25 by Adele

[Deleted]

Announced the other day, the album is getting released November 20th. Here's a letter from Adele explaining the album:



And here's the first single off of 25, "Hello":



Wonder if this will be as big as 21 was?

[Big Poppa Pumpkin]

Video is cool, song is ungodly boring.

[Deleted]

Oct 23, 2015 7:50:12 GMT -5 Big Poppa Pumpkin said:

Video is cool, song is ungodly boring.

This kinda sums up Adele for me, though I haven't seen many of her videos.

To me, she has this amazing voice, and it's used in a boring way to create boring songs. If you hear a minute, you've heard the whole thing, and the chorus repeats like 6 times. That isn't just an Adele problem at all, but she's certainly a purveyor of that trend.

I can't help but compare her to Amy Winehouse because she had that type of voice, but Amy's songs had more going on musically, and she used her voice in a more engaging way.

[Hit Girl]

She has a great voice but seems stuck in this dull "woe is me, my boyfriend dumped me" style of song. It works for her though I suppose. She's making shitloads of money from it.

[Sigma: Current SRW Champ!]

I actually like this song. Sure it may be boring compared to other songs out there, but the pure emotion is definitely there and she has the pipes to convey it. Plus, it will be destined for a #1 hit with other such boring songs as "See You Again" and "Cheerleader" being #1 this year.

[zappa]

People who write and sing about love and heartbreak are con artists ever. I agree with Frank Zappa on love songs

"It's quite a challenge to reach somebody emotionally without using words that have literal connections. To perform expressively on an instrument, I have respect for that. To get to the level of performance where you are no longer thinking about operating a piece of machinery, that is worthy of respect. Writing a song about why somebody left you, that's stupid. The performers and composers don't necessarily believe in what they're saying or what they are doing, but they know that if you write a song about love, it's got a 3,000 per cent better chance of going on the radio than if you write a song about celery. It's a buy and a sell. And so the value system builds up from that. What I think of as the emotional content of music is probably a lot different than what you think of. Since I write music, I know what the techniques are. If I wanted to write something that would make you weep, I could do it. There's ways to do it. It's a cheap shot. (...) It's not just sentimental. There are certain harmonic climates that you can build. There are certain notes of the scale that you can play within a harmonic climate to "wreak pathos," and it's very predictable."

[Deleted]

Oct 23, 2015 9:57:35 GMT -5 zappa said:

People who write and sing about love and heartbreak are con artists ever. I agree with Frank Zappa on love songs

"It's quite a challenge to reach somebody emotionally without using words that have literal connections. To perform expressively on an instrument, I have respect for that. To get to the level of performance where you are no longer thinking about operating a piece of machinery, that is worthy of respect. Writing a song about why somebody left you, that's stupid. The performers and composers don't necessarily believe in what they're saying or what they are doing, but they know that if you write a song about love, it's got a 3,000 per cent better chance of going on the radio than if you write a song about celery. It's a buy and a sell. And so the value system builds up from that. What I think of as the emotional content of music is probably a lot different than what you think of. Since I write music, I know what the techniques are. If I wanted to write something that would make you weep, I could do it. There's ways to do it. It's a cheap shot. (...) It's not just sentimental. There are certain harmonic climates that you can build. There are certain notes of the scale that you can play within a harmonic climate to "wreak pathos," and it's very predictable."

[Deleted]

Oct 23, 2015 9:57:35 GMT -5 zappa said:

People who write and sing about love and heartbreak are con artists ever. I agree with Frank Zappa on love songs

"It's quite a challenge to reach somebody emotionally without using words that have literal connections. To perform expressively on an instrument, I have respect for that. To get to the level of performance where you are no longer thinking about operating a piece of machinery, that is worthy of respect. Writing a song about why somebody left you, that's stupid. The performers and composers don't necessarily believe in what they're saying or what they are doing, but they know that if you write a song about love, it's got a 3,000 per cent better chance of going on the radio than if you write a song about celery. It's a buy and a sell. And so the value system builds up from that. What I think of as the emotional content of music is probably a lot different than what you think of. Since I write music, I know what the techniques are. If I wanted to write something that would make you weep, I could do it. There's ways to do it. It's a cheap shot. (...) It's not just sentimental. There are certain harmonic climates that you can build. There are certain notes of the scale that you can play within a harmonic climate to "wreak pathos," and it's very predictable."

