghan Trainor etc etc. Literally. Record labels and radio stations have done high budget research into how to appeal to as many people as possible to guarantee hits. Its the result of market research, there's no interest in any real art or expression.

Adeles music is just so obviously constructed to sell singles that I can't discern any personality in her albums. This is no different from 21. Beautiful voice with absolutely no depth/personality. 2/5

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

It's alright, nothing really stands out to me

Some very classic Adult Contemporary. I know Adele is 25 on this album, but she has the gravitas and voice of someone much older. There are obviously some songs I know from this album. Overall it's pretty enjoyable to listen to, but Adele does fall a little outside of the typical music I listen to. That being said, the quality of the songs and the production quality is definitely there, and I have no doubt Adele is going to influence music to come, though in the genre that she is, she sounds more like the culmination of singers that came before her (like Celine Dion or Mariah Carey). Only time will tell how this goes.

4.5

Oh yeah Adele… worth some more listening

I was actually really surprised by how boring I found this album. I had never listened to Adele beyond hearing her in commercials and movies, so I was excited to see if there was anything else I might enjoy by her. It was not interesting to me

i am not an adele hater at all and think she has many amazing songs (my fav is chasing pavements since youre curious) but this album is a snoozefest Fav song: Send My Love

Bom álbum, mas sem grandes nuances.

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

I get why so many people love this. You could argue it's pop perfection... Adele can definitely sing and has a recognisable voice (which some hate but better that than a bland voice). The album is beautifully produced too. And yet... it's all too cheesy and cliché, for me to score high on this list there needs to be novelty not just popularity, or plain musical genius. There is neither of that here. This is nothing I would choose to listen to but I'll probably have to, as long as radios and celebrity dance programmes exist. This is probably the best sounding 3 I've given.

There is shiter pop music that I'd rather listen to less, ⭐⭐

Hit after hit after hit

I've heard the hits but not the full album. But damn is it good!

This is a great album! Not my favorite of Adele's but it's a pretty good one! Couple of radio hits and lots of Adele sass haha

Poszczególne utwory są dobre, ale ciężko słuchać jako album

100% need to be in a particular mood to listen to this. Sad, moody, lonely, basically a perfect period listen. Some songs were absolutely my style while others, well…

I have Adele's '21' record a 4 star rating, and thought about the other day how that may have a been a bit unfair, and actually should have deserved 5 stars instead. This record might feel a tad more commercial, but probably stronger, than '21'. The start is crazy strong with 'Hello', 'Send My Love (To Your New Lover)', and 'When We Were Young'. Then it slows down a bit, and in the middle sits 'Water Under The Bridge' which is probably my favourite song of the album. The end is probably the least exciting, but still decent. But I think this record deserves 5 stars just due to the aforementioned songs alone. Adele must be one of the saddest girls on the planet, but the songs are really good. To weigh up for my 4 stars on '21', I'll give this a 5 stars. Plus, it deserves it.

We had “21” by Adele earlier, and my main gripe with it was the lacked breadth. I think this album remedied that issue. This album feels more mature, both in topics but also musically. Gone is the overt gospel influences and instead we are treated to something more unique. Adele really managed to dominate the music landscape for a while, with the 3 of 4 first tracks on this album being major hits. Not only were they major, but they also are lasting. I hadn’t realized how many of these tracks I’d heard before – and still hear today. I think the latter parts of the album loses some steam with the gospel fillers. It’s hard to live up to the first few tracks or maybe I’m also just tired of sad piano ballads at that point I think this deserves a 5 star. Not an album I’d normally put on but it is very good.

Great music for mourning a relationship at Barnes and Noble.

Hello is a classic. Overall the album is very good. Adele has a great voice.

Some people call her the songbird of our generation

Amazing voice on Adele! I'm right in the fence between a 4 and a 5. The genres not my fave but her voice almost pushes it over

No i wejdzie 9/10, bo chociaż nie jestem fanką Adele to i tak muszę przyznać, że ta płyta nie ma żadnej złej piosenki. Wszytsko jest spójne, liryczne, czasem musicalowe. Porządny, ambitny pop osoby z niesamowitym głosem. Podziwiam.

I love Adele man, absolute national treasure and one of the greatest British voices ever. Weirdly I’ve never listened to an album in full, though it’s hard to escape her on the radio, perhaps it gets a bit repetitive but when the voice is that strong it doesn’t really matter to me. Also, Hello is one of the strongest album openers I’ve ever heard.

It wasn't what I was looking for

What a once-in-a-lifetime talent Adele is. A high 4 stars from me, only because I think 21 was better.

This came out around the time I met my wife and I think was one of the last albums I remember buying on CD in order to listen to it rather than streaming it (l still buy CDs from time to time because they sound great and artists make more money that way) 25 has some staggering highs. Its front loaded, with Hello and When We Were Young especially carrying significant weight, but it’s a good listen and Adele’s voice is ridiculous.

Love some of the songs, felt meh about others.

Gotta be one of the best In Your Feels albums to sing-cry it out. Generational talent with a generational breakup banger. "Hello" doesn't resonate with me all the way since it's opposite the worst breakup I experienced but see how it's THE song for a lot of people. I like the upbeat songs "Send my Love" and "Sweetest Devotion." Awesome album, well done Adele.

Incredibly personal

A prime example of how my music tastes have changed, or rather, how more accepting I am of different music. I think when this album came out, I would have been vehemently against it solely because it was popular (even though the songs are good). Music is so much more enjoyable when you let dumb ideas like that go. I enjoyed this album pretty well, but it also made me realize that I haven't really heard Adele in a long time as well, unless it was one of her older songs.

