Easy on Me

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For other uses, see Easy on Me (disambiguation).
"Easy on Me"
A black and white picture of Adele's eyes in a rearview mirror
Single by Adele
from the album 30
Released 15 October 2021 (2021-10-15)
Length 3:44
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Greg Kurstin
Script error: The function "ucfirst" does not exist. singles chronology
"Water Under the Bridge"
(2016)		 "Easy on Me"
(2021)
Music video
"Easy on Me" on YouTube

"Easy on Me" is a song by English singer Adele, from her upcoming fourth studio album, 30 (2021). It was released on 15 October 2021 through Columbia Records as the lead single from 30, marking it Adele's first release in five years. "Easy on Me" was produced by American record producer Greg Kurstin, who also co-wrote the song with Adele. A minimally produced ballad, the song is set to a prominent, sombre piano, propelled by sparse bass beats. Expressing themes of nostalgia, regret, and forgiveness, the song's lyrics represent Adele's plea to her son, in which she details her struggles with her dissolved marriage and requests him to be kinder.

Music critics reviewed the song positively, with praise towards its poignant lyrics and emotional vocals, though some opined it did not match the heights of her previous singles. Commercially, the song garnered the Spotify and Amazon Music records for the most streams for a song in a day. It topped the charts in 22 countries, including the United Kingdom, and the United States, becoming Adele's third and fifth chart toppers respectively.

An accompanying music video, directed by Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan and shot in Sutton, Quebec, was released on 15 October 2021, continuing the setting established in the music video for Adele's 2015 song "Hello", where she is seen entering a furnished house. In the "Easy on Me" video, Adele vacates the house and drives off in a truck as a pile of sheet music flies out of it, littering the road.

Promotion and release

On 1 October 2021, multiple posters and projections stating "30" appeared on significant landmarks and buildings in different cities around the world.[2] Instalments of the logo were largely linked to the title of Adele's upcoming studio album.[3][4] On 4 October, the singer's social media accounts were updated for the first time in months.[5] The following day, Adele teased the song and its music video through an instrumental clip she posted on her social media.[6][7] The black-and-white teaser shows Adele putting a cassette tape into the tape deck of a truck and turning up the volume. She then drives off with the windows rolled down, while piles of sheet music fly out of the windows.[8][9] Billboard writer Gil Kaufman thought the visuals were "Adele to the core".[10] The teaser was widely compared to the music video of Adele's previous lead single, "Hello" (2015).[11] The instrumental music was described as a "piano ballad".[12] The teaser clip of the song garnered over 17 million views, becoming the most viewed clip by a female artist on Twitter.[citation needed]

During an interview with Vogue, it was revealed that long-time collaborator Greg Kurstin worked on the song.[13] The staff at Capital FM interpreted the song title as documenting the "start of a blossoming relationship".[11] On 9 October, the singer shared a 40-second preview of the song via Instagram Live.[14] "Easy on Me" was released on 15 October 2021, to all digital music platforms.[8] It marked the first single by Adele in nearly five years.[2]

Composition and lyrics

"Easy on Me" is a simplistic piano ballad[15] with bass drum beats joining halfway.[16] The song's chorus consists of its title sung in a prominently elongated melody.[17] The song is written in the key of F major with a slow tempo of 70 beats per minute.[18] Lyrically, Adele addresses her nine-year-old son in the song, explaining to him her divorce from his father and beseeching him to be "easy on [her]".[19]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
The Daily Telegraph 5/5 stars[20]
Evening Standard 5/5 stars[15]
The Guardian 3/5 stars[21]
i 4/5 stars[22]
The Independent 4/5 stars[23]
NME 5/5 stars[19]
The Times 4/5 stars[24]

Upon release, "Easy on Me" received positive reviews from music critics.[25] Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph called the song a "bold comeback single", contrasting its simple piano arrangement with the sleek power ballad production of "Hello". He said Adele possesses a heartfelt voice, one "that digs deepest into the soul of the world."[20] Evening Standard writer Jochan Embley lauded "Easy on Me" for its plaintive piano, elegant vocals, and "lilting" melodies. He said the song is a testament to Adele's resistance to pop music trends, avoiding "bombastic hyperpop or anodyne reggaeton" and staying true to her style. Nevertheless, Embley felt the song "doesn't quite match the mascara-streaked sorrow of 'Someone like You' (2011), or the soaring emotional heights of 'Hello'. But it is just about as powerful."[15]

