Adele - 25

I first fell in love with Adele when I heard the song 'Hometown Glory' from her first album 19. There was something about the way she sang the hell out of that song that stirred my soul. It made me yearn for home, thousands of miles away on a continent that seemed worlds apart. But that wasn't all, the album also had several other memorable songs like 'Chasing Pavements' and 'Cold Shoulder'.

But it was her next album 21 that really made me fan. It's not often that an album has my rapt attention from start to finish without any desire to skip a track but for me, this album was her tour de force. Kind of like Alanis Morissette with Jagged Little Pills, the moment I listened to 21, I knew it would be a difficult album for her to improve on. And how could she with such classics like 'Rolling in the Deep', 'Set Fire to the Rain' and 'Someone Like You' among other tracks that were just as good?

And so it was with great anticipation that I, along with millions of other Adele's fans, waited with baited breath for her to release her new album 25. After all, there was a possibility, however small, that this album could be even better than it's predecessor and if the first single 'Hello' was any indication, then I was in for a treat. Alas, my worst fears were confirmed when I finally got a chance to listen to the rest of the tracks when the album dropped on Friday. I'm sorry to say but, I just don't love it.

The songs are OK but that is not good enough, at least for me, coming on the heels of 21. I feel bad for being critical because being an artist is not easy but I have to be honest. I know it's hard to put yourself out there especially when your last project was such a huge success. So I applaud her for doing just that, facing her fears, and look forward to her next effort. She's a very talented singer and song writer so I'm sure she has another 21 in her. Whether it takes five years or fifteen years for her to release it remains to be seen.