Thanks to Spotify playlists, I rarely listen to whole albums anymore. I have listened to many of these songs but never once have I listened to this album in its entirety. This one has many that I enjoy but one towards the end that was a downer. This is quite the emotional album and I’m torn between ratings. Easily a high 4 but am settling for a lower star.

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

Não é meu estilo de música favorito, mas tem que reconhecer a qualidade do material. Ótimo disco de baladas.

Its just so samey !!!!!!!

Pretty good for what it is, which is basically an adult contemporary album. If you're in the mood for slower songs with feeling, this is pretty good. I'd give it 3 stars out of 5, because basically I need to be in this kinda mood to enjoy this album. Great voice, however. That is not up for debate.

This Queen dazzles

Great album- Adele's voice is incredible and Hello is awesome. Not quite as solid of an album as 21

You can't deny that Adele has a great voice. I'm just not into her music.

Pretty good

Yes it’s a classic! I loved it when it was out in 2015!

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

Shite

Some of the up-tempo stuff is good, but most of this is a boring slog. And it's a shame, as most other people have noted, as Adele is one of the greatest vocalists of this century so far. Very talented, very strong. Ain't it a shame that it's wasted on this snoozefest. It's not offensively bad, but it's a melodramatic bore for most of the runtime. It's too safe, simple, and sterile to be noteworthy.

Can’t believe I’ve somehow never listened to this in its entirety. Beautiful lyrics and vocals and classically Adele - though maybe too classic, as the album gets a bit repetitive, though I still enjoyed it. Favorite songs: When We Were Young, Sweetest Devotion, All I Ask

Ok pop album. You can hear which songs are hits and it actually makes everything else sound like very well sung filler. Man, what a voice this woman has... Still, this is a 3.5/5 for me

Not the best.

Banger after banger. Great album. Would try to sing along but can’t hit those notes.

I've never sat and listened to an Adele song. I'm aware of Hello from an SNL skit. But she's not entirely outside my wheelhouse. I like good pop and a strong female lead. Grace Slick, Florence, Amy Winehouse, etc. If it's authentic I can dig it. Highly produced pop with simple, formulaic lyrics usually rings hollow, but that's not the case here. There's plenty of good lines, hooks, and music. My criticism might be that it sounds a little over-produced. The lyrics are good, but in some cases the big room production drowns out the soul. Send My Love is catchy, but I think it would sound better without the big kickdrum in the chorus. Same with I Miss You. Sure, that's just like, my opinion, but I'm wishing each song had a 1-3 piece folk version. The production has cajones, and probably that's the appeal for people who want to sing along in the car, but does every song need to be an anthem? It does settle down toward the end with Million Years Ago and All I Ask, and I think she shines on those. They're just 'girl with a guitar' and 'girl with a piano,' but her voice is so powerful that they have all the arena-filling drama without the booming drums and layers. But maybe the bombast is just her sound. Adele is Adele and she does it well.

Beautiful voice. Sounds like a sad breakup album so hard to get behind the lyrics fully.

I am a huge fan of Adele. I was blessed with the opportunity to see her live in Vegas on Christmas Eve a few years ago and it was as magical as you could have imagined. That said, this is my least favorite Adele album and always has been. Should NOT have won album of the year over Lemonade. Her weakest work is still groundbreaking, to be fair. My beef with this album has always been that there are very bright moments on the album, but as a full cohesive project, it isn't as strong as her other outputs. 21 and 30 do a fantastic job of telling a full, complete story. "Send My Love" has such a fun beat that feels like a callback to her debut, 19, with minimal instrumentation. "I Miss You" has a really interesting soundscape and is my partner's favorite track on the album due to the heavy tom beat. "When We Were Young" is such a special song. I don't know what I could say right now that would be fair of the track because watching her perform it live with all these photos of her childhood in the background was magical and sad and sweet all at the same time. My favorite song on the album is "All I Ask" - which was co-written with Bruno Mars and I don't know how to articulate his particular sound, but you could close your eyes and hear him sing this as well. The instrumentation is simple to suit the heaviness of the story being told. "All I ask is if this is my last night with you, hold me like I'm more than just a friend" UGHHH. That melody!!! "It matters how this ends 'cause what if I never love again" OUCH. I have definitely cried a handful times listening to this track. It is insane though, because Adele always has a devastating ballad at the end of her albums and this is also one of my least favorites! A testament to her songwriting ability, but if you love this song, just put on "To Be Loved" from 30. My overall feeling with this album is that when I listen to it, I just want to turn on 30 or 21 and listen to those albums because they came to me at such pivotal moments. Like each track on this album has a stronger counterpart on a different album. I still love it, don't get me wrong! It's just ranked 4th out of 4 for me.

This is fine. There were some songs that shocked me with how much i liked them and some that shocked me with how much i didn't like them.

I’m sure I’ll be the outlier here but this album came out at a time in my life where I was heartbroken in 16 different ways. Adele is great at being the soundtrack to the desperate need to have things back that were once yours.

Hello. (I am excited to say good bye.) Adele is an undeniable talent. I’ve spent the majority of my life being a dirtbag and Adele makes me well aware of the times she’s been sang along with in lamentation of my name. Send my love is a nice bop. I like the tune and really love the harmonies. Semi related: I like the concept Adele has running with her albums. Titles that reflect her age, close pictures of her face, to accompany these songs do make it feel like we are up close and personal with her. In an industry that fetishizes infantile sexualization of young women it feels like an act of rebellion to make a firm decleration of age and womanhood. If she continues this into her 40s and 50s it’s gonna be out right punk rock. A 25 year old singing about “when we were young” and life “a million years ago” feels kinda goofy listening at 36. But I’m saying that with hindsight. I suppose it encapsulates the feeling of arriving to adulthood. It’s an age where you feel firmly I feel like we need to bring back “adult contemporary” as a genre for music. I want this album to be over so badly. Amy Winehouse is Adele’s Wario. This music is objectively not for me. I don’t mean that in a pejorative way at all. It is good though. That lady sings good. Sweetest devotion is a good song. FinallySomeGoodFood.jpg I think Adele is just a female Michael Buble with producers that have more of a pop sensibility.

