Adele felt ‘frightened’ to make new music as she owed it to fans to ‘unlock door’ to mental health

She has finally released her first music in five years with new single Easy On Me. 

And speaking candidly about her new record, Adele admits she was ‘frightened’ to make new music, but is ‘really proud’ of the material she’s produced for her upcoming album titled 30. 

The award-winning singer has revealed she bares her soul on her new record, as it reflects the ‘inner turmoil’ she felt following the breakdown of her marriage, with Adele admitting she was forced to ‘unlock’ the door to her mental health. 

Appearing on BBC Radio 2 on Friday morning, Adele confessed she ‘lost sight’ of making music while going through her divorce, but it helped her to come to terms with how she was feeling. 

Adele split from ex-husband Simon Konecki, who she shares eight-year-old son Angelo with, in 2019 and ahead of her first single, Easy On Me, from her upcoming album, dropping, she confirmed the record would reflect the split. 

Speaking honestly about the recording process, Adele told host Zoe Ball: ‘It was bloody hard work to make. 

‘I was singing things I didn’t even realise I was feeling or thinking, but I’m really proud of it.’

Back to her best: The singer, 33, appeared on a slew of radio interviews on Friday morning to speak about her new single that dropped at midnight

New release: Easy On Me is her first music in five years and the first track from her upcoming album titled 30

She continued: ‘I can’t unlock a key to the door with my mental health and take it with me, I’ve got to leave it in the door for everyone else… I’m in a strong place to put that vulnerability out… I’m really proud of it.’  

Having previously described her divorce as the ‘most turbulent period of her life’, Adele confessed: ‘I feel like I lost sight and lost the appreciation of what a gift it is to make music. 

‘I got a bit frightened of it for a while, but it really took care of me. Not just making this record, my own record, but diving back into old records of other people’s that I loved; discovering new artists on Soundcloud or whatever. It brought so much joy to my life being able to listen to music and wail at the top of my lungs along to me own bloody songs as I was writing them.

‘ I don’t know what my outlet would have been had I not had it… It was bloody hard work to make emotionally.’

Adele credited one of the record’s producers for really pushing her to dig into her emotions, while penning the tracks for 30. 

‘It would start with five, six hour therapy sessions and he would get a feeling out of me that I had no idea was even in me; and then I’d leave at the end of the day with a song about that feeling,’ she revealed. 

‘He would push me and say, “I don’t believe you,” or, “you can do better than that.”‘

Easy On Me is the first record to be released from her album 30, with Adele revealing it was also the first track she wrote for the album – which has been inspired by Goldfrapp, The Carpenters and Elton John.  

She revealed: ‘There were three options for the first single, very different all of them. 

‘I got very into Goldfrapp and I was like, “I can do this music too!” There’s another one that’s very 70s, piano, like The Carpenters and Elton. 

Honest: In the emotional track, Adele opens up about the ‘inner turmoil’ she felt going through her divorce and said new album helped ‘unlock’ the door to her mental health

Candid: Adele said she felt she owed it to the fans to let them see how she was feeling during one of the most ‘turbulent’ periods of her life

‘In the end it was Easy On Me because its got this soaring chorus and it just felt like a “me” song. Having been away so long, I felt like this is what people were waiting for.’

Adele continued: ‘Last time on 25 [previous album], it was obvious, [the first single] it was Hello. 

‘Easy On Me was the first song I wrote for the [new] album, so it’s really beautiful that it ended up being the first song I released.’  

She also said of her musical comeback: ‘I’m feeling good, feeling very ready. I hoped it would come out last year, but here we are.’

Easy On Me was released at midnight on Friday, with the official music video already racking up over 50million views on YouTube. 

Fans flooded to social media to react to the powerful ballad, with many revealing they were left crying hysterically at Adele’s moving vocals.   

The single went down a storm with fans who took to Twitter to claim it was giving them ‘goosebumps’ and making them ‘sob’ – with one going as far to claim it made them want to get a divorce themselves.

The lyrics include the lines, ‘We’re both so deeply stuck in our ways, you can’t deny how hard I’ve tried. I changed who I was to put you both first,’ as well as, ‘Go easy on me. I was still a child, didn’t get the chance to feel the world around me, had no time to choose, what I chose to do, so go easy on me…

‘I had good intentions and high hopes but I know it now probably doesn’t even show.’ 

Fans voiced their approval on social media, with one simply penning: ‘Adele’s new song = goosebumps! Never in doubt of that queen!’ 

Another agreed: ‘Goosebumps listening to that new Adele drop. What a beautiful song man!’

A third chimed in: ‘Literally goosebumps all over, Adele is just incredible! Literally goosebumps all over my body!!’

Another joked, ‘Currently crying and throwing up at this new Adele!’ as someone else agreed: ‘Adele really got us single ass people crying over a breakup that never happened!’ 

Adele has also confirmed her album 30 is scheduled for release on November 19. 

Announcing her album just days earlier, Adele released a statement via social media that read: ‘I was certainly nowhere to near where I’d hoped to be when I first started it nearly 3 years ago.

‘Quite the opposite actually. I rely on routine and consistency to feel safe, I always have. And yet there I was knowingly – willingly even, throwing myself into a maze of absolute mess and inner turmoil! 

‘I’ve learned a lot of blistering home truths about myself along the way. I’ve shed many layers but also wrapped myself in new ones.

‘Discovered genuinely useful and wholesome materials to lead with, and I felt like I’ve finally found my feeling again. I’d go as far to say that I’ve never felt this peaceful in my life.’ 

Comeback: Adele revealed Easy On Me was the first track she wrote for her new album, so felt it was the right track to release first 

Beauty: She said, ”Easy On Me was the first song I wrote for the [new] album, so it’s really beautiful that it ended up being the first song I released’

Highly-anticipated: Adele’s new album 30 is set for release next month on November 19

Explaining that she now felt in a good place about releasing her album, the singer went on to thank her friends for staying by her side as she struggled with a broken heart.

She continued: ‘And so, I’m ready to finally put this album out. It was my ride or die throughout the most turbulent period of my life. When I was writing it, it was my friend who came over with a bottle of wine and a takeaway to cheer me up.

‘My wise friend who always gives the best advice. Not to forget the one who’s wild and says “It’s your Saturn babes f**k it, you only live once”.

‘The friend who’d stay up all night and just hold my while I’d sob relentlessly not knowing why. The get up and go friend who would pick me up and take me out somewhere I said I didn’t want to go but just wanted to get me out the house for some vitamin D.

Former flames: Adele and charity CEO Simon Konecki, 47, announced they were going their separate ways in April 2019, with Adele filing court documents five months later (pictured in 2012) 

‘That friend who snuck in and left a magazine with a face mask and some bath salts to make me feel loved while inadvertently reminding me not only what month it actually was but that I should probably exercise some self care.

‘And then that friend who no matter what, checked in on me even thought I’d stopped checking in with them because I’d become so consumed by my own grief. I’ve painstakingly rebuilt my house and my heart since then and this album narrates it. Home is where the heart is x.’

Adele and charity CEO Simon announced they were going their separate ways in April 2019, with Adele filing court documents five months later.

The couple – who dated for seven years and were married for two – co-parent their son Angelo, eight.

Their divorce was finalised in March this year, and Simon is believed to live in one of the three houses on Adele’s Beverly Hills compound so that he can be close to Angelo.

Release: Adele confirmed the album’s release date and title alongside a lengthy note she shared on Instagram which explained how she finally felt ready to release her music