NME's Nick Levine proclaimed "Adele's has never sounded better" than on "Easy on Me", making a comeback with a "slice of classic Adele balladry."[19] Music critic Alexandra Pollard, writing for The Independent, opined that "Easy on Me" has Adele "addressing her nine-year-old son, attempting to explain to him why she chose to take apart the life he knew." Pollard admired the "raspy" vocals, sentimental lyrics, polished sound, and the piano composition evocative of "Exile" (2020) by Taylor Swift and Bon Iver. He nevertheless found the chorus of "Easy on Me" less catchy than that of "Hello".[23] In his The Guardian review, music journalist Alexis Petridis highlighted the typical "Adele-esque" sound of the song, consisting of soulful vocals and relatable lyrics, and added that, though "Easy on Me" is not as arresting as "Someone like You", it is still better than some forgettable tracks on 25 (2015).[21]

Fiona Sturges of i hailed it as a "heartfelt, anthemic" song that puts Adele's "remarkable instrument"—her voice—at the forefront; later in the review, Sturges expressed her concern over how the song's "slightly over-produced sheen" prevents it from being more heartaching.[22] Pitchfork critic Cat Zhang wrote "Easy on Me" sticks to a classic formula, "for better or worse". Zhang praised Adele's vocal delivery, and deemed the song a "stirring ballad" even though it "isn't really treading new ground within [Adele's] own discography".[17] Dubbing it a "great tune" that is not as impressive as Adele's previous lead singles, The Times' Will Hodgkinson said "Easy on Me" is "nice and accomplished" but felt "a sheen of thoroughly American professionalism that stops the emotions from really hitting home in the way they did on "Someone like You"."[24]

Accolades

Year Ceremony Category Result Ref.
2021 People's Choice Awards The Song of 2021 Pending [26]
The Music Video of 2021 Pending [27]

Music video

File:Adele – Easy on Me (music video screenshot).png
250x250px

The accompanying music video for "Easy on Me" was filmed on 15–16 September 2021 in Quebec, and directed by Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan who had previously worked with Adele on the music video for her 2015 single "Hello". Filming took place at the Chemin Jordan and the Domaine Dumont Chapelle Ste-Agnès in Sutton, a town in southwestern Quebec,[28][29] including the same house used for "Hello".[30] The music video opens in black and white and shifts to colour halfway through, as the track's beat becomes more prominent.[16] Adele vacates the house and drives off in a furniture-filled truck,[22] past a "Sold" sign board planted by the property.[31] Numerous pages of sheet music fly out the car's back windows and scatter all over a road as she drives away.[22]

Commercial performance

Upon release, "Easy on Me" broke the all-time record for the most streamed song in a single day on Spotify with 24 million global streams as well as the record for the most streamed song in a single week with 84.3 million streams.[32] It additionally broke two Amazon Music records, the most first-day streams globally, and the most first-day Alexa requests for any song in the platform's history.[33] In the United Kingdom, it broke the record for the most streamed song in a day, with over 3.2 million streams earned.[34]

In the United States, "Easy on Me" broke the record for the most played song in the U.S. radio history and became the first song to be the most-added at five different formats (pop, adult contemporary, adult pop, adult album alternative and R&B) in a single week.[35] "Easy on Me" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 68 with only five hours of availability in the country. In that timeframe, the song garnered 3.1 million streams, 3.1 million radio audience impressions, and 14,800 digital copies sold; it marked Adele's 14th career entry on the Hot 100.[36] The following week, "Easy on Me" surged to number one on the Hot 100, becoming Adele's fifth No. 1 on the chart and her first since "Hello" in 2015/2016. With the song's move from number 68 to number one, "Easy on Me" marked the largest jump to the top spot since Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do" (2017). The song garnered 74,000 downloads, 53.9 million streams, and 65 million radio audience impressions in its second week on the Hot 100. "Easy on Me" also debuted at number four on the Radio Songs chart, becoming the highest debut on the chart since Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" (2011) debuted at number six, and reached the same position on the Adult Contemporary chart the same week.[37]

In the United Kingdom, "Easy on Me" debuted at number one on the Official Singles Chart on the week ending 28 October 2021, moving 217,300 units in its first week. It marked the highest first week sales week for a song since Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" (2017). "Easy on Me" accumulated 24 million streams in the UK in its first week, breaking the record for the most streamed song in a single week previously held by Ariana Grande's "7 Rings" (2019).[38] Elsewhere, "Easy on Me" debuted atop Australia's ARIA Singles Chart, becoming her third song to reach the top position.[39] In Germany, "Easy on Me" went straight to number one on Offizielle Deutschen Singles Charts, scoring her fourth chart-topper within Germany.[40] In Italy, "Easy on Me" debuted at number one on the FIMI Singles Chart, becoming her fifth chart-topper in the country.[41] It also debuted at number one in Ireland.[42]

Credits and personnel

Adapted from the CD single liner notes and YouTube.

