Adele has been missing for far too long from the UK scene in the eyes of both the public and the general music industry. Her long-awaited return may be only weeks away, yet the timing seems almost certain to spark a battle for the top spot in the album charts with the latest release in the ‘Now That’s What I Call Music!’ series. Surely even the multi-platinum selling Adele may have a fight on her hands against such a powerhouse in the music industry, as the lucrative Christmas period looms into full view.
Adele’s credentials
Who is likely to deliver the crucial blow?
In one corner we have the Grammy Award-winning lady from Tottenham, with over 40 million album sales already safely accumulated and a fan-base no doubt itching to get their hands on new material after a four year hiatus. Keeping the progression going from her previous albums, “19” and “21”, the new album has a working title of “25” (although she is in fact now aged 27).
Previous smash hit singles such as “Chasing Pavements”, “Rolling in the Deep” and “Someone Like You” have all reached the top three in the UK and worldwide charts. Adele can also boast a James Bond theme song on her impressive CV, although “Skyfall” did not quite emulate Sam Smith’s recent first number one from the long-running movie franchise.
It did however scoop her a much-coveted Oscar, Grammy Award and Golden Globe.
Interesting timing for album release
Yet it still seems an intriguing time to be contemplating bringing out her first album since 2011, when “21” propelled Adele into mega-stardom and cemented her standing globally. Many observers expect “25” to go on release on 20th November, the same date chosen for the compilation album, “Now! 92”.
One Direction and Emeli Sande are among the names that have seemingly decided that a competition with Adele is best avoided, delaying their album releases despite the temptation of a potential sales goldmine over the festive period. But can “NTWICM” trump Adele in the Christmas sales?
“NTWICM” forms strong competition
It seems as though they have been around forever, amassing sales of a staggering 100 million copies across the world since the initial album back in 1983.
Adopting a two-disc format and featuring many of the recent chart hits, theirs is (almost) a sure-fire means of success. Their earlier compilations this year have already accounted for around 2.5 million sales, far more than the best by a single artist and seemingly bucking the trend away from albums to music streaming services.
Adele’s new album
Adele has previously made assurances that the new album needed to be “good enough” before it was released. She suggested to Q- magazine back in 2011 that it would be “acoustic and piano-led”, although there has been plenty of time since then for several adjustments to refine and adjust the final product. Her desire to be involved in the writing, recording and production of the album probably explains the time-frames involved.
The precise content seems to have been a guarded secret. But the rumour mill suggests that she has been collaborating with the likes of:
- Pharrell Williams (after “Despicable Me 2” he’s permanently “Happy”)
- Danger Mouse (who produced the Gorillaz second album)
- Tobias Jesso Jr (Adele tweeted her support for his song “How Could You Babe”)
- Ryan Tedder (who co-wrote “Rumour Has It” on “21”).
Lady Gaga has also been mentioned along with Beyonce, although those potential collaborations may be for the future.
It promises to be an exciting period in the charts whatever the final outcome.