Never listened to full album before this, and you hear someone say how good it is, know that is that good

boring

3,5

Beautiful voice for sure but how many times can you listen to songs about breaking up or terrible boyfriends. She’s Taylor Swift with a much better voice

I remember enjoying 21 when I listened to it courtesy of this list, and this follow up is pretty much more of the same. The music has developed into a slightly poppier sound, even touching on a gospel sound on the track River Lea. She still seems to be singing from the perspective of someone much older than the 25 years of age that she was at the time, with a remarkable amount of wisdom and insight. Not really my usual listening but a fine album nonetheless.

Ah, I didn't recognize anything on 21, but the opening track on 25, that I know. What I said previously on 21 still holds: she has a great voice, the background music is nice (because it is simple melodies, most of the time just a piano supporting her voice) and it sounds overall out of time. It's still not my cup of tea, but I can appreciate why she's so well known.

More of the same stuff from Adele. If you like "21" you'll like this. Apparently this album had the record for first week album sales until just recently being beat by Taylor Swift's "Life of a Showgirl". Even though I wasn't that impressed by this album, it's at least much better than that dog shit. Whatever man. Favorite track: Million Years Ago 2.5/5

Discazo. Artistaza.

Great sound. Voice I remember, but none of the lyrics from this album stuck with me

Sad songs, heartbroken songs, good voice, but not quite for me

She's got such an incredible voice. Very good album, this.

Glad to discover Adele beyond Skyfall

This is awesome! The production is fantastic, the band is great, and Adele is obviously a top tier singer! No notes! Liked Songs: The whole album

Very good 4.5

Laptop? What? This is the soundtrack of days out with my parents. They still have a CD changer in their car and I’m pretty sure four of the five trays are taken up by Adele albums. I went into this ready to roll my eyes, but she actually is a very good singer. Not as many hits on this album as on her others, but if you don’t think she has an incredible voice you’re just lying for the sake of it.

Amazing vocal work with mature lyrics that combine for a fun, memorable album. Although there are a few weak songs with good but not great production. The biggest struggle of this album is a lack of identity compared to her other albums, causing some to sound bland and corporate. But when this album hits, it fucking HITS.

Beautiful and powerful, loved this album

Sorry Adele, I didn't know your game. Some surprisingly impressive production on this album that veers into the unexpectedly fresh. fav tracks: I Miss You, Send My Love (To Your New Lover)

Great album to nap to

This is a step up from 21...at least 2 stars up. The music the vocals the lyrics...she's an adult. Bueno. Definitely 5 (pop) stars.

Started really strongly but fell off towards the end

Incredible voice, incredibly underused.

I've never listened to an Adele album before but after listening to this, honestly pretty good album, I've realized my thoughts on her haven't changed. My thoughts on Adele?: She has one of the greatest voices modern music has ever heard, and yet she's kinda boring. I know as a black man from Detroit I'm not her demographic, but I appreciate music enough to give my honest opinion on her. These songs are sung well, the melody of each instrument are well put together, but man it's just kinda boring. Maybe it's this album but man who the fuck hurt her.

Caterwauling

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1001 ALBUMS- # 85 Adele at 25, where has her youthful personality gone? Oh how hype can drive commercial and critical acclaim…off the MASSIVE success of her much better previous release, this record sold over 3 million copies in its first week alone 😱. As many others have pointed out, Adele certainly has the vocal chops, however lacks the musicianship that her her personal charm in performance more than made up for in her first two releases. While ‘25’ is beautifully crafted and contains a more mature thematic presence, it grows long in the tooth focusing too heavily on emotional weight, which ironically perhaps was foreshadowing the physical transformation the singer songwriter would display upon her follow up album. 🎧 Classic Track: Hello 🎧 Deep Cut Gem: River Lea 🚫 Skip Track: Water Under The Bridge Adele’s voice is the star of the album — raw, powerful, and unwavering. Whether it’s the haunting lines or the restrained emotion, she delivers every lyric with conviction. Few artists can carry an album on voice alone the way Adele does. Adele has a rare ability to make universal feelings feel intimate. 25 doesn’t devastate you the way 21 did, but it lingers with bittersweet warmth. It’s reflective rather than reactive — a quieter, more adult kind of heartbreak. 🖼️ Album Artwork: Clooooooooooose up! 25 is structured like a personal retrospective — Adele revisits her past not with resentment (as in 21), but with empathy, nostalgia, and self-awareness. It’s a coming-of-age album in the most emotional sense, capturing the moment you realize that growing older isn’t about moving on — it’s about making peace. She does play is rather safe with this release without any notable artistic leap forward, however the power of her vocals to grasp your attention is undeniable. Adele, it is ok to incorporate playfulness in your songwriting, being reflective of your passing youth at the ripe old age of 25 is rather misguided.

2.75 It was fine to listen to, but it all kinda sounded the same to me

Really a big step down vs 19 & 21 Best Song: When We Were Young Rating: 5.5/10 Stars: 3

Adele's voice is absolutely wonderful, but the music per se is nothing special

A classic pop album.

Adele has one of the best voices of this generation and her music is good. However, I was ready for it to be over by the time the album was closing out.

Adele could fart into a microphone and I would rate it five stars

Great listening!