Zappa is f***ing brilliant.

However, what appeals to the masses is often appealing to the person writing it as well. People who write those songs probably grew up listening to songs like that and have that connection. Whereas Zappa was pretty much on a different plane of existence from the masses. Life must be really irritating when you're that smart.

I do agree that the performer doesn't necessarily believe the feelings they're singing about. But most people couldn't write a song about celery, because there's no emotion there, and emotion inspires people to write lyrics.

You know what? I'm going to write a song about celery. I've already got some ideas.

[MC Blowfish]

Oct 23, 2015 9:57:35 GMT -5 zappa said:

People who write and sing about love and heartbreak are con artists ever. I agree with Frank Zappa on love songs

"It's quite a challenge to reach somebody emotionally without using words that have literal connections. To perform expressively on an instrument, I have respect for that. To get to the level of performance where you are no longer thinking about operating a piece of machinery, that is worthy of respect. Writing a song about why somebody left you, that's stupid. The performers and composers don't necessarily believe in what they're saying or what they are doing, but they know that if you write a song about love, it's got a 3,000 per cent better chance of going on the radio than if you write a song about celery. It's a buy and a sell. And so the value system builds up from that. What I think of as the emotional content of music is probably a lot different than what you think of. Since I write music, I know what the techniques are. If I wanted to write something that would make you weep, I could do it. There's ways to do it. It's a cheap shot. (...) It's not just sentimental. There are certain harmonic climates that you can build. There are certain notes of the scale that you can play within a harmonic climate to "wreak pathos," and it's very predictable."

Maybe because singing or writing about love and love loss is pretty universal.  It doesn't make people frauds.  It makes them human.  

[cageking666]

Adele should just go into giving her vocals to DJs like Calvin Harris...thus just confirms my fear that she will only be big by name, and nothing else

[Hit Girl]

Zappa sounds up his own ass with that quote. Nothing wrong with producing music which resonates with other human beings.

My only problem with Adele is that she doesn't seem to branch out beyond a specific type of subject matter.

Seriously girl, cheer up.

[cageking666]

[zappa]

Oct 23, 2015 12:43:55 GMT -5 Hit Girl said:

Zappa sounds up his own ass with that quote. Nothing wrong with producing music which resonates with other human beings.

My only problem with Adele is that she doesn't seem to branch out beyond a specific type of subject matter.

Seriously girl, cheer up.

All Zappa quotes are like that lol. Guy probably has the best list of quotes of anyone in history. 

[Jazzman]

Oct 23, 2015 12:41:19 GMT -5 cageking666 said:

Adele should just go into giving her vocals to DJs like Calvin Harris...thus just confirms my fear that she will only be big by name, and nothing else

What does this even mean?

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

Should have brought her back to do the theme for Spectre, IMHO

[Confused Mark Wahlberg]

I just want her to live to be 69.

[Mozenrath]

Oct 23, 2015 14:32:36 GMT -5 Jazzman said:

Oct 23, 2015 12:41:19 GMT -5 cageking666 said:

Adele should just go into giving her vocals to DJs like Calvin Harris...thus just confirms my fear that she will only be big by name, and nothing else

What does this even mean?

Some sort of fat joke.

Okay, not really, I don't know either.

[Confused Mark Wahlberg]

I wonder if that dude who dumped her gets any residuals

[Lupin the Third]

Oct 23, 2015 9:04:58 GMT -5 Hit Girl said:

She has a great voice but seems stuck in this dull "woe is me, my boyfriend dumped me" style of song. It works for her though I suppose. She's making shitloads of money from it.

So she's stuck as Taylor Swift, but a little more talented?

[Lupin the Third]

Granted, my favorite song of hers will always be Skyfall.