Send My Love (To Your New Lover)

Background and recording

After Adele's unfruitful recording sessions with Ryan Tedder, they ended up feeling inspired and writing a track called "Remedy" during a session. Later, the pair went to lunch where she heard Taylor Swift's single "I Knew You Were Trouble" (2012) and instantly liked it. Tedder informed Adele that the song was produced by Max Martin, and sent her clips of his work. Shortly after this, Adele expressed interest in working with Martin, whom she never had heard before, and the two later met for a session. Adele began work on the track, reworking a skeleton of a song she had written when she was thirteen years old after being inspired by the release of Frank (2003) by Amy Winehouse. Martin came to London, Adele showed him the guitar riff she had and the duo finished the track on the guitar. About the collaboration, Adele commented: "Max Martin, I just could hang out with him forever. He's so beautiful and lovely and funny and generous and warm and caring. He's a really amazing man." She also stated that the track was "a bit of fun," expressing: "You ain't got to be dark all the time."

The album version of the song was written by Adele, Martin and Shellback with the latter two also handling the production. Adele played the guitar and also provided backing vocals, along with Martin, while Shellback played the percussion and was responsible for programming. It was engineered by Michael Ilbert and mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios, Virginia Beach. The track was recorded at two studios; MXM Studios in Stockholm and Eastcote Studios in London. "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" was composed using common time in the key of D major with a moderate tempo of 82 beats per minute. The chords in the verses alternate between D and Bm(add4). Adele's vocals span from the lower note of A₃ to the higher note of D₅. At the last minute, Adele changed the title of the song from "We Ain't Kids No More" to "Send My Love (To Your Lover)," explaining: "Otherwise, you might as well just call the fucking album 'Old.'"

Composition and lyrics

"Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" is a pop song, with a "subdued, spliced electronic pulse," and was considered one of the few up-tempo tracks on the album, along with "Water Under the Bridge". It has "a bit of a calypso vibe," and is "built around an almost African-sounding guitar lick." Its sound was noted to have a different rhythm "to distinguish the track from the rest of the record." The "upbeat, poppy, rhythmic" sound of "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)", has been compared to Swift's work, most prominently from her album 1989 (2014). It starts with "a stray studio comment from Adele — 'Just the guitar. O.K., cool' — before about a minute of acoustic guitar" and "hand-played percussion." Later, "the thickly layered harmony vocals and fuller arrangement arrive," while the "swooping refrain" has Adele in a "cheerful taunt." Amanda Petrusich of Pitchfork noted that Martin "relies on some enigmatic internal cadence, clipping syllables like a hiccuping poet, taking a tiny scalpel to his melodies," with Adele singing: "'Send-my-love/ To-your-new/ Luh-uh-ver.'"

Lyrically, the song is a kiss-off track that talks about being righteous towards a former lover in order to forgive and find closure. In the beginning, Adele grieves for the end of a past relationship and talks about the things her ex-lover wronged her during the relationship. However, as the song progresses, she forgives her partner, acknowledges that she will move on past him, seen in the lines "I'm giving you up / I've forgiven it all / You set me free, oh". During the song's chorus, she sends good wishes and blessings to his new relationship, "Send my love to your new lover / Treat her better / We gotta let go of all our ghosts / We both know we ain't kids no more". Petrusich added that "[t]here's unrequited love, but then there’s love that changes shape; [...] This is the love that Adele sings of, the kind where there’s nothing left to do but resign." During an interview with The Guardian, Adele referred to the track as a "fuck-you song" to an ex-boyfriend, whom she dated between the guy who inspired her 21 album and husband Simon Konecki. Adele describes it as a "happy you're gone" song, and commented that the opening line where she sings, "This was all you/ none of it me", "it's fucking sick." A writer of The Guardian deemed it to be a belligerent "revenge song", similar to Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" (1978) and Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable" (2006).

Release

Originally, the song was rumoured to be the album's lead-single, however "Hello" was opted instead, since "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" didn't "truly embody Adele’s intended ambition with '25'." After "Hello" success, Billboard wrote an article, on 26 November 2015, wondering what would be 25's next single, indicating either "When We Were Young" or "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)", with the former eventually being released. Ultimately, "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" was confirmed as the album's third single by iHeartRadio, and it was released on 16 May 2016 through digital services such as iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Prime, and more. In the same day, the song was serviced to hot adult contemporary radio and a day later to contemporary hit radio.

