By Caroline Palermo and Olivia Valkner, Staff Writers

Adele has made a comeback with the release of her new single “Easy on Me” and its accompanying music video. 

This is the lead single for her upcoming album coming out later this month. The song and accompanying music video feel like a warm hug from the singer’s vulnerable yet powerful voice.  

The release of the single truly snuck up on us, because we forgot that Adele lives in London and neglected to consider the possibility of her releasing it in London time. 

It was a real debate if we should wait until Friday morning to blast her new song or stay up until midnight to listen to Adele’s dynamic voice. In a moment of fact-checking, however, we discovered that this decision had already been made by Adele — because the single had been released in the United States 76 minutes prior. Yay, time zones!

At the moment of our discovery, we knew we had to scramble to make our music video premier special. We immediately pulled up the music video, threw a bag of Target popcorn in the microwave and turned off the lights in preparation for the beginning of our sad girl autumn. 

And as the final scene faded, we knew there was only one logical thing to do: Watch it again.

The music video features Adele singing the powerfully insightful ballad to herself as she drives away from the same house featured in “Hello.” In this video, however, she’s moving out of it. 

On her drive, she passes a newly-wedded couple, a truck filled with antique furniture and sheet music and a family in a roadside trailer celebrating the holidays. To each of these passersby, Adele smiles and waves as they drive away from her. 

The music video showcases Adele moving on to the next phase of her life in a more straightforward way; her driving away mirrors her explanation in the second verse of why her past relationship failed. 

It feels as though the song is a personal reminder to go easy on herself. She is not only begging the world around her to be patient with her and her emotions but also reminding herself that she must do the same. 

Simply put, the song is about treating yourself with love while moving on and hoping that the world can allow you to do the same.

The single comes at the most perfect time during the semester: when things start piling up and you are looking at the mountain of work that you have ahead of you before finals. While you might have the urge to yell “Go easy on me” at your professors, we encourage you to speak those words to yourself first and foremost. 

She has effectively recaptured the hearts of all and truly left us sitting in a puddle of tears.  Her voice holds so much power and wist, and it is clearly heard every time she opens her mouth.

From these music aficionados to everyone else, you already know that we will be playing this song on repeat all autumn long.