Just like the rest of the world, our Music Designers had been waiting with bated breath for Adele to release new material. As soon as their copy of 25 arrived, a few of the ladies from the team gathered to listen to the album and share their thoughts – track by track. See what they thought below and share your opinions in the comments!
Note: Since they were already familiar with the single, the team decided to save their comments on this song for last after reviewing the full album.
All: This is just better than the rest of the album and is so good that it casts a shadow over 25 as a whole.
Singability Rating: 15/10
Track 2: “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)”
All: “Is this a Taylor Swift track?” It’s catchy…
Singability Rating: 8/10
Track 3: “I Miss You”
Janica Chang: This intro is really long.
Deidre Gott: I’m picturing Imagine Dragons as the backing band. Also – I think I want Adele hair.
Erin Yousef: It’s very slow.
Amy Frishkey: Very tom-heavy and percussive.
Mandi LeBlanc: I like it, but it’s not going anywhere – where is the bridge? Has the movement of a The Weeknd song.
DG: It might be one of those songs that grows on you.
Singability Rating: 2/10
Track 4: “When We Were Young”
JC: This would be cheesy if anyone other than Adele were singing this.
DG: I could hear Beyonce singing this.
Note: The track was produced by Ariel Rechtchaid, who has produced previous tracks for Beyonce.
AF: I actually think that song was a little boring.
ML: Yeah, I agree, a little boring.
DG: But this is one that you’ll probably sing in the shower.
AF: Haha, probably.
Singability Rating: 9/10
Track 5: “Remedy”
JC: I like the piano part.
AF: Yeah, me too…a lot!
DG: This one is the most boring so far.
EY: This, I’m ready for it to be over.
AF: Lots of repetition in this one.
Singability Rating: 5/10
Track 6: “Water Under The Bridge”
DG: There’s a Phil Collins track going on.
JC: So 80’s!
ML: *nods*
EY: It needs to open up.
AF: There’s not very much Adele to it – just very Top 40.
All: Very Gloria Estefan.
DG: “Coming Out of the Dark,” Gloria Estefan – *proceeds to sing “Coming Out of the Dark”*
Typical 80’s Adult Pop.
Singability Rating: 7/10
Track 7: “River Lea”
AF: This track is gonna get big later in the song.
ML: Hi, Lana del Rey!
All: Once the beat hit…OK, it’s a catchy song.
EY: I like this one, I would listen again.
DG: This is like the only Danger Mouse song that doesn’t just sound like Danger Mouse (2012-2014: it all sounded the same – it was).
AF: I really like that backing vocal – like an eagle swooping down.
ML: * makes eagle sound*
Singability Rating: 6.5/10
Track 8: “Love in the Dark”
EY: There are too many piano ballads on the album.
DG: I was thinking the same thing.
ML: It wouldn’t be Adele if there weren’t.
DG: Florence and the Machine
EY: But it’s better than Florence and the Machine.
JC: I don’t really like this song – kind of boring – it doesn’t grab you.
ML: A song to listen to when super drunk and sad.
EY: Don’t like the string section.
Singability Rating: 2/10
Track 9: “Million Years Ago”
AF: I could hear French singing over this – very reminiscent of chanson.
DG: Kind of sounds like “Autumn Leaves” – very familiar way to it.
EY: I would sing along to this one.
AF: A rainy-day song – reflecting on past love, drinking coffee, and wearing a wool sweater.
ML: This is so Parisian – I like this.
JC: It reminds me of a Josh Groban song.
Singability Rating: 9.5/10
Track 10: “All I Ask”
EY: I’m just tired of these piano ballads, but this is one of the better piano ballads; a good song to sing along to.
AF: It has a propulsion to it.
JC: I wish there were more instrumentation…that it slowly built.
EY: Yeah, I agree – have the exciting version on the album.
JC: And then release a stripped-down version as a bonus track or something. The ending sounds like a Disney song.
ML: Is this from Frozen? Frozen 2?
Singability Rating: 6/10
Track 11: “Sweetest Devotion”
EY: I think it could go somewhere.
AF: It has motion.
JC: Very Beatles-esque – the instrumental layering.
AF: I like the ethereal vocals in the background, and you can’t go wrong with the chord progressions.
EY: It’s a song that you sway to.
AF: Slide guitar – very nice touch.
Singability Rating: 10/10
Tracks that could find their way into our programs:
Not too programmable, unless you have a brand that wants really sad songs. Perhaps it could fit on soft, contemplative Core programs like Expressions and Reflections…it would definitely fit on Love Songs!
– Submitted by Janica Chang, Amy Frishkey, Deidre Gott, Mandi LeBlanc, and Erin Yousef, Music Design