New Adele Album '25' Is On the Way

Monday may be Adele’s 26th birthday, but it’s her fans who got a present. It’s official: Adele’s third studio album will be released at some point in 2014. Also, it’s probably going to be called, 25. Woo hoo! We finally have some sort of confirmation from the singer herself! On Sunday, Adele took to Twitter to say, “Bye bye 25… See you again later in the year x.” If you haven’t been following along, Adele’s two previous albums, 19 and 21, were both named after the age at which she wrote the majority of the material.

Adele’s Sunday announcement is a major relief for fans who have been eagerly awaiting a new album from the 10-time Grammy Award winner since 2012. So far, Adele has been fairly tight-lipped about the upcoming project, telling the Daily Mail in February of 2013 that she was just as anxious to hear her new music as we were — she was just waiting for some inspiration to strike. "[The songs will] come when they're ready, and when I've got something to sing about," she said.

We know that Adele has reportedly worked with people like Paul Epworth (“Rolling in the Deep”), Ryan Tedder (“Rumour Has It”), Diane Warren, and even Phil Collins on new material, but otherwise, information on the new album has been pretty scarce. Let’s hope this latest tweet is a sign that Adele’s going to be a lot more forthcoming from here on out! I’m more than ready for her to serve us another “Someone Like You."

To celebrate her birthday AND to commemorate the confirmation that her new album will be in our hot little hands at some point this year, let’s take a look back at some of Adele's most memorable and most impressive live performances. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned being an Adele fan since 2008, it’s that I never tire of hearing the songstress’ incredible voice.

Billboard, June 2008: "Chasing Pavements"

Before Adele was a worldwide sensation, she stopped by Billboard's New York offices in June of 2008 to perform what would eventually become her breakout hit, "Chasing Pavements." Check out how young she looks! Adele told Billboard during the session, "I just used to sing because I liked it — I still sing 'cause I like it — but I never thought it would get me anywhere." My, how wrong she was!

Live from the Artist's Den, January 2011: "Turning Tables"

"Turning Tables" is probably my favorite song on 21. This particular performance of the song is a wonderful showcase of Adele's unparalleled, raw emotional power.

Live on Letterman, April 2011: "Make You Feel My Love"

Adele's rendition of Bob Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love" is simple, understated, and absolutely stunning. She does my favorite version of the song (with an honorable mention going to Kelly Clarkson's also excellent cover).

Live at the Royal Albert Hall, September 2011: "Someone Like You"

Adele gets a little emotional during what I consider to be her best performance of "Someone Like You." It's unclear if the song's heavy lyrics got to her or if she was just overwhelmed by the sound of over 5,000 adoring fans belting out the chorus at the top of their lungs. Something tells me it was probably a combination of both.

54th Annual Grammy Awards, February 2012: "Rolling in the Deep"

The acoustic introduction to this "Rolling in the Deep" performance gives me chills. Also, check out the 2:35 mark where Adele makes a small lyric change, singing, "You could've had this all," gesturing to her bodacious body. Spicy! Adele was definitely feeling herself during this performance, that's for sure!

85th Academy Awards, February 2013: "Skyfall"

Adele's first live performance of the latest James Bond theme was a total knockout. Adele has won both an Academy Award AND a Grammy Award for her work on the song. Phew.

I don't know about you, but revisiting all of these amazing performances has me enormously hyped for Adele's new album. The singer's "See you again later in the year" comment makes me think that she's eying a fourth quarter release, so, unfortunately, we still have a ways to go. I never thought I'd say this, but: hurry up and be over, spring and summer! The Adele revolution is almost upon us.

Image: kalifornian-kray/tumblr