Being known for your singing doesn't always mean you're a great singer. Kurt Cobain for example has an iconic voice but wasn't exactly a "great singer." And having a great voice doesn't always equate to being iconic. But Adele may legitimately have the greatest voice on earth. Other than her big hits I wasn't that familiar with Adele's catalog and was enthralled by this album. I particularly like the last few tracks with the jazzy "Million Years Ago" as a stand out and "All I Ask" which reminded me of Hopelessly Devoted from Grease or a cheesy 80s prom type song... but somehow good! Now that accomplishment alone is worth a 4 all by itself.

I dont think Adele has a bad song.

Yes, very quality tunes by a quality singer. Great stuff, although I don’t emotionally connect to this kind of music so well. Three stars from me.

Good singer, boring songs Favorite tracks: Water Under the Bridge, Send My Love (To Your New Lover)

It's no 19 or 21 (whichever the good one is - I think 21, really sad? Maybe I'm just remembering the banger tracks), but it's pretty good but far from ground breaking. Hello is an incredible track. Her voice carries the album, of course.

She's a good singer, but this is not for me. The first 2 tracks were massively overplayed, the rest is just bland and repetitive.

Really enjoyed this. I had only heard the songs on the radio before. Powerful voice and driving beats. I would like to see a duet with Florence and the Machine.

Finally some good fucking food

This is a great album for people who want Adele in their lives.

today this web app has informed me i've listened to 50 albums, and today this web app has deemed it so to give me adele's "25." scientists say that 50 is divisible by 25, and they're pretty sure the number you get is a 2. but i don't think this album is a 2 - it's more like a high 3, erring on a 4. i liked this more than 21, which - i've heard things about 21. mainly that: it's divisible by 3, which was the rating i gave it. ergo: 30, if it were on this list, would've gotten 5 stars from me, but it's not, so it won't, and that's just the way the cookie crumbles. highlights - hello, send my love (to your new lover), i miss you, river lea, million years ago, sweetest devotion

Adele is talented, and I like her voice a lot. I just wish that she did anything else than the risk-free pop snoozefest this album is.

Very bland, a waste.

Let's be real, this is a single masquerading as an album. Hello is a killer song and adele has the perfect voice for it. The rest of the album is pure filler with strong disney vibe. The album feels as a whole like a 2 for me, it sounds great and she obviously has an amazing voice, but the music is very very middling and forgettable. Hello is such a massive song, though, that it adds a whole star on its own.

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

feels like a recency bias, 21 is the album that should be represented for her

obviously listened to this before. i think this is adele's best album. it feels daring at parts, but also has its classic adele moments. love this album.

Why?

She is so talented but I just don’t enjoy listening to whole albums of her music. I think it is just too many huge powerful songs with intense production all non stop. I think a good album needs some ebb and flow and it’s just nonstop emotional anguish. Great voice but just not for me.

Amazing talent. My favorite from Adele and one of my most listened to albums on vinyl.

Of course I have heard it many times, but revisiting it, it is incredible over and over again.

She's clearly got a great voice, but the songs themselves are too elevator pop for my taste.

Really good. Hello is a classic.

Girl can sing, no doubt. She also writes much of her own music, which is impressive to me.

Beautiful ballads, legendary vocal talent. Unfortunately also smitten with dull, sanitized pop

2.4 great vocals but this is wine mom music. makes me feel like I'm trapped in the checkout at a T.J. Maxx while this blares over the loudspeaker. the kind of songs where I've heard them unwillingly so many times that they've lost any and all semblance of soul.

Not as loaded as 19, but the bangers bang nonetheless

Modern rhythm and beats while being headlined by a classical, strong voice? Yes please. Make the lyrics interesting and beautiful, and its just an easy 5/5.

No doubt she is a talented singer, and this is very well produced and she sounds great. Apart from being impressed with her chops there is not much that blew me away. It was ok, but I am not going to either want to buy this or listen to it again. I have no recollection of the other album I listened to, and this will be the same in a few days. It was quite monotonous. all the songs had the same structure. Also...what is a 25 year old singing about life flashing by. FFS! 3 stars

Someone has to send Adele an up-tempo song or two that she can sing. Adele can sing, that's never in doubt, but we gotta work harder to get her some torch songs worthy of her talent. I listen to these songs and pretend there is another artist singing the lyrics to the music. It shows just how much Adele is able to elevate the material. When she is able to find music that matches her talent level (Hello, Send My Love, etc.) then she can produce an album like 21. A great artist can take good/decent material and make it work, which is what Adele does here. When great songwriting and a great artist collide, you get greatness, but when a mediocre artist gets great material or a great artist gets mediocre material then if you look closely it shows. It's easy to get lazy and write good songs for an excellent artist, knowing the material will get elevated. 25 is a good album but is more of an Adele good album than an actually really good album. Do better for her. The tracks I enjoyed were: Hello Send My Love (To Your New Lover) When We Were Young Love in the Dark Sweetest Devotion

love her but damn is it a lil slow

She really does just have heavy hitter songs on every album

pretty generic. some catchy songs.

No va

Too many ballads. She has a strong voice but this is very pedestrian and bland that doesn't move the needle for me.

A pleasant listen.

hey pretty good!

I don't get the hate in the newest reviews, it's as good as a balladeer album can be, nice, varied songs, great vocals. I actually like it more than 21

Hello - 5/10 Send My Love (To Your New Lover) - 7/10 I Miss You - 6/10 When We Were Young - 5/10 Remedy - 5/10 Water Under the Bridge - 6/10 River Lea - 6/10 Love In The Dark - 6/10 Million Years Ago - 6/10 All I Ask - 7/10 Sweetest Devotion - 7/10

I’m blown away. I’m not a big pop music fan so I really haven’t heard any of her stuff. But I just told my wife, in a timeline that makes sense, Adele is the biggest woman pop star in the world, not the warm glass of milk that is Taylor Swift. Except…she only seems to make sad songs. So it starts to get a little same-y if you’re not actual depressed. Very impressed by this album. I probably won’t listen to the whole album again on my own, but I could see bringing up a couple of the songs when I’m in the mood.

