“21”, singer-songwriter Adele’s second studio album, achieved global success, obtaining six Grammys in one night (the most won by any artist in history), and a diamond certification, so, needless to say, her next album has big shoes to fill. After the release of her comeback single, “Hello”, she has already set the bar high for the soon to be released album, “25”.

“Hello” begins with a somber-sounding piano, a trademark of Adele’s by now, and opens with the lyrics “Hello, it’s me”. From one point of view, the track can be interpreted as Adele addressing a past breakup from long ago. From another stance, it is the singer’s attempt to reconcile with her former self rather than an old flame. Immediately after the single’s release, Adele’s third album was available for pre-purchase on iTunes and Google Play. In over a week, she has racked up over 250k pre-orders.

The video, released on her VEVO channel, was met with positive acclaim by viewers and critics alike, even breaking the VEVO record for most views by any artist in 24 hours, a title previously held by Taylor Swift, acquiring 27.7 million streams. When asked about the aesthetics of the video, director Xavier Dolan had this to say to Entertainment Weekly “It was pretty clear from the beginning. I heard the song and all the images were so naturally running in front of my eyes and it was just like watching whatever scenery go by when you’re driving. Everything was so clear. It was almost like it had been edited already.”

Regarding her upcoming album, Adele said “I would call it a make-up record. I’m making up with myself. Making up for lost time. Making up for everything I ever did and never did”. Based on this statement, “25” is expected to be in direct contrast with “21”, an album heavy with breakup anthems and tunes that mourn lost loves, such as “Someone Like You”, “He Won’t Go” and “Rolling in the Deep”.