Adele is back.
Six years since her last album, the pop powerhouse returns with “Easy On Me,” the lead single off her upcoming fourth studio album 30. The emotive piano ballad, which she co-wrote with Greg Kurstin, is accompanied by a music video, directed by Xavier Dolan (“Hello”).
In the video, which starts out in black and white, she sells the same house that she used in the video for “Hello” and moves out. She drives down the street as sheet music flies out the back seat of her car. While looking in the rearview mirror, she says goodbye to her past and gets ready to embark on a new chapter.
“Go easy on me, baby / I was still a child / Didn’t get the chance to / Feel the world around me / I had no time to choose / What I chose to do,” she sings before the video turns to color.
30—the follow-up to 25—arrives Nov. 19 and was inspired by the “most turbulent period” of Adele’s life, including her split from Simon Konecki. Adele finalized her divorce from her husband of two years in March. They have a 9-year-old son, Angelo.
“I’ve learned a lot of blistering truths about myself along the way,” she told fans in an open letter. “I’ve shed many layers but also wrapped myself in new ones. Discovered genuinely useful and wholesome mentalities to lead with, and I feel like I’ve finally found my feeling again. I’d go as far as to say that I’ve never felt more peaceful in my life.”
The 12-track album, which is now available for pre-order, was produced with her frequent collaborators Greg Kurstin, Max Martin, Shellback, and Tobias Jesso Jr., as well as new collaborators Inflo and Ludwig Göransson.
“It’s sensitive for me, this record, just in how much I love it,” she told Vogue. “I always say that 21 doesn’t belong to me anymore. Everyone else took it into their hearts so much. I’m not letting go of this one. This is my album. I want to share myself with everyone, but I don’t think I’ll ever let this one go.”