25 (Adele album)
Released 20 November 2015
Recorded 2013–15
Studio
Various[show]
Genre
Soul pop R&B
Length 48:25
Label
XL Columbia
Producer
Danger Mouse Samuel Dixon Paul Epworth Greg Kurstin Max Martin Linda Perry Ariel Rechtshaid Mark Ronson Shellback The Smeezingtons Ryan Tedder
25 is the third studio album by English recording artist Adele, released on 20 November 2015 by XL Recordings and Columbia Records. Issued nearly five years after her previous album, the internationally successful 21 (2011), the album is titled as a reflection of her life and frame of mind at 25 years old and is termed a “make-up record”. Its lyrical content features themes of Adele “yearning for her old self, her nostalgia”, and “melancholia about the passage of time” according to an interview with the singer by Rolling Stone, as well as themes of motherhood and regret. In contrast to Adele’s previous works, the production of 25 incorporated the use of electronic elements and creative rhythmic patterns, with elements of 1980s R&B and organs. Like 21, Adele worked with producer and songwriter Paul Epworth and Ryan Tedder, along with new collaborations with Max Martin and Shellback, Greg Kurstin, Danger Mouse, the Smeezingtons, Samuel Dixon, and Tobias Jesso Jr.
Upon its release, 25 received generally positive reviews from critics, who commended Adele’s vocal performance and the album’s production. It was a massive commercial success, debuting at number one in 32 countries and breaking first-week sales records in multiple countries, including the United Kingdom and United States. In the US, the album sold over 3.38 million copies in its first week of sales, marking the largest single-week sales for an album since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking point-of-sale music purchases in 1991. 25 eventually became the world’s best-selling album of the year for 2015, with 17.4 million copies sold within the year, and has gone on to sell over 22 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all-time. Following 21, it was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting equivalent sales of ten million copies in the United States, making Adele the only artist of the 2010s to achieve this certification with two albums.
Globally, 25 was the biggest-selling music release in 2015 and 2016, with many journalists crediting it with impacting the music industry by encouraging a renewed interest in buying physical releases rather than downloading or streaming; much like 21, it was also credited for saving the dwindling sales of the UK and US music industry. 25 received the BRIT Award for British Album of the Year, while its lead single “Hello” won British Single of the Year. It also won the 2017 Grammy Awards for Album of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Album; “Hello” also won Grammys for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance.
Track listing
Standard edition
1. “Hello”
Adele Adkins Greg Kurstin
Kurstin 4:55
2. “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)”
Adkins Max Martin Shellback
Martin Shellback
3:43
3. “I Miss You”
Adkins Paul Epworth
Epworth 5:48
4. “When We Were Young”
Adkins Tobias Jesso Jr.
Ariel Rechtshaid 4:51
5. “Remedy”
Adkins Ryan Tedder
Tedder 4:05
6. “Water Under the Bridge”
Adkins Kurstin
Kurstin 4:00
7. “River Lea”
Adkins Brian Burton
Danger Mouse 3:45
8. “Love in the Dark”
Adkins Samuel Dixon
Dixon 4:46
9. “Million Years Ago”
Adkins Kurstin
Kurstin 3:47
10. “All I Ask”
Adkins Bruno Mars Philip Lawrence Christopher Brody Brown
The Smeezingtons 4:32
11. “Sweetest Devotion”
Adkins Epworth
Epworth 4:12
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of 25.
Locations
Mixed at Electric Lady Studios, New York; Capitol Studios, Los Angeles; MixStar Studios, Virginia Beach; Larrabee Studios, Los Angeles
Mastered at Sterling Sound, New York
Performers
Adele – lead vocals (all tracks), backing vocals (track 2), drums (track 1), guitar (track 2), piano (track 11), art direction and design
Tobias Jesso, Jr. – backing vocals (track 4)
Max Martin – backing vocals (track 2)
Musicians
Leo Abrahams – guitar (track 13)
Phil Allen – vocal recorder (track 13)
Victor Axelrod – piano (track 13)
Thomas Brenneck – guitar (track 13)
Will Canzoneri – clavinet, piano, Rhodes (track 14)
Tom Coyne – mastering (all tracks)
Danger Mouse – producer, piano, electric guitar, organ, programming, songwriting (track 7)
Samuel Dixon – producer, piano, synthesizer (track 8)
Paul Epworth – producer, percussion, programming (tracks 3, 11), drums, bass, piano, organ, guitar (track 3)
FILMharmonic Orchestra – strings (track 8)
Declan Gaffney – bass, percussion (track 7)
Christopher Brody Brown – piano (track 10)
Chris Galland – assisted mixing (track 14)
Tom Elmhirst – mixing (tracks 1, 3–5, 7–13)
Serban Ghenea – mixing mixing (tracks 2, 6)
Este Haim – tambourine (track 13)
Emile Haynie – additional instrumentation (track 1)
Tom Herbert – bass (track 11)
Tobias Jesso Jr. – piano (track 4)
Adam Klemens – conductor (track 8)
Greg Kurstin – production, bass (tracks 1, 6, 9), drums, guitar, piano, keyboards (tracks 1, 6), acoustic guitar (track 9)
Oliver Kraus – string arrangement (track 8)
Benji Lysaght – guitar (tracks 4, 14)
Roger Manning, Jr – Optigan, B3
Manny Marroquin – mixing
Nick Movshon – bass
Nico Muhly – prepared piano, harmonica
Liam Nolan – vocal recorder
Joe Visciano – mixing assistant
Dave Okumu – guitar
Linda Perry – producer, engineering, piano
Greg Phillinganes – piano
Ariel Rechtshaid – producer, engineering, programming, organ, glockenspiel, synthesisers, percussion, backing vocals (track 4)
Mark Ronson – producer, synths, pads
Ike Schultz – assisted mixing
Gus Seyffert – bass
Shellback – production programming, percussion (track 2)
Lil Silva – additional production, programming
The Smeezingtons – production (track 10)
Ryan Smith – vinyl mastering
Homer Steinweiss – drums
Pablo Tato – guitar
Leo Taylor – drums
Ryan Tedder – producer, piano, MKII Keyboard, Moog bass
Nikolaj Torp Larsen – piano
Joe Visciano – assisted mixing
Joey Waronker – drums
Engineering
Ben Baptie – engineering
Josh Blair – engineering
Julian Burg – engineering
Austen Jux Chandler – engineering
Riccardo Damian – engineering
John Hanes – engineering
Joe Harrison – engineering
Greg Kurstin – engineering
Michael Ilbert – engineering
Jens Jungkurth – engineering
Chris Kasych – engineering
Liam Nolan – engineering
Jan Holzner – engineering
Jacob Dennis – engineering assistant
Alex Pasco – engineering
Dave Schiffman – engineering
Matt Wiggins – engineering
Charles Moniz – engineering
Joe Jones – additional engineering
Riley McIntyre – additional engineering
Nick Rowe – additional engineering
Aaron Ahmad – assistant engineer
Christopher Cerullo – assistant engineer
Serban Ghenea – engineering
John DeBold – assistant engineer
Michael Harris – assistant engineer
Luis Flores – assistant engineer
Deshiell Le Francis – assistant engineer
Design
Phil Lee – art direction and design
Alasdair McLellan – front and back cover photographer
Alexandra Waespi – booklet photographer
Other
Petr Pycha – orchestra contractor (track 8)
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