The opening "Hello..." on this album is amazing. Adele's voice is great and I loved performing Rolling in the Deep with Jazzy Jo and the Bonheur Bros. All that said, there wasn't a single song on this album that I felt like listening to again.

Love “hello” and I like most of the singles. Generally not a ballad lady - so a few of the songs I didn’t love but Hello is so fab.

Love song this, love song that, how about you come up with some good fucking music?

While it'd be unwise to say that Adele is not talented, I find a lot of her songs to be boring. This ain't my favourite album of hers, definitely. The problem is that I like her style, it's just a lot of her songs feel like misses to me.

Incredibly good.

Full of pop brilliance. Plus Adele’s voice. Great stuff.

Solid melodies, with good themes to the songs. A bit primary but still relatable

Des trucs très cool mais aussi des trucs moins cool

Certainly still a great voice, but disappointing compared to 19 and 21.

This is laughably bad

Another classic. All her songs sound like standards after two listens. Would love to see her live just her and a piano.

Ok

Вроде и неплохо поёт, старается… но не хватает какой-то изюминки из-за чего ощущения от песен больше склоняются к заунывности, нежели к душевности и грусти, как, вероятно, задумывалось. 5 из 10.

I feel like Adele has some of the best voice in the pop world, yet her music doesn't displays it as much as it should. Songs about being older than before and heartbreaks just dont cut it after a while. 2/5 just more variety would do good. When We Were Young would slap if it was done by a late carrer singer, Adele was just in the middle of her most dominant era lmao https://www.reddit.com/r/TIHI/comments/1gy98ma/thanks_i_hate_upside_down_adele/

While still being a 3, this is by far her best album, way more upbeat, better pop songs, songs like Water Under the Bridge are bouncy pop, better than constant ballads Unfortunately it does lose momentum when we go back to the ballads

Adele has an amazing voice. There are so many hits on this album. It's one of the better pop albums out there.

Shyte

I'm not quite sure if I'm ashamed to admit this or not, but I really like Adele's music. She is an undeniable, generational talent. And it's not just the voice, but the authenticity.

Adele has such a great voice and ability. Overall a good listen, not fully to my taste but I can appreciate the talent.

The music seems formulaic, but she has a truly beautiful voice

Was more familiar with this album than anticipated, don't know that helped with general enjoyment though.

Solid outing from one of the iconic voices of her generation but not at the level of her earlier efforts.

Beautiful voice. The album that made her a star

Great vocals

LFG!!!!!!! A beautiful album about coming into adulthood, having a baby, missing your younger and freer self. I loved it in 2015 and I love it now. "Music for moms" but if you're a mom you really get it.

Good vox. Songs sound aggressively samey. Highlights - All I Ask, Hello Lowlights - most of the rest of the album 2.5/5

Just awful

It's OK. She can certainly sing, but I can't ever imagine that I'd sit down and listen to this again.

Adele hab ich früh tot gehört, aber soll nicht ihr zur Last gelegt werden. 3 Sterne weil ich 21 besser finde aber wohl keine 5 geben will :)

This was such a moment when it came out. Still holds up. ily Adele

I get why she is popular and why her top 10 songs on Spotify all have over a billion streams. Her voice is good for broadcasting the heartache she sings about on literally every song. There is more to life than love and loss. I never thought I could assimilate Adele to Iron Maiden but here goes... The power in here voice is limited to one note that while hits hard, is an assault on the ear after the third or fourth song. I didn't hate this album, but I would not seek a second listen.

La vie est trop courte pour ça.

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.

One of the all time great voices. Songs are strong and production is good. I do get a little bored by the end, but I completely support this album’s inclusion on the list.

Overall: 6/10 Although her songs don't wow me, it's obvious that Adele is incredibly talented as a vocalist and performer. There were moments on here that really showcased how powerful her voice is. Her lyrics are honestly a bit mediocre and I think that's what stops me from loving her music. Still, this is a pretty good album overall and I could see it growing on me if I cared to relisten to it, which I honestly don't. Fav Song: I Miss You

4 ou 5 ?

Fin musikk, men når du får midtlivskrise som 25-åring har du et langt liv foran deg.....

Few okay tracks but its all so earnest and dull.

The singing frog.

Never listened to this album fully through until today when this site prompted me to and it was lovely. The whole album could have been singles.

I really enjoyed this album. 21 is okay but 25 really shines. I never had any urge to listen to her but this album is very good. I really enjoyed the song River Lea

i mean. dude! it’s adele! crazy beautiful strong voice. love in the dark is definitely one of the songs of all time for me, but i haven’t listened to the rest of this album much. it’s all very beautiful and romantic, and strong in its genre of ballads, i’m just not that much of a ballad gal all of the time. overall just so moving and beautiful.

OK

it's adele

Production a tad overwrought and polished to appease those AC radio listeners, but that voice makes even the middling tracks on this record soar.

If you like Adele you'll love this album. Every time I hear Adele I'm blown away by the voice on that woman. She can sing. Her music isn't really something that I would listen to all the time but I can absolutely appreciate the ability she has. Part of the problem with this album in particular is that it all feels a little too formulaic. Like she found a sound she wanted and stuck with that throughout the entire record. Most of the songs have similar vocal lines, similar instrumentation, and are produced to all kind of sound the same. I feel like that's intentional. I do think this is probably a better album than 21 on the whole. It's another tough one to rate because I don't think I'd give it a 4 but 3 is way too low. So I guess I'd call it a 3.8 and round up to 4/5.

