Grab your Kleenexes, everybody. You’re gonna need them.

“Hello… It’s me.” With these simple words, Adele had once again taken the world by storm. “Hello,” Adele’s first single in four years, shot up the charts to number one only hours after its release, being the first song ever to sell at least 1 million downloads in a week, the biggest sales since Elton John’s tribute to Princess Diana, “Candle in the Wind.” The single also brought news of 25, her third studio album, which dropped on November 20th. This album is Adele’s triumphant return to the music industry, overflowing with the same raw emotion that brought tears to our eyes in “Someone Like You” and “Set Fire to the Rain.”  Overall, 25 proves that after four long years, Adele still has that golden lyrical and vocal touch that pulls at our heartstrings in each of her songs. Every. Single. Time.

With the release of “Hello,” Adele’s 25 was expected to be nothing less than perfection, and the ten-time Grammy winner easily exceeded those expectations, though it may not sound like the same Adele from four years ago. Tracks like “Remedy” and “Million Years Ago” break your heart with the intense and raw emotion that Adele puts into her dynamic vocals. These tracks were also stripped back with little use of instruments, highlighting her extensive vocal range even more. Catchy upbeat choruses in “Send My Love” and “River Lea” contrast against the beautifully written, slowed down verses. The delicate piano melodies backed up with the rich sounds of the strings are subtle, yet strong and effective. One of the most heartbreaking lyrics is used in “When We Were Young,” which builds and builds with more emotion and power with each verse: “Let me photograph you in this light / In case it is the last time / That we might be exactly like we were / Before we realized / We were sad of getting old.” This relays Adele’s nostalgia as she reminisces a past relationship, not wanting to let go of the hope that things could return to simpler times. The meaning behind Adele’s impeccable lyrics are successfully conveyed through both delicate tunes and heart-wrenching ballads.

Adele’s vocals on 25 are strong, rich, and dynamic, resounding with such a distinct clarity full of emotion that it can bring tears to our eyes, similarly to how she did four years ago with “Someone Like You.” Freshman Rachel Henry agrees with this. “When I first heard ‘Remedy’ I legitimately cried. Her voice is so distinct and has that sound to it that can be so full of pain and heartbreak,” she stated. “Though I do think that if she had not taken the four year break, that the album would not have been as highly anticipated. ‘Hello’ is one of her best songs, but I think it may have hyped up the album too much because people are probably expecting it to sound like ‘Set Fire to the Rain,’ when her style could have changed over the past four years. Overall, Adele is one of a kind.”

It has been four years–an eternity in the music industry–since Adele has released anything, but the ten-time Grammy winner has done it again with 25, once again rising up to number one on the iTunes and Billboard charts where she belongs. Full of emotional ballads just as exposed and dynamic as past hits, “Rolling in the Deep” and “Set Fire to the Rain,” 25 will capture anyone’s heart with tracks like “Hello,” “Remedy,” and “Million Years Ago.” Delivering yet another raw and powerful album, Adele is back and better than ever. We’ll never find “someone like you,” Adele, keep capturing our hearts.