Pop artist Adele dropped her highly anticipated sophomore album 25 on November 20 and embraced rave reviews.

Four years ago, Adele released her sophomore album, 21. The record garnered critical acclaim, going decuple (10x) platinum, won numerous awards, including a Grammy for “Album of the Year,” and ended up as the highest selling musical release in 2011 and 2012.

With the release of 25, this record-breaking streak continues. The album sold 3.38 million copies in its first week; combined with the 650,000 copies already sold in its second week, Adele has sold over 4 million in pure album sales. According to Billboard, “25 is the first album to sell more than 4 million copies in a calendar year since Adele’s own 21 moved 4.41 million in 2012. In fact, the only albums to sell at least 4 million in a calendar year since 2006 have been titles by Adele.”

The sales reflect the album’s quality. In 11 songs, Adele delivers the soulful music that fans patiently waited for over the past four years. The tracklist begins with Adele’s most recent single, “Hello,” a powerful ballad about attempting to reconnect with someone from her past, and facing painful rejection. Over the past five weeks, the song rocketed to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, maintaining the spot over Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” and Drake’s “Hotline Bling.”

Other songs, such as “Send My Love to Your Lover,” “Water Under the Bridge,” “Love in the Dark,” “All I Ask,” and bonus track “Can’t Let Go” also touch on exes and broken relationships. Even listeners who have not experienced heartbreak can sense the emotion in Adele’s voice.

However, not all the songs on 25 depict heartbreak. In “I Miss You,” and “When We Were Young,” Adele describes the deep love she harbors for her significant other, while “Lay Me Down” and “ Why Do You Love Me” give listeners a sense of the intimacy they share.

Adele further delves into the other relationships in her life, writing “Remedy” and “Sweetest Devotion,” about her son, Angelo. “I wrote it about my child,” Adele said to Rolling Stone. “But I sang it for everyone that I really love. When I wrote it, I got my confidence back in my writing ‘because I believed in myself.”

Likewise, Adele sings a few songs about her personal feelings. “River Lea,” talks about Adele’s self-doubt, explaining how the insecurity holds her back from what she wants in life. In “Million Years Ago” Adele reminisces on her childhood, missing the days before stardom.

One can easily consider 25 Adele’s most solid, well-rounded work. She touches on everything from the joys of love to feelings of inadequacy. The exclusive extended version can be found at Target for $12.99. 

The Chant’s grade: A-