Hello

The lead single from 25, this was released on October 23, 2015. The song title is apt, as it marks Adele's return to music after a three-year hiatus.

The epic ballad was written by Adele and Greg Kurstin (Pink's "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)," Sia's "Chandelier"), who also produced the song. It appears to continue the theme of Adele's previous album, 21, which was a breakup record, but this time it's the singer who has broken someone's heart: Hello from the other side I must've called a thousand times To tell you I'm sorry, for everything that I've done But when I call you never seem to be home On the surface Adele appears to be trying to get in touch with a former lover. However, despite her reputation for breakup anthems, Adele told Ryan Seacrest she is not addressing anyone specifically. "I have a little curiosity about my past now that I'm a grown up," the 25 singer explained. "We're not kids anymore and stuff like that. It's kind of a hello to all my old friends, all the relationships I've had, all my old teachers, my little me when I was 7 or 8, and also a bit of a hello to all my fans because I've been gone for so long."

The music video was filmed in the countryside near Montreal and directed by Canadian actor and director Xavier Dolan (Mommy, Tom at the Farm). The clip features Adele picking over the pieces of a failed relationship. Tristan "Mack" Wilds (AKA Michael Lee from The Wire and Dixon Wilson from 90210) plays her ex in flashbacks. Speaking to the LA Times, Xavier Dolan, described the video as "highly unoriginal." He added: "The lyrics are 'Hello, it's me' and then you see someone picking up a phone. I'm not good at imagining super-conceptual videos. I just thought it would be nice to have her walk around the house and make phone calls and end up in a forest, with maybe some flashbacks in it." The clip shows Adele using an old fashioned flip-phone, leaving fans wondering why the star does not have a smartphone. "It drives me crazy," Dolan said regarding the chatter on social media about the device. "I could see the GIFs on Twitter. I'm like, 'guys, get over it. It doesn't matter.' But the real explanation is that I never like filming modern phones or cars. They're so implanted in our lives that when you see them in movies you're reminded you're in reality." "If you see an iPhone or a Toyota in a movie, they're anti-narrative, they take you out of the story," he added. "If I put an iPhone or a modern car in a movie it feels like I'm making a commercial."