Adele is arguably the best singer of her generation. Throughout her incredibly successful career, she has released a couple of albums and several hit singles.
The recording artist who hails from London, England is about to hit another milestone as she turns 30 on Saturday, May 5. To celebrate the amazing talent and human being that is Adele, here are 10 of her best works so far.
'Skyfall'
The singer-songwriter cemented her superstar status by co-writing the main theme of the 2012 blockbuster movie, Skyfall. The track, which is also titled "Skyfall," perfectly captured the dark tone of the Agent 007 series and reflected the crazy-chaotic plot that saw James Bond (Daniel Craig) and the M16 being hunted one by one.
The track even won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2013.
'Rolling In The Deep'
"Rolling in the Deep," released seven years ago, is one of Adele's biggest hits. Like most of her songs, the singer drew inspiration from her real-life experiences.
In a post on her website, she wrote that the hit single was a reaction to people telling her to stay in the relationship because her life will be lonely if she leaves.
"I was very insulted, and wrote that as a sort of 'f*** you,'" she added.
'Someone Like You'
Like "Rolling in the Deep," Adele's chart-topping hit "Someone Like You" was a song born out of a previous failed relationship. The 2011 song was co-written with Dan Wilson was produced over two days that already included recording the final version that made it to the album, 21.
In an interview with American Songwriter, Wilson recalled that Adele arrived in the studio with both lyrics and melody. She said told him that she wanted to write about heartbreak and the guy who broke her heart.
'Rumor Has It'
"Rumor Has It," co-written and produced by Ryan Tedder, has almost the same dark and dangerous fervor as "Rolling in the Deep" that it almost plays like a sequel. That is not surprising considering that "Rumor Has It" was inspired by the same heartbreak that Adele experienced while making 21 in 2011.
'Turning Tables'
Another masterpiece born from the collaboration between Adele and Tedder is "Turning Tables," another ballad from 21.
"I had no idea about the break-up with the boyfriend," the One Republic lyricist/frontman shared in a previous interview. "But then when she heard the lyric she said it was literally what she was going through and so we made the song autobiographical."
'Chasing Pavements'
"Chasing Pavements" was one of Adele's earliest hits. From her 2007 album, 19, the track received her first nomination to the Grammy Awards for Best New Artist.
'Hello'
Arguably one of the best and undoubtedly the most popular track from her last album, 25, "Hello" threatened to trump the classic Lionel Richie "Hello."
Unlike her previous hits, Adele admitted that "Hello" is not about an ex-boyfriend. Instead, the song was about her pursuing her music and leaving her child at home.
"'Hello' is just about reconnecting with everyone else and myself," she shared The Huffington Post. "From the other side, I couldn't get over my guilt of leaving my kid to go and write a record and stuff like that. So getting over that — getting on the other side of that."
'Hometown Glory'
On the surface, "Hometown Glory" sounds like a love story to urban living, but the song, which was her debut single, is actually her protest after her mother suggested that she leave her home of South London to attend university out of the city.
'Send My Love (To Your New Lover)'
A track produced by notable hit-maker Greg Kurstin, "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" is not quintessential Adele. The track was more upbeat than fans are used to, but its catchy beat and snappy lyrics were embraced by the fans.
This song peaked at the eight spot on Billboard's Hot 100.
'Make You Feel My Love'
After a decade in the music industry, Adele has proven that she can do no wrong. Rounding up her Top 10 best is her version of "Make You Feel My Love," a song that was originally written and performed by Nobel laureate Bob Dylan in 1997.
Adele, however, completely made the track her own and gave it a more current twist. The music video of the song has already crossed 125 million views on YouTube.
