On her recent prime-time television special, Adele spoke about confessions and boundaries. “There were moments when I was writing the record, or I would listen back to something and be like, ‘That might be a bit too private,’” she told Oprah Winfrey. And, yet, listening to the song, which is an audio home-movie, therapy session and public exposition of her young son all wrapped into a tear-jerking six and a half minutes, one must wonder what it is Adele could possibly be holding back.
, we hear diaries recorded by Adele at the suggestion of her therapist. “I’m having a bad day,” she says, “I’m having a very anxious day.” Elsewhere, we hear conversations between the singer and her young son that are either priceless or too cute by half, but definitely catnip for the soccer-mom set.
We listen to Adele for her smoke-and mahogany mezzo-soprano though, not her iPhone notes to self. When she sings “I‘m holdin’ on,” her back-up singers qualify it, “Barely.” When she admits, “Mama’s got a lot to learn,” the singers commiserate, “It’s heavy.” Back-up singers never lie. They’re there for support, but they keep it real. Adele is a single mother and fresh off divorce – it’s heavy. As she puts it herself onBorn 33 years ago, Adele Laurie Blue Adkins names her albums for the age she happened to be when the songs were written. Her 2008 debut album
well...you gotta hand it to her...
She sure can sing. But she looks plastic.