love.adele.

Love. L-O-V-E. Read it. Spell it. Say it. Easy enough, right?

Now feel it. C’mon, feel it. What emotions come to mind?

Passion.

Fulfillment.

Happiness.

Pain.

Better yet, who comes to mind?

A significant other.

A maternal figure.

A platonic friend.

A past lover.

Now define it. Plato spent his whole life trying to comprehend the meaning of agape. Chances are, we will too. But for now, this complex four-letter word unifies us, blankets us in a cloak of vulnerability. One minute we think we have it, and the next moment, it’s gone. Poof. Just like that. The loss leaves us disillusioned. Confused. Shattered. But time is on our side. It heals us, leads us back to square one. And so the search resumes. We’re stronger each time, more settled, more ourselves.

But this post isn’t really about love. Not really, anyway. It’s about acknowledging a young vocalist who’s managed to cross cultures with her raw talent—a talent that has earned her six Grammy nominations and unwavering cross-generational appeal. She sings about love, yes. And loss, yes, that too. But somehow, her tracks are anything but cliché. More accurately, they’ve left us spellbound and hungry for more. We feel the pain of every verse, the power of every refrain, and the gut-wrenching realization that her reality is our déjà vu.

Regrets and mistakes

They are memories made

Who would have known

How bittersweet

This would taste?

ADELE. A-D-E-L-E. Read it. Spell it. Say it.

Now feel it. Have the chills yet? If not, you haven’t listened hard enough.