Adele is a generational talent no notes

Who doesn't like Adele? 5/10

Su voz y este álbum, difícilmente superables

Done

Good, not my thing

I've already listened to 21 by Adele, and this isn't 4 stars better. Same level of interest for me - fine voice but utterly uninspiring in every other way. Leave this one to the bored and middle aged.

Banger after banger, can’t help but sing along, and feel sad. But good.

Här finns absolut ingenting att upptäcka, ingenting spännande. Allt är så oerhört förutsägbart. Musiken är helt oförarglig, inte dålig, den stör mig inte för fem öre. Låtarna i sig är det absolut inget större fel på, det är exakt vad man kan förvänta sig. Jag kan dessutom uppskatta det bitvis minimalistiska musikaliska anslaget, det hålls ganska rent. Jag skulle kunna tänka mig att lyssna på en instrumental version av plattan. Men sen är det ju det där med att nån jäkel öppnar käften. Jag klarar inte dom här Idol-gapiga rösterna av nåt wailmonster. Varenda frasering skall det tvångsmässigt wailas på, och däremellan gapas det som om nån vore i sjönöd, det går inte att lyssna på. Jag minns inte en enda låt och jag har ingen aning om vad hon gapar om, men det är nog inte meningen heller. Stryp sången bara, satsa på lite trevligt fördrinksskvall så funkar det alldeles utmärkt. Adele without Adele - the muzak version, jag hade givit det en chans. Har svårt att ge det här underkänt, låthantverket är helt ok, produktionen kanske t.o.m. bra. Det är en svag tvåa. Lyssna hellre på Sjöräddningens larmradiofrekvens

En av hitlistornas bästa röster. Stark, hes, lätt beslöjad. På hennes första skivor fanns en del lovande ansatser, åt blue eyed soul-hållet. Här är hon tyvärr helt uppslukad av storproduktion och svulstiga Eurovision-ballader.

Perna har i tidigare recensioner varit inne på det, i många fall, tveksamma valet av album för respektive artist. Ofta har man gått på något slags kommersiellt genombrott borta i staterna. Här har vi ytterligare ett exempel på det. Efter hennes två första plattor som båda har en fin nerv och inte minst soul, är detta albumet där Adele blir menlös och överproducerad (eller ensam med ett själlöst piano). Enda syftet med albumet är att det ska sälja och då får inget sticka ut. Visst har hon en fin röst men hur nyttjas den? Efter 21 väljer hon (eller bolaget) att svänga av mot idolfabriken istället för ta den andra avfarten mot Soulville. Synd!

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.

Downhill after Hello - amazing voice but these don't sound like songs written for her...

Involuntarily heard some of these songs a thousand times. It's good. Didn't even bore me, how it often happens with these AAA pop albums

I have said it before but when an artist is only ever praised for their technical singing ability, I usually find that their music is super ass. The backing tracks sound like something I would hear in commercials about analgesics for elderly people so that they can "get back to the important things in life" like picking their grandkids up, swinging them around and drinking all of their 50 different prescriptions with lemon and chamomile tea.

Great production. Strong melodies. Brilliant vocals. Lyrics don’t do much for me, but I guess songs about love gone cold and not being able to revisit the past are timeless and appeal to the masses. Good album! 4/5.

An artist I’m somewhat familiar with, yay! Also one of the first “modern” artists I got in my album listening journey. I think a lot of people sell this particular album short, it’s not 21 that has absolute bangers like Rolling in the deep and Someone like you that are far messier and more torn about the whole break up situation. 25 is much more subdued and yet has the same emotional complexity, the wound has just healed over and the remaining feelings are weaker by now. And I think this fits in beautifully with the albums idea of maturing/ ageing. 25 might be young to mourn your youth but 25 might be one of the first ages where the concept of “aging” becomes scary. And maybe I’ll look back on this in 30 years and go: damn I was a dumbass back then, but that will likely be the case anyways 👌 I don’t know how to describe this but while being, just sound wise, a rather standard pop album I like the subtlety of it all. “Hello” is bitter in a different way than Someone like you was. The emotional hugeness of “Set fire to the rain” and “Rolling in the deep” aren’t reached in this album at all but I don’t think they should be. These songs speak of fresh pain while “I miss you” , “Send my love (to your new lover)” and “When we were young” is a more reflective and “quiet” approach to them. Even “River Lea” which is far more of an extermination of the narrators inner world (-> examining own patterns of not apologizing, blaming the outside worlds influence for their own faults) and “Water under the bridge” being a more positive look on a new relationship are deeply influenced by the “healed wound” that was open in 21. And it should be like that! Not being over an old relationship is an interesting theme and motif in the fast lived culture of modern pop and just because Adele keeps poking at it doesn’t mean she only takes one approach. I like this album, I like it far more than its best known hit tho. Hello is just not my kind of song. Tho it has some banger moments.

Adele is an absolute icon. I think when her music went mainstream it’s easy to discount it. But, sitting down and listening to her all the way through makes me realize how fucking iconic she is

Nobody cares about that album. Even Adele fans.

I think Adele gave her everything on 21 and there was barely anything left for what followed. Nothing bad, but nothing attention worthy either.

Adult contemporary to the very core.

mehhhhhh

Inconsistent album, but the highs hit very well. I liked it.

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.

Like Streisand, my tolerance for her voice ebbs after 2-3 songs.

Skapligt, men inte min genre

This album was much better than I remembered. I think it especially hits well as a cohesive piece. A lot of these songs were overplayed so it’s good to hear them in context.

Nostalgic

Slower pop songs, very popular album. No complaints, mastering was good but not mind blowing.

Despite these songs being so overplayed, this is a pretty good album. I just don’t see myself listening to it casually…I don’t like pop from this era where everything had to be “epic.” Still, Adele’s talent as a vocalist is undeniable.