Critical reception

BBC News' Mark Savage called "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" a "nimble pop/R&B song" and wrote that it "shows a fresh, playful side to the star". Rob Garratt of The National described the song as a "bouncy pop nugget" and opined that it "falls into that classic pop tradition of transforming a turn-down into a lover's rebuke". In a positive review, a writer for The Hindu described the track as a "spritely song" and called it "an I'm-so-glad-you're-gone number". Los Angeles Times' Mikael Wood dubbed the song as "a welcome flash of sass". Consequence of Sound writer Steven Arroyo called it a more joyful "sentimental cousin" of "Someone like You". In an in-depth review of the song, Bustle writer Alex Kritselis called it one of the album's "major highlights" with its "über-catchy pop chorus". He further elaborated how its lyrics showcased the singer's "emotional growth" as compared to the work on past albums due to their maturity and compassion. Kadeen Griffiths of the same magazine opined that the song is "the audio equivalent of Adele throwing a middle finger at whatever poor dude made the mistake of wronging a songwriter".

Maeve McDermott and Patrick Ryan of USA Today included "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" in their list of 2015's 50 best songs. McDermott wrote "this song is among the most interesting of her career" and likened it to the works of Elizabeth Fraser. Complex's Michael Arceneaux thought that the track was the least sad song on 25, and added "It’s a little melancholy, but it comes with some shimmy-inducing production". Business Insider's Tony Manfred opined that the song strays from Adele's previous work, writing "she wades into the waters of contemporary pop music like never before". Nick Messitte of Forbes gave the song a positive review, writing "It’s got the grace of damning individuals without sinking to their level; it boasts nostalgia—not the least of which for a sound popularized in 2013", and opined that Adele didn't let Max Martin overpower her sensibilities. Vanity Fair's Josh Duboff called "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" "the poppiest song Adele has ever recorded" and named it his "pick for the breakout track on 25".

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic picked it as an album highlight, but remarked that the song "wither[s] when compared to the wallop of 'Rolling in the Deep.'" Spin 's T. Cole Rachel described it as "a cheeky pop side-eye that provides one of the records few resoundingly upbeat moments, do we catch a glimpse of Adele’s sense of humor." Lewis Corner of Digital Spy perceived that "[t]his is the most pop Adele has ever sounded. [...] It's remarkably sprightly for an Adele album, but the 27-year-old's affecting tone keeps it packed with purpose." Chris Gerard of PopMatters named it "an upbeat pop tune with electronic beats and a strong vocal from Adele that rises and falls with the rhythm. [...] Adele is clearly trying to experiment more in the glistening pop realm of the top 40, and it’s certainly a worthy idea to try something different. Some purists may complain about that, but let ‘em. There is nothing wrong with great pop music, and 'Send My Love (to your new lover)' has undeniable attitude and is an earworm that will surely be chosen as a single."

Billboard ranked "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" at number 26 on their "100 Best Pop Songs of 2016" list: “There are very few people who can record a pregame sing-a-long about bittersweet forgiveness, but “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” is just one of many such conflicted turn-ups for the 28-year-old, 9-time Grammy winner. With a jauntiness that feels all too raw, Adele nails the balance between passive aggression towards an undeserving ex (“Send my love to your new lover/ Treat her better”) and unapologetic truth-telling (“I’m giving you up/ I’m forgiving it all/ You set me free”) yet again.”

Chart performance

Before its release as a single, "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" managed to debut on several charts. Following the release of 25, the song debuted at number 88 on the ARIA Singles Chart. It later debuted at number 30, on 5 June 2016, and seven weeks later it peaked at number 13, where it remained for four consecutive weeks. On the Ö3 Austria Top 40, it appeared at number 56 on the chart dated 4 December 2015 and peaked at number 14. "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" debuted and peaked at number 14 on the music charts in Finland,. while in France it debuted at number 64 before its release as a single, and peaked at number 45 when it was officially released. On the Official German Charts, the song entered at 94 and reached number 31. In Spain, "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" reached number 45 on Spanish Singles Chart. In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number 112 on the UK Singles Chart and number 18 on the UK Indie Chart; it later reached numbers five and one, respectively. It also peaked at number four in Scotland on the chart issue dated 8 July 2016.

In the United States, "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" debuted at number 79 in the issue dated 12 December 2015 of Billboard Hot 100 dated dropped out of the chart the following week. Following the release of its music video, the song re-entered the chart at a new peak position of 26 for the issue of 11 June 2016, selling 55,000 copies in that week and becoming Adele's ninth top 40 on chart; due to that it re-entered at number 13 on the Digital Songs chart. The song reached number 9 in the issue dated 13 August 2016, and later number 8 in the issue dated 24 September 2016, becoming Adele's sixth top 10 hit (and second from 25 after "Hello"). The song topped Adult Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts, becoming Adele's fourth number-one on the Adult Pop Songs and fifth No. 1 on Adult Contemporary, which led her to tie with Taylor Swift for the most this decade on the latter chart. The song also reached number-one on the Pop Songs chart, becoming her fourth on the tally and the second from her album 25. The song entered at number 79 on the Canadian Hot 100, and later reached number 11. On the South Korean Gaon Music Chart, it peaked at number 23. In New Zealand, the song debuted straight into the top-ten, at number eight and peaked at number four, where it remained for three consectuvie weeks, becoming Adele's fifth top-five hit.

