Adele's first album, 19, is of the soul genre, with lyrics describing heartbreak and relationship. Her success occurred simultaneously with several other British female soul singers, with the British press dubbing her a new Amy Winehouse. This was described as a third British Musical Invasion of the US. However, Adele called the comparisons between her and other female soul singers lazy, noting "we're a gender, not a genre". AllMusic wrote that "Adele is simply too magical to compare her to anyone."
Her second album, 21, shares the folk and soul influences of her debut album, but was further inspired by the American country and Southern blues music to which she had been exposed during her 2008–09 North American tour An Evening with Adele. Composed in the aftermath of the singer's separation from her partner, the album typifies the near dormant tradition of the confessional singer-songwriter in its exploration of heartbreak, self-examination, and forgiveness. Having referred to 21 as a "break-up record",
Adee labelled her third
studio album, 25, a "make-up record", adding it was about
"Making up for lost time. Making up for everything I ever did and never
did." Her yearning for her old self, her nostalgia, and melancholy about
the passage of time, is a feature of 25, with Adele stating, "I've had a
lot of regrets since I turned 25. And sadness hits me in different ways than it
used to. There's a lot of things I don't think I'll ever get 'round to
doing."
