25 (Adele album)

25 is the third studio album from English singer-songwriter Adele, arriving on 20 November 2015 through XL Recordings and Columbia Records. The title reflects her state of mind at age 25, and she has described it as a "make-up record." According to an interview with Rolling Stone, the lyrics explore her longing for her former self, nostalgia, and sadness about time passing, alongside themes of motherhood, new love, and regret.

Unlike her earlier work, the album’s production introduces electronic elements, creative rhythms, 1980s R&B influences, and organ sounds. Four singles supported the album: "Hello" became an international number-one hit and the fastest-selling digital single in the US, moving over a million copies in its first week; "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" reached the top 10; and "When We Were Young" and "Water Under the Bridge" both charted in the top 20 across Europe and North America.

Critics praised the production and Adele’s vocals. The album debuted at number one in 32 countries and broke first-week sales records in several nations, including the UK and US. In the US, it sold 3.48 million equivalent album units in its first week—3.38 million in pure sales—marking the largest single-week sales total since Luminate Data began tracking point-of-sale purchases in 1991. It also sold over a million copies in both its second and fifth weeks. In the UK, it shifted 800,307 copies in its first week. According to Guinness World Records, the album set a first-week global record with 5.7 million sales. It was the world’s best-selling album of 2015, moving 17.4 million copies that year, and has since sold over 22 million copies worldwide, making it the fourth-best-selling album of the 21st century, the second-best-selling of the 2010s (behind her own 21), and one of the best-selling albums of all time. Following 21, it earned a Diamond certification from the RIAA, making Adele the only artist of the 2010s with two Diamond-certified albums. In the UK, it ranks as the third-best-selling album of the 21st century and is among the best-selling albums in UK history.

Journalists credited 25 with reviving interest in physical formats over downloads or streaming, at a time when physical sales were declining. The album won the 2016 Brit Award for British Album of the Year and the 2017 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.