Development and release

The music video for the song was filmed in London, by American director Patrick Daughters. Adele talked about it to the crowd during a concert in Stockholm in April, saying that it was a dancing video, during which she lost "all... inhibitions". Speaking to Entertainment Weekly about the shooting of the video, Daughters noted how there "isn't any editing in the video... [b]ut in a way, as you watch the video many times, you start to make your own edits because you focus on different layers of her performance". The main idea behind the visual was to focus on Adele's performance; the concept behind it came from a line of the song about "letting go of her [Adele's] ghosts". There were twelve takes for the video that were all combined in one shot eventually; during each of them Adele expressed her emotions with a different movement. The director elaborated in an interview:

We looked at the song, the different layers of her vocals, that was one way to approach some layers. Some we did in a place that was emotionally more fresh. Then we had some takes that were a little bit more about really what the songs about, letting go of that stuff and getting past that and being more celebratory. After we had a few that we were really happy with, then we started to play with the emotions, the prevailing emotion in the take, and also a different reading.

A short teaser of the video was released on the singer's Twitter profile on 16 May 2016. It premiered on 22 May at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards. It was uploaded to the singer's official Vevo account shortly afterwards. The clip features the singer in front of a black backdrop. As the music video progresses, multiple semi-transparent shots of the singer dancing at the same time appear layered on top of one another in kaleidoscopic form. The camera focuses on her facial expressions throughout. In the video, Adele wears a floral long-sleeved gown designed by Dolce & Gabbana which she chose by herself, without the assistance of a stylist or designer. She opted for it in order to stand out against the dark backdrop behind her. It was also chosen to "flow" with her movements.

Reception

The video was described as "trippy and upbeat" by Jackie Strause and Keely Wold of The Hollywood Reporter who further noted how the singer intimately sings to the camera. Anna Gaca commented how there was a simple concept behind it. Erin Coulehan from the website Salon, was very positive towards the clip noting how the kaleidoscopic effects showcased the "ever-revolving feelings of confusion, frustration and eventual solace" a person goes through after the realization that their partner is going on with their life with another love interest, something described in the song's lyrics. Coulehan further opined that many people could relate to those feelings. Sasha Gefen of MTV News described the visual as "psychedelic" and "ready to smash some YouTube records". Josh Duboff of Vanity Fair felt that the video was something rarely seen by the singer and called it an "overall upbeat kaleidoscopic delight". Lindsay Kimble, writing for People magazine praised Adele for opting towards a simple concept for the video and compared the video's effects to a hall of mirrors.

Bustle's Shannon Carlin praised the release of the video, saying that the singer managed to turn it into an event with its premiere at the Billboard Music Awards. She also commended it for giving viewers an opportunity to see the singer's dance moves. Evan Minsker and Noah Yoo of Pitchfork Media observed that the multiple shots of Adele contributed towards a "ghostly effect". Maeve McDermott writing for USA Today described it as a "swooning, floral vision". Elle's Alyssa Bailey wrote that the simple concept behind the video, along with the colors, effects, the singer's dancing and singing made it "beautiful". Eliza Thompson of Cosmopolitan noted that like the song itself, the clip was "absolutely gorgeous". Nash Jenkins of Time magazine felt that it was not "much more" than what was seen in the snippet but nevertheless, called it "refreshing for its maturity and minimalism". James Rettig from the website Stereogum was more negative towards the clip saying that it looks like a "boringly pretty screensaver" due to the many slow fading shots.

Live performances

"Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" was performed live for the first time by the singer on 20 November 2015 at Joe's Pub during an iHeartRadio special launched for the release of 25. The song is part of the set list of Adele's third concert tour Adele Live 2016. During some concerts, an acoustic version of the song was performed. She also performed the song at Glastonbury 2016 on 25 June 2016.

Cover versions

"Send My Love" was covered by American Pop rock band OneRepublic at BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge on 1 September 2016. American rock band Boyce Avenue covered the song on their YouTube channel as an acoustic cover. American country pop singer and songwriter Kelsea Ballerini also covered "Send My Love" on the Bobby Bones Show.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of 25.

Locations

Personnel