When approaching the musicology of Adele, it is important to become aware of how all elements of the production and performance are connected with each other. She has created many chart-topping songs that have music videos that emphasize the emotions of what her songs are about. For music critics and fans around the world it is always a privilege to see Adele perform live or listen to any of her recordings.
Adele has an extraordinary vocal range and she focuses intently on her lyrics. Her work is an art and a science. It’s a science in the sense that she and her production team has discovered a formula for writing and recording songs that fans love, and it is an art because the lyrics are there to guide the listener in many different directions-sharing her perceived version of the truth along the way.
“Easy On Me” was released on Oct. 15, 2021. It is the first single to her upcoming album entitled 30, which will release in Nov. The song’s genre is Pop/R&B just like her previous work. Her new song is the next evolution of her artistry within the genre.
“Easy On Me” is a well written song with lyrics that contain a lot of imagery. The aesthetics are underscored in the official music video by placing certain portions of it in black and white and others in color. The verses are about life experiences she did not have the opportunity to participate in. She needs people to be “easy” with her in order to understand who she is today.
Adele has one of the greatest voices of her generation. It is always interesting how she can deliver strong vocals and still come up with catchy pop elements that fans can sing along with her.
The instrumentation is mostly piano and voice. As the song builds there are some light production elements behind the piano in the middle and ending of the song. However, the voice and piano standout in this song and it gives it a wonderful quality; the piano chords and her scales collaborate with each other exceptionally.
As an Adele fan, I am looking forward to hearing her new album. In recent interviews, Adele has described the new record as her most autobiographical. “Easy On Me” is essentially about moving from one place in life to another and how to turn the loss of opportunities into new fortunes. Each song on the album will reveal something new that the artist wants to share from her personal experiences.
Adele’s 30 will be released on Nov. 19, 2021.