Multiple amazing tracks in the album. But I just didn't engage with most of it.

I always try to guess who we will talk about in 50 years when we look at the music from the 2010s on. Adele is a strong guess of mine and this album a reason why. Obviously her awesome voice carries this entire lp, but this should not distract you from neatly put together arrangements and great songwriting. Like the concept of a make-up album - making peace with yourself and your past. Hello, i miss you, remedy, love in the dark sweetest devotion - all highly emotional bangers that hit hard. What a talent she is! :) And yay, finally a female voice on here. Below 10% So far with my draw here.

thoughts: another album on this list where the big hits were huge for a reason, but i did enjoy some of the deeper cuts as well. overall a very good album with good lyrics and obviously her voice is a powerhouse songs: “send my love (to your new lover)”, “i miss you”, “all i ask” rating: 7.8/10

Goosebumps.

Not as impactful as her earlier albums but it’s Adele, so still pretty good.

i lowkey forgot about this album (aside from Hello, which was maybe a bit too overplayed for its own good ). but 25 has some really good stuff! not quite peak Adele but it definitely has its moments. All I Ask is an instant classic imo

The album can get a little repetitive and this usually isnt my favorite style of pop music but Adele voice is so crazy that I can’t not like it.

Talk about using your voice as an instrument!

Awesome! Adele is one of my all time favs 21 was like on constant repeat as a kid and I anticipated this album so much and hello did not disappoint. Some great album cuts on here too. 4.5

Pop ballads for the ages. Not as good as 21 though… but has some pretty incredible songs like All I Ask and When We Were Young. Some serious album cut misses tho… so more of a 3.5 to me.

Que des bangers

Well produced, just isn't as interesting as some of the earlier albums

Very surprised how much I enjoyed this album.

Was a great listen and now I understand the hype, 10 years later. Amazing voice as always, and a delivery that captures all the emotions needed for this monster of an album.

Álbum muito agradável de ouvir. Curti bastante. Celest Phoenixcall.

One of the things I've gotten out of doing this list that hasn't really surprised me is that I'm not too big on more modern pop records. Consider: I was bored to tears by Lana Del Ray's CHEMTRAILS OVER THE COUNTRY CLUB. I was really only fine on Lorde's MELODRAMA. Beyoncé's self-titled album didn't really do too much for me. And Taylor Swift's 1989? I surprisingly liked it more than I didn't, but I still wasn't too hot on it thanks to a few big singles I'd always hated and just couldn't get over. And none of this surprised me, not really. I already know: I'm just not too big into too much modern, contemporary music. Besides a few niche bands, the biggest contemporary artist I'm into is Bruno Mars, and it's only because he's such a master of the modernized retro throwback. Heck, if it wasn't for Weird Al (back when he was releasing albums) and a few online music critics I follow, I'm sure I'd hardly keep up with modern music. I'm just way too satisfied by the older stuff; y'know, I've always felt like I've had an "old soul." So of course this is the modern pop album I've liked the most. Oh, Adele. Critical darling, and perhaps the single best-selling artist of the entire 2010's. I mean, the top two best-selling artists of the decade are 21 and this album, in that order. I suppose it'd make all too much sense for someone with old tastes like me to prefer Adele's classical balladry to more forward-thinking pop music like Lorde. Well, yeah, of course — but also, a bit no, too? 'Coz I wouldn't say that this album is strictly not "classical balladry," at least not in the way you could say 21 was. As a fellow group member of mine points out, 25 leans into a lot of the pop production that'd popped up since 21 had come out. As such, that same group member also says, it could be easy to view 25 as a bit of a "sell out record," if you're into using a term like that. I mean, heck, there's a track or two on here with production like Imagine Dragons songs. It's absolutely not as timeless as 21 was, and that's not not a thing, right? Look, I'm the last person who'll complain about over-production. I love it when a song is stuffed with shit to make it bigger and better than it would've been otherwise. And 25, well, it might not be better than 21, but goodness me if I don't dig it all the way and then some. Goodness, I'm the kinda person who likes a few Imagine Dragons songs — and not just the ones from back when they were "respectable"; I mean stuff like "Believer" and "Zero". Maybe not "Thunder", but darn if I couldn't make an argument to myself for it... So, you take that kinda stuff, and put it together with Adele's voice and ballad pop sensibilities... Yeah, no, it's great. It's just great. I really kinda struggle to think of any problems I have with this approach. I mean, the song on here I enjoyed the least with "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)", and that's only because I remember hearing it on the radio maybe one time too many. And even then, it doesn't really get to me the way "Rumour Has It" from the last album can (as I call it: "OOO-MURR Hahzz Ih"). Besides, whatever over-play burnout I might have from "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" is balanced out by how much I did truly love "When We Were Young". It might be the most "classical balladry"-y song on the entire album, 'coz... I mean, this is just an Elton John song. I can totally hear him singing this, and that is just... Such a compliment to this song. It is incredible, truly. And given that my group isn't gonna get another Elton John album from this list (seriously weird that HONKY CHÂTEAU isn't here), I mean, goodness, it makes hearing this just all that slightly better. So... Yeah. This album might not be as culturally "respected" as an album like MELODRAMA is, but if I'm being 100, stuff like this is just way more up my alley. It's not that I don't wanna like stuff like MELODRAMA; if I could, I would. I feel like I'll get called out for not liking them as much as I know other, more important people do. I'm just kind of... Bored by them, mostly. And that's just a reflection of my tastes. As does how much I like 25: it just never bored me. And I just marvel at the fact that when Adele made this album, she was younger than I am now. She sounds **this mature**, at **25**? Heck, she sounded that mature at **21**. It's nuts. But yeah. It's a feat of timeless ballads like 21 was, but 25 still holds up as a really good album from Adele. And, I mean, anything that proves to me that I can still like pop in the modern era is a positive in my book. I wish I could like more, but, eh, that's just the hand I was dealt, I guess. (But I really did find that Lana Del Ray album just **that** boring. I can absolutely wait to get the other one of hers that's probably on here, goodness...)

