So……. where were we?
Hello, it’s me. This is our first time of meeting of course so there is nothing to go over. Welcome to Press Play. It’s only fitting that the first post of this segment be titled Hello; that on its own should count as an ice breaker (hopefully). Okay I’m getting cold feet, let’s dive right into it.
Exactly four weeks and one day ago (Yes I’ve been keeping count) our Aunty Adeleoluwa Adkinsola released her latest song HELLO and we all went ballistic. Oh she who had allowed our emotions to lie fallow since 2012’s Skyfall decided it was time once again to claim her musical throne and slide straight into our hearts. And believe me from the first line, she had us eating from the palm of her hand.
Hello is a beautiful piano ballad rooted deeply in soul and R&B that spans almost five minutes. The tempo is slow and the rich lyrics are sung by a vocal master-class accompanied by a luxurious wall of sound instruments including drums which surprisingly Adele is credited for providing (our Aunty has some Afro beat in her you see!). Musically the song is sheer brilliance, showcasing the immense talents the singer is known for, but that’s not even its selling point.
The lyrics of this song are profound, heartfelt, relatable and honest. Hello is deep abeg! The song in all its glory evokes feelings of nostalgia and remorse from even the toughest of souls (yes Yoruba boys even you too). It has you reflecting on all your previous relationships including old friends, estranged family, past neighbors, ex colleagues, Instagram pages you used to stalk and Skye bank, and feeling for a couple of minutes like there is a chance for reconciliation. What’s more it does this reflection with assumption of responsibility, by taking credit and being sorry for doing the damage (Unlike the IDFWU manner in which we handle most relationships these days!). Oh! The number of couples that would still be together if someone just said sorry! (Wizkid I know you are busy so I understand and I already forgave you honey:) )
Hello has you calling up the pizza delivery guy you forgot to tip last Christmas or the banana seller whom you paid just 80 naira despite knowing you would have paid 750 for the same thing at Shoprite. The point is even for those of us who have not been blessed with passionate former flames to reminisce about, Hello takes us there, and for a split second, we feel.
Adele made the world feel and the world gave her a pat on the back. Hello has gone Platinum, broke the 24 hr Video viewing record on Vevo and became the fastest video to reach 100million views in recent times. Come on, she broke Miley Cyrus’ Wreckingball Video records while remaining fully clothed; It is safe to say Adele’s comeback was done alla perfezione.
The video was shot beautifully, characteristic of Adele, allowing the message of the song to speak for itself. There were some noteworthy showings (The Flip phone!!! And the cute guy from 90210J) but it was kept tasteful, its own Sepia color scheme provoking even more nostalgia. Social media has gone bananas over the talented song-mistress, the hit song and the video, and I dare say that in a long time it is one of the few songs that have uniformly impressed society. Everyone is talking about the song, and apparently MTN is not left out (or did Adele text me herself? *gasps*)
The most popular trend however to come out of this beautiful song is the Hello challenge. Yep you know what it is (Black and Yellow ReferenceJ). The one where people use the lyrics to assail unsuspecting hearts. Or not. It’s all over Instagram and Twitter and it has been hilarious. Here are my personal best.
Some were heart wrenching:
Some others were not so responsive
Parents were not spared either.
You can find more hilarious responses using #HelloChallenge on Twitter.
The song has gone viral and so have its lyrics; and as is common with good songs, it has now become the subject of covers by various artists including Connor Maynard and Omawumi, who put a reggae spin on things. The woman tried though, o gbiyanju.
As my first musical speculation here on press play, I’m calling it that Adele will both be nominated for and win the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance and will be a strong contender for Song of the Year come the 2016 Grammy Awards.
Her album 25 was scheduled to be released yesterday, and I can’t wait to get my hands (or ears lol) on it and give you an in depth review sometime soon. I hope you will be back.
Yours Truly,
The Girl Who Likes Music.
