TEST SPINS | Adele: ‘21’

Hearing any Adele song, even one of her more recent ones, fills me with a particular sense of nostalgia. Her voice holds so many memories for me — singing along to “Someone Like You” with a friend in middle school like I had any idea what the lyrics meant; watching her, absolutely spellbound, at my first ever concert as she performed 25 and being shocked by the sheer number of curse words flying out of her mouth in between songs; spending an entire period in high school listening to 30 because my teacher could not accept that no one in the class had listened to it yet (it was released eight hours before class started). Despite the fact that her whole discography is able to draw such intense reminiscence from me, 21 has always stood out for some reason, and I chose to revisit this record to determine why. “Rolling in the Deep” is undoubtedly one of Adele’s most iconic and instantly identifiable songs. Her deep, thunderous voice makes this song all-consuming; the echo effect emphasizes the power of her voice, and her message, even more.

TEST SPIN: Adele — 25

By JESSIE WEBER

Adele enthralls. Lyrically, her music stuns despite being easily accessible, wrapping itself around its audience; you’re convinced that she’s singing about your life whether it’s “Turning Tables” or “He Won’t Go.” Her band is masterful in its ability to capture a sometimes loose and rhythmic, sometimes intensely iconic sound that cradles her vocals perfectly. And you need no reminder that her voice is a blues and soul masterpiece that could cut melt a heart back from stone. 19 and 21, taken together, draw a portrait of a blossoming artist. “Daydreamer,” the opening song of her first album, is beautiful in a young and innocent kind of way.

Farewell to Fakes

At long last, the fateful day has arrived. Yours truly is 21.
Yes, this is a big moment for all of us. But before you start clogging the phone lines offering me free drinks, let’s take a moment to reflect on what this once-in-a-lifetime event really means.