Adele Drops New Single, Confirms 25, Internet Goes Ballistic
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| The Guardian |
The first single from the album, 'Hello', was teased during an X-Factor ad-break, prompting Twitter to descending into flaming chaos at the notion of any new material, let alone a whole album's worth. That was on the 18th of October. 3 days later, she wrote a Facebook post detailing what 25 would be about, and more importantly, a full tracklist. Then, on the 22nd, she posted an image of her own face in black and white on Instagram, with the caption stating that the album would drop on November 20th. Say it with me, FLAMING CHAOS.
This multi-platform drip feed of information has kept everyone on their toes for the past few days, from journalists to punters and now the first single is available to buy and stream. The music video for it has also been unveiled and all this happened within the space of a week with absolutely no warning. I don't use the term 'genius' very often, but from a marketing point of view, I think it applies.
The last time Adele was active in any way was the release of 'Skyfall' to coincide with the film in 2012, which kind of makes this even more timely, given that the next Bond film, Spectre, is coming out next week. Her single isn't likely to make bigger news than the movie, but it's sure to eclipse the new theme song, written and performed by Sam Smith, partially because she's a bigger deal than Sam Smith, but mostly because it's fucking horrendous.
The video itself, helmed by the lauded Canadian director Xavier Dolan, is a bleak, relentlessly emotional chronicle of the breakdown of a relationship, shot in the stunning Montreal countryside. The distinct presence of flip-phones in the video has caused a bit of a stir, with some praising the retro vibe, others remaining perplexed and some very weird people stating their intentions to buy one immediately. In my mind, it's a clever reference to The Wire, since bugging burner mobile phones was a huge part of the plot of that show, and the actor playing opposite Adele also happens to be Tristan Wilds, who played Michael in the show.
I have to say, though, Adele's flip phone is wicked. It's like she's in season 1 of The Wire.
— James Farrelly (@_Jhas_) October 23, 2015
At any rate, it sets the precedent for what is likely to be a very considered album, given the amount of time since her last one. The way she's promoted on social media testifies to how much she's changed as an artist. She clearly recognised the impact of the release, but by very rapidly unveiling all the important information in fractions, she's tempered the hype in such a way that it doesn't seem saturated. Bravo, Adele, bravo.
Callum is a film school graduate who is now making a name for himself as a journalist and content writer. His vices include flat whites and 90s hip-hop. Follow him @CallumAtSMF
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Adele Drops New Single, Confirms 25, Internet Goes Ballistic
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Friday, October 23, 2015
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Reviewed by Unknown
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Friday, October 23, 2015
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