Courtesy of XL Recordings.
Courtesy of XL Recordings.

 

After four long, tortuous years without even so much as a peep from her, Adele has finally dropped her first single and music video “Hello,” without so much as a promo or a hello.

The song itself is just perfect. Adele knows what to give her fans, and that is songs that make you feel like you just divorced your first husband and you’re now sitting down looking at your tea wondering what happens next. Her vocals range from soft and gentle to loud and prominent with such fluidity that one is amazed that it’s the same singer. The use of subtle background singers during the last portion of the song creates a haunting melody that represents the heartache she must have felt after saying goodbye to her partner.

The music video for the song is nothing short of appropriate. Given that the video was directed by film prodigy Xavier Dolan, I had exceedingly high expectations for the video. I’m happy to say, I was not disappointed. Shot with an imax camera, there are absolutely gorgeous nature shots and tiny details, like a shot of Adele swiping her hand across a curtain as dust subtlely rises. These details are captured and thus added more to the story and ultimately the message Adele is trying to send with the song. The differing filters used through the video, one a more sepia filter and the other black and white, are used to indicate the past and the present. While this would’ve been a personal pet peeve of mine, it was done so subtly and beautifully that it took me a third watch to really see the difference.

If I had to find something to complain about within the video, it would be the story. It’s just the typical “they were a happy couple but then things went south so they broke up” story. Dolan is well known for creating interesting and complex stories out of the simplest things, so seeing the finished product was somewhat disappointing. The masterful directing, editing and the song itself full heartedly make up for the weak story.

The four year wait for this masterful music video and hauntingly gorgeous song was 100 percent worth it. Now I’m just scared to say goodbye to Adele.

Rating: 5 stars