The first two tracks might be a bit Eh to me now because of overexposure, but the rest of the track list is just some damn good pop. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

I’m at a 5. It’s not the timeless record “21” was & still is, but I don’t think it was trying to be. This is a much safer affair that leans into a lot of the pop production tricks that had emerged since “21”, relying on an all-star cast of producers that include everyone from Max Martin to Danger Mouse to Bruno Mars, as well as a good chunk of the cast that helped her out on “21”. Does that mean this is Adele’s “sell-out” album or anything? Absolutely not; I found this to be a super enjoyable listen, retaining a lot of the DNA from “21”, just without the same timeless ballad-y tone. That lack of a “timeless” tone led me to think that I knew next to nothing about this album, save for “Hello”, and in many ways, I really didn’t. That said, I had a couple of moments where I hit my “oh, this is that song” epiphany – “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” got me immediately, especially so by the chorus. I’ve genuinely always thought that was a Lorde track, and I don’t think I can be blamed for that; the entire instrumental structure feels super similar to “Royals”. The same thing hit me later in the album with “Water Under the Bridge”, but only by the chorus. So, how about the rest of the album? I enjoyed the whole thing, honestly. It definitely plays itself safer & a bit more sterile, but mileage will vary based on how much you appreciate the slightly overproduced style of the mid-2010s, and for better or worse, I’m a total sucker for it. “I Miss You” feels like an Imagine Dragons track, in a good way. When I was listening, I wrote down that “this is far ‘sexier’ than I’m used to from Adele”, and I think that added sense of confidence permeates throughout the album nicely. “When We Were Young” is just an Elton John track & it’s impossible to not hear it; “you look like a movie, you sound like a song” is a line that feels like it’s ripped straight from his songbook. “Remedy” is pretty good as a ballad to her son, but I think it reveals one of my softer issues with this album; a few of these tracks feel like Adele singing songs that could be covered by other artists without missing too much of a beat. That’s what splits a timeless record from a very good one; “21”’s strength comes in the fact that it’s nigh-impossible to hear anyone but Adele singing a lot of those tracks, a la Aretha Franklin with the albums we’ve gotten from her so far. “Remedy” is a track that sounds like Kelly Clarkson or Rihanna could sing it, and it would keep a lot of the same emotional impact. That’s a mark of really great songwriting, so it’s not too much of an issue, but it does make this album stand out less. “River Lea” goes back to the sort of Imagine Dragons-core with its instrumental, but Danger Mouse makes it work. The lyricism is super strong & it feels like the sort of track where you can’t hear anyone but Adele singing it due to the lyrics. The same applies to “Love in the Dark”, which feels the most like a track from “21”, and it shows. The orchestral overtones give it some great gravitas, and her vocals flow on that thing. I really like the intimacy of “Million Years Ago”; her vocals channel Mariah Carey a little bit, it’s very well-written, and the guitar-driven approach worked for me a lot. “All I Ask” & “Sweetest Devotion” are a hell of a 1-2 punch to close the album out on; Bruno Mars is one of my favorite artists ever, and his fingerprints are all over the former. Granted, it does sound like Adele’s doing her best to just match Bruno’s likely demo recording of it, but the man can write a damn good ballad, and the key change at the end of that track really pulls it all together. I wish it had been a duet, honestly. “Sweetest Devotion” just rules; the percussion & electric guitar really make the track pop as a closer, and Adele’s vocals carry a lot of strength that makes the lyricism (devoted to her son) hit even harder. It’s kind of structured like a Coldplay track, which is a net positive for me. So, yes, I still *really* enjoyed this. I have no idea how a number of these tracks missed me a decade ago, especially given that this is the second-best selling album of the 2010s (behind, you guessed it, “21”) & the fourth-best selling album of the century so far. In particular, I have no idea how I missed “All I Ask”, since I was huge on Bruno at the time, & “When We Were Young”, which is probably my favorite one here. Even though I’m late to the party, it’s better late than never. I do think this will bounce off of people more easily than “21”, since it’s far more poppy & a little more sterile by comparison; even if that’s the case, I think the floor here is a 3, since there aren’t any bad tracks & Adele’s voice is still magical on a lot of these. It’s not a 10 to my ears, but it’s certainly an easy 5.

Good but not for me

Every song is incredible as an individual song, but they all have the same cadence with little to no variation. As a whole, it just didn’t work for me.

don’t even need to listen to this one. it defined my middle school years. nostalgia factor +2.

Wow I had never listened to Adele before, definitely a great voice and catchy and emotional tracks. I'm not sure I'll go and seek out more Adele, but a solid 4 star album for me.

Not her best, but still a really solid album. The acoustic guitar-driven loop on "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" is really cool. And the chorus kills. "Hello" ended up being overplayed and parodied (see SNL's Thanksgiving sketch--hilarious), but when you get past all of that, it is actually a really good song. "I Miss You" kind of calls to mind Florence and The Machine. 4 stars

Talent is undeniable but as an album it sounds very samey throughout

Ok elle chante bien mais c'est toujours pareil bordel.

Just a beautiful voice.

Great vocals but depressing without the feeling that alanis Morissette for example gets.

ok

Proof that finding a winning formula isn't always the same thing as being formulaic. Here, there are enough distinct configurations for Adele's explosive crooning, laser-precise crescendos and startlingly effective songwriting to add up to a very entertaining album. High 4.