Adele's 25 is almost here, but before the album arrives on Friday, the singer has blessed us with "When We Were Young." We got a taste of the song in the preview for Adele's 60 Minutes Australia interview, but now it's here in full.
In the wistful track, which she co-wrote with Tobias Jesso Jr., Adele sings about seeing someone at a party, and says, "You look like a movie/ You sound like a song/ My God this reminds me of when we were young." She asks: "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/It made us restless." While, sure, the lyrics are melancholy, "When We Were Young" doesn't feel as rooted in pain and heartbreak as some of Adele's other work. That's doesn’t mean it's not moving. A recent New York Times profile of the singer, opens with Adele declaring "I’m not going to cry" just after practicing the song.
Speaking about the writing process, she told SiriusXM: "It was kind of based on us being older and being at a party kind of at this house and seeing everyone that you've ever fallen out with, everyone that you've ever loved, everyone that you've never loved."
The live video of Adele performing the song at The Church Studios is pretty straightforward. After she finishes, the singer then jokes around, pulls the microphone out of the stand, and gives us a bit of that signature Adele chuckle. Watch here:
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