We’ve been waiting four years. Adele released her off-the-charts album “21” in 2011 and, since then, we’ve been on the edge of our seats expecting another. With the announcement of “25” to be put out this November, we fell off. Her first single “Hello” has over 405 million views, and her newest “When We Were Young” already has close to 8 million from just yesterday.

From the first note, “Hello” haunts you like the “Someone Like You” lyrics, “Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead,” did. Her chorus has remnants of the richness of “Skyfall.” But there’s a fresh sound that we haven’t heard before. Adele’s older and she’s stronger. She knows a little more about life and love and a lot more about herself. “I’m in California dreaming about who we used to be / When we were younger and free / I’ve forgotten how it felt before the world fell at our feet” tells us she’s not looking through naďve eyes. And we’ve grown, too.

“When We Were Young” draws from Adele’s jazz roots. The story is soulful and nostalgic — ballad-esque — captivating so you forget where you are in real time. It’s a five-minute reminder of a person you wish you still knew. It’s a reminder of change and that forever can be held in a single moment. Her words of wisdom hit home when she belts, “Let me photograph you in this light / In case it is the last time / That we might be exactly like we were / Before we realized we were sad of getting old / It made us restless.” Like “Hello,” there seems to be a common bittersweet theme for Friday’s release.

There’s a melancholiness to Adele’s lyrics this time around. They’re sad, but there’s an expectant hope underlying that. After all, the blues is called the blues for a reason. Whatever Adele has to tell us, it’s bound to be worth heeding and listening to.