1st single - Hello
2nd single - When We Were Young
3rd single - Send My Love (To Your New Lover)
4th single - whatever she wants; something that closes out the era
I would go with Water Under The Bridge for 3rd single and then Send My Love more of a summer single then end with one of the ballads or Sweetest Devotion
Okay, I had time to dissect the album. Here are ratings:
1. Hello - 7/10 (such a safe single but it makes perfect since in hindsight)
2. Send My Love (To Your New Lover) - 7/10 (don't get the hate for this song from fans but I also don't love it. I can see it working as a single and making people see a different side to Adele)
3. I Miss You - 9.5/10 (this song is CRAZY. It would not work as a single, but it's a damn good sexy jam that I didn't see coming from Adele).
4. When We Were Young - 9.5/10 (I love the melody, lyrics and vocal. I can see why Adele loved it so much)
5. Remedy - 6.5/10 (This song is actually not bad, but it's more or less what we expect from a Ryan/Adele collaboration. It's whatever)
6. Water Under The Bridge - 7.5/10 (a cute little bop, nothing special outside of that, tho)
7. River Lea - 8/10 (a strong anthem. It deserves more praise from the public)
8. Love In the Dark - 6/10 (such a whatever track. Not bad. Not great. Just there)
9. Million Years Ago - 8/10 (one of the better written songs on the album and her voice soars)
10. All I Ask - 7.5/10 (this one was a grower for me. I was hoping for an up tempo funk song from Bruno and Adele, but this reminds me a lot of Mariah during her powerhouse days)
11. Sweetest Devotion - 7.5/10 (I really like this. The songwriting is clunky, which knocks it down a couple notches (the whole explosion line is so weird when reading it on paper), but the '96 aura saves it. A very nostalgic feel from the period)
I still need a few days to assess the bonus tracks, which were good at first listen. But this album is NOT miles behind 19 or 21. The only thing I can say is that those albums had more of a direction and this just feels like a collection of songs. I do believe that she should take more risks, but doing a risky album after 21 when expectations in terms of success were at an all-time high wouldn't have been smart. You have to follow up your previous era commercially before you can serve "risky" material. "I Miss You" and "Send My Love" are starts. She's taking baby steps. Album #4 is where she can totally switch it up, regardless if the material isn't well-received. If 25 holds up after the massive hype (which I do expect to happen), then she doesn't have anything to really fear in the future. Not many artists can say that they were able to have two massive eras (after a successful debut).