If there is one thing Adele can make you do, it’s cry.
The reclusive British singer pops up every five years or so with a brand new album that will absolutely make you feel things.
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Sometimes she sings about being in love and you feel happy and hopeful, but more times than most, Adele is singing about a broken heart -- and no one sings about heartbreak better than Adele these days.
Her highly anticipated fourth album, “30,” is out Friday, and just from reading her recent interviews and hearing the lead single “Easy On Me,” it’s her most devastating album yet. She went through a divorce and learned to love herself, and the songs reflect her journey at age 30.
So, in the spirit of needing a good cry every once an a while, let’s count down Adele’s most heartbreaking songs from her last three albums. There’s no doubt that some of these new songs from “30″ will break into the top 10, but since it’s new and we’re probably not emotionally ready to process these lyrics, we’ll dive into her classics.
10. ‘All I Ask’
Starting out the countdown is “All I Ask,” a song Adele wrote with Bruno Mars. Adele goes through multiple key changes In this song, all while asking if she will ever fall in love again after breaking it off with someone she’s in love with.
What you should drink while listening: Cabernet
Lyrics that will make you cry: “‘Cause what if I never love again?”
9. ‘Daydreamer’
The first song on Adele’s first album is “Daydreamer,” a song that Adele has said is about being in love with a boy who will never love her back because he’s gay. Adele loves everything about this man, and hopes she can find one just like him. It’s kind of heartbreaking as she realizes that he will never be able to love her in the way she wants him to.
What you should drink while listening: Vodka and tonic
Lyrics that will make you cry: “And he will feel like he’s been there for hours / And you can tell that he’ll be there for life.”
8. ‘Hello’
It was the song that brought us back into Adele’s orbit after many years off, and the world had calmed down a bit since “21″ became a phenomenon.
In “Hello,” Adele regrets how she ended things with someone she was once in love with, and writes about how she could patch things up, but he won’t return her calls. If you’re ever been ghosted, this one is for you.
What you should drink while listening: Whiskey, straight up
Lyrics that will make you cry: “Hello from the outside / At least I can say that I’ve tried / To tell you I’m sorry for breaking your heart / But it don’t matter, it clearly doesn’t tear you apart anymore.”
7. ‘Take It All’
This deep cut on Adele’s “21″ is often overlooked for the more popular songs, but there’s no denying that “Take It All” is a gut-wrencher. Adele sings about how her ex could walk away from her. It’s a plea for him not to leave, and it’s heartbreaking.
What you should drink while listening: Hot tea and whiskey
Lyrics that will make you cry: “Just take it all with my love, take it all with my love.”
6. ‘Turning Tables’
This standout from “21″ is when Adele was in the eye of the storm during her breakup with her boyfriend that inspired the album. They’re both mad at each other and turning the tables to blame the other person. It’s that point in your breakup where you’re so mad that you feel like crying.
What you should drink while listening: Fireball
Lyrics that will make you cry: “I won’t let you close enough to hurt me.”
5. ‘Make You Feel My Love’
Now, this song isn’t necessarily one that will make you sad, but it will certainly turn on the waterworks. Adele covered this Bob Dylan song on her first album, and she absolutely made it her own. It’s a song about being so in love that you will do absolutely anything to make this person love you back.
What you should drink while listening: Champagne
Lyrics that will make you cry: “Go to the ends of this Earth for you / To make you feel my love.”
4. ‘Don’t You Remember’
Adele went a little bit country with this song, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s one of her saddest songs ever. “Don’t You Remember” tells the story of Adele pleading with her ex-boyfriend to remember the good times they had. She even admits her faults, but it’s no use to him.
What you should drink while listening: A 22 oz. draft beer
Lyrics that will make you cry the most: “When will I see you again?”
3. ‘When We Were Young’
This is the absolute best song from “25,” but it’s also the most heartbreaking. Adele looks back on her life and can’t believe how much has happened, and she almost reminisces about when one of her past relationships was at its best. It’s a song about growing old, but being a little bit scared of what that brings.
What you should drink while listening: A cold glass of Pinot Grigio
Lyrics that will make you cry the most: “Let me photograph you in this light / In case it is the last time / That we might be exactly like we were / Before we realized / We were scared of getting old / It made us restless.”
2. ‘One and Only’
This is another standout from “21″ in which Adele swallows her pride and lets it all hang out for this man she was so deeply in love with. She’s practically begging him to bring her back into his life out of total desperation. The lyrics are cutting and her vocals are just out of this world.
What you should drink while listening: A still vodka martini
Lyrics that will make you cry the most: “I know it ain’t easy giving up your heart.”
1. ‘Someone Like You’
I mean, come on. You knew this was going to take the No. 1 spot. This is the ultimate break-up song, with every lyric cutting you like a knife. It’s not even like Adele is mad when she sings this song, either. She knows it’s over and this is her surrendering with a white flag. She knows it’s done and it’s time to move on.
What you should drink while listening: Anything. As long as it’s strong.
Lyrics that will make you cry the most: All of them, but the most heartbreaking is “Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead.”
Honorable mentions: “Chasing Pavements,” “Easy On Me,” “Sweetest Devotion.”
Now go forth, listen to “30,” and bawl your eyes out. You can find all these songs in the playlist below. Happy crying!
