After four years of radio silence, including two years of recording, Adele has finally released her new album, “25.”

The long-awaited third record from the breakout star was released Friday, Nov. 20.

The first single, “Hello,” was released on Oct. 23, along with the news of the album and a “Rolling Stone” cover piece.

Adele has shied away from the spotlight since her sudden rise to fame in 2011, with the release of the critical and commercial smash “21.” She had a baby soon after the release of “21” and focused on motherhood for a few years.

The album is, for all intents and purposes, as good as “21,” if not better in certain ways. Adele’s voice is, as always, flawless with every note and she conveys any emotion with ease and sometimes several at once, like on the first track, “Hello.”

“Hello” is an instant hit, soaring to the top of the charts and making waves on the radio and on YouTube. The track makes the listener suffer through loss, sadness and nostalgia all in a five-minute span: this sense of emotional disruption has become an Adele trademark and is a familiar start to the new album.

“When We Were Young” will be another classic off the album, a reflective ballad that showcases Adele’s powerhouse vocals. “I Miss You” and “Water Under The Bridge” trap the most pain on the album with such clarity.

“All I Ask,” a collaboration with Bruno Mars, is a much more expected track, classic and full of melancholy vocals that could match any song on “21.” This album, however, shows a whole new Adele when compared to “21.”

Adele is no longer the wronged, angry woman she was on “21” and is more nostalgic on “25.” It is a familiar but new sensation that will continue to keep Adele at the top. 

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