Song

Video

Charts

Chart performance for "Easy on Me"
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[43] 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[44] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[45] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[46] 3
Brazil (Top 100 Brasil)[47] 72
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[48] 1
Canada AC (Billboard)[49] 4
Canada CHR/Top 40 (Billboard)[50] 13
Canada Hot AC (Billboard)[51] 7
65
Croatia (ARC 100)[52] 15
Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100)[53] 35
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[54] 1
Denmark (Tracklisten)[55] 1
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[56] 2
France (SNEP)[57] 2
Germany (Official German Charts)[58] 1
1
Greece (IFPI)[59] 3
Hungary (Single Top 40)[60] 3
Hungary (Stream Top 40)[61] 6
Iceland (Plötutíðindi)[62] 1
India (IMI)[63] 9
1
Israel (Media Forest)[64] 1
Israel (Galgalatz)[65] 6
Italy (FIMI)[66] 1
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[67] 48
Lithuania (AGATA)[68] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[69] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[70] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[71] 1
Norway (VG-lista)[72] 1
Panama (PRODUCE)[73] 25
Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[74] 73
2
Singapore (RIAS)[75] 1
Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[76] 27
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[77] 12
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[78] 1
South Africa (RISA)[79] 1
South Korea (Gaon)[80] 89
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[81] 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[82] 1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[83] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[84] 1
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[85] 6
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[86] 4
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[87] 6
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[88] 14
US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[89] 34

Certifications

Certifications for "Easy on Me"
Region Certification Sales/shipments
United Kingdom (BPI)[90] Silver 200,000

xunspecified figures based on certification alone
double-daggersales/streaming figures based on certification alone

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Easy on Me"
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
Various 15 October 2021
Columbia [6]
Italy Contemporary hit radio Sony [91]
United States 18 October 2021 Adult contemporary radio Columbia [92]
Triple A radio [93]
19 October 2021 Contemporary hit radio [94]
Russia 21 October 2021 Sony [95]
Germany 22 October 2021 CD single
  • Columbia
  • Sony
 [1]
Various November 2021 Cassette single Columbia [96]

References

Footnote

  1. ↑ CD singles of "Easy on Me" were released on retail platforms in Germany only.[1]

Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  43. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Adele – Easy on Me". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  44. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Adele – Easy on Me" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  45. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Adele – Easy on Me" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  46. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Adele – Easy on Me" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  47. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Note: In "SEMANA REFERÊNCIA" select 18/10/2021 - 22/10/2020. To access the full Top 100, click on "VER TOP 100 COMPLETO" and enter your name and email. Then enter the code you received by email.
  48. ↑ "Adele – Chart history" Canadian Hot 100 for Adele.
  49. ↑ "Adele – Chart history" Billboard Canada AC for Adele.
  50. ↑ "Adele – Chart history" Billboard Canada CHR/Top 40 for Adele.
  51. ↑ "Adele – Chart history" Billboard Canada Hot AC for Adele.
  52. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  53. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 202142 into search. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  54. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 202142 into search.
  55. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  56. ↑ "Adele: Easy on Me" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  57. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  58. ↑ "Musicline.de – Adele Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  59. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  60. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  61. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
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  66. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Adele – Easy on Me". Top Digital Download.
  67. ↑ "Adele – Chart history" Japan Hot 100 for Adele.
  68. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  69. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 43, 2021" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40
  70. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Adele – Easy on Me" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  71. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Adele – Easy on Me". Top 40 Singles.
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  74. ↑ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100.
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  76. ↑ "SNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 202142 into search. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  77. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – {{{artist}}} – {{{song}}}" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
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  82. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Adele – Easy on Me". Swiss Singles Chart.
  83. ↑ "Archive Chart: 20211022" UK Singles Chart.
  84. ↑ "Adele – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Adele.
  85. ↑ "Adele – Chart history" Billboard Adult Alternative Songs for Adele.
  86. ↑ "Adele – Chart history" Billboard Adult Contemporary for Adele.
  87. ↑ "Adele – Chart history" Billboard Adult Pop Songs for Adele.
  88. ↑ "Adele – Chart history" Billboard Pop Songs for Adele.
  89. ↑ "Adele – Chart history" Billboard Rock Airplay for Adele.
  90. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Easy On Me in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
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