I have been listening to Adele since I was in Class 10, when Rolling In The Deep was playing on all radio stations and me and my friends used to think we could sing as well as she can. But at the time my teenage self did not have enough real-life experiences to grapple with the magnitude of her lyrics and the meaning that they conveyed.

But this year, her songs made more sense and brought a bittersweet joy. Her latest album, 30, is one of her most vulnerable and brave albums. I can say this now because of whatever little experience of adulthood I have gained in the last few years.

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What also fascinates me about Adele’s body of work is that as she ages, she owns up to her mistakes and shows how with age you may not always become wiser, but perhaps you can articulate your mistakes in a more eloquent way.

Especially after two years of pandemic, and maybe we are looking at some more of it, I have learnt to smile at uncertainty, and just hold on and go easy on those around me because we all are going through life and loss.

I will leave you with these lyrics of one of my current favourite Adele tracks hoping that they may make you smile too:

Sometimes loneliness is the only rest we get
(Just hold on, just hold on)
And the emptiness actually lets us forget
(Just hold on, just hold on)
Sometimes forgiveness is easiest in secret
(Just hold on, just hold on, just hold on, just hold on)  

— Hold On, Adele