The Real Meaning Behind Adele's Easy On Me (With Chris Stapleton)
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Despite the fair warning given, no one was quite prepared for the album drop of the year with Adele's eagerly-anticipated "30" on November 19. Some fans did try to get ready by stocking up on tissue boxes, while others kept themselves occupied to avoid texting an ex. In either case, everyone was certainly looking forward analyzing and tearing apart each and every word of every song.
Adele did attempt to ease us into what was to come by releasing the hit single "Easy On Me" on October 15. With fans anxiously waiting to hear Adele's lyrics expressing how she coped with her divorce, the single answered some questions.
Along with the release of the "30" album, there was also a Target exclusive Deluxe Edition with three bonus tracks: "Wild Wild West," "Can't Be Together," and "Easy On Me (with Chris Stapleton)." The original "Easy On Me" single broke streaming platform records last month with 24 million plays on Spotify (via Rolling Stone). While tears already flowing, Adele decided to amp up the "sad girl autumn" vibes by releasing a second version of the single that country music fans will be especially excited about.
"Easy On Me" is a letter to Adele's son
If you're a die-hard Adele fan, chances are you stayed up till midnight to immediately dive heart-first into the "30" album track-by-track on November 19. Having been six years since her last iconic album, fans could not wait to have their hearts touched in a way that only Adele can.
A song that's already been on repeat for a month has been given a revival with the Deluxe Edition thanks to a duet version of "Easy On Me" featuring country legend Chris Stapleton (via iHeart). Adele's second collaboration with Stapleton is currently available exclusively in the Target Deluxe Edition version, and you can catch it playing every hour on all iHeart country radio stations on November 19 (via Billboard).
Released with a beautiful music video, "Easy On Me" clearly chronicles Adele's emotions throughout her divorce: "There ain't no gold in this river/That I've been washin' my hands in forever" (via Genius). In the song, Adele speaks to a feeling she explained in her interview with Oprah where she realized she was just "plodding along" and not truly happy in her life (via BBC News).
Adele shared explicitly with British Vogue that she considered this song a letter to her son, "I just felt like I wanted to explain to him, through this record, when he's in his twenties or thirties, who I am and why I voluntarily chose to dismantle his entire life in the pursuit of my own happiness." She pleads with her son to "go easy on me," while she definitely does not go easy on her fan's emotions with this moving album.