Adele – Hello

Released on October 23, 2015, as the lead single from her third studio album 25, “Hello” marked Adele’s highly anticipated return to music after a four-year hiatus following the massive success of 21. Written by Adele and producer Greg Kurstin at Metropolis Studios in London, the piano-driven ballad with soul influences explores themes of nostalgia, regret, and the desire for reconciliation—both with a former lover and with herself.

The song emerged from a deeply personal place for Adele during her time away from the spotlight. As she explained in interviews, “Hello” deals with seeking forgiveness and reconnecting with who she was, reflecting the maturity and growth she experienced during her break. The collaboration with Greg Kurstin produced a restrained yet powerful arrangement that placed her commanding vocals at the forefront, allowing the emotional weight of the lyrics to resonate fully.

“Hello” didn’t just return Adele to the charts—it shattered records. The song became the first track in history to sell more than one million digital copies in a single week in the United States. It topped the charts in a record-setting 30 countries and debuted at number one in the UK with 333,000 combined sales, making it the biggest chart debut in three years. By the end of 2015, the song had sold 12.3 million copies worldwide, establishing itself as one of the best-selling digital singles of all time.

The music video, directed by acclaimed Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan, became a cultural phenomenon in its own right. The cinematic visual broke records by achieving over 23 million views within its first 24 hours on Vevo, smashing the previous record. Dolan’s intimate direction perfectly complemented the song’s emotional narrative, featuring stunning cinematography that captured the weight of memory and loss.

Critics universally praised “Hello” for its emotional depth and Adele’s masterful vocal performance. Reviewers highlighted how the song’s focus on personal details matched her combination of vocal power and restraint, calling it a beautiful meditation on loss and regret that connects with memories every listener holds. Rolling Stone ranked it at number six on its year-end list of the 50 best songs of 2015, cementing its place among the year’s most important releases.

The song’s impact was recognized across the music industry with numerous prestigious awards. At the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, “Hello” swept three major categories: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance. This achievement made Adele the first artist in Grammy history to win the “Big Three” awards—Album, Record, and Song of the Year—twice in her career. Additional honors included British Single of the Year at the Brit Awards, Top Selling Song at the Billboard Music Awards, and seven MTV Video Music Award nominations, including Video of the Year and Best Female Video.

“Hello” proved that traditional songwriting and raw emotional authenticity could not only survive but dominate in the streaming era. The song reignited mainstream interest in piano-driven ballads and demonstrated that genuine artistry could cut through the noise of modern pop music. More than just a successful comeback single, “Hello” established itself as one of the defining tracks of the 2010s—a timeless piece that continues to resonate with listeners around the world, showcasing Adele at the height of her powers as both a vocalist and storyteller.

The opening lyric, “Hello, it’s me” is the name of a Todd Rundgren song about a different kind of aching conversation – in that one Rundgren is breaking up with a girl.

The 25 album is taking up plenty of space in the Guinness Book of Records. It sold a whopping 3.38 million copies in its first seven days of release, setting a new record for the biggest single sales week since Nielsen began tracking sales in 1991. We said bye bye bye to the previous record holder NSYNC, whose No Strings Attached long player sold 2,416,000 units during its first three and a half days in stores in March 2000 (it was released on a Thursday and only counted three days of sales during its debut week).

25 also sold a million copies in two separate weeks in the US, the first album to achieve such a feat.

In the UK 25 sold 800,307 copies in its first week, an Official Chart Company record. The album passed the previous record holder Oasis’ 1997 set Be Here Now, which sold 696,000 copies in its first seven days of release.

By its tenth day 25 had sold over one million copies in the UK breaking the Official UK Album Chart record for the fastest million-selling album ever.

“Hello” – Single by Adele from the album 25
Released 23 October 2015
Label XL Columbia
Songwriters Adele Adkins and Greg Kurstin
Producer Greg Kurstin
Charted No..1 in US, UK, Sweden, Italy, Mexico, Greece, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Hungary, Romania, Ireland