“Hello”
Writers: Adele Adkins Greg Kurstin
Original Release Date: October 23, 2015
Hello, it’s me, talking about Adele and post-hardcore ballads.
When Adele burst back onto the scene with her latest album, 25, “Hello” was the number one song everyone was singing. There’s no denying that woman has some serious vocal power, along with the unique ability to make you cry no matter what kind of mood you’re in. The simple piano is all that’s needed to let her pipes take center stage—and when she belts out the chorus, you can’t help but feel a little shiver down your spine. As a follow-up to her previous single, “Someone Like You”, “Hello” focuses on themes of regret and nostalgia…and whether or not you can relate to them, by the time the song is over, you end up with tears in your eyes.
If you look at Fame on Fire’s YouTube page, most of their videos seem to be covers, and, from what I’ve heard, they do an impressive job of making popular songs their own. In this case, “Hello” is given a pop rock treatment—alongside the piano, there’s a hint of violin in the verses, and the instrumentation builds up until it explodes in the chorus. It has the feel of a rock ballad, or something post-hardcore like Crown the Empire, while still keeping the same theatrical flavor of Adele’s original.
No one can really compete with Adele when it comes to vocals, so while Fame on Fire did an admirable job, their cover isn’t quite as chills-inducing as the original.