It has been confirmed today that Adele fans will be waiting longer than originally expected for the release of her highly anticipated new album. This news is the result of reports published by her record company, XL Recordings, which state, “There will not be a further new release by Adele during 2014 and consequently there will be a fall in XL’s turnover and profits.”
Speculations rose in May about the release of a third Adele album later this year, after the pop singer tweeted, “Bye bye 25 … See you again later in the year,” alongside a photograph taken of herself from the shoulders up, leaning on several pillows. This tweet gave her avid fans hope that they would see an album before the end of 2014, with the word 25 appearing to be the most suspected choice for the record’s title. The management of the “Rolling In The Deep” singer “still had no official word” on the rumours surrounding this tweet, and refused to confirm or deny the statement. This third release would be her first album since the award-winning 21 in 2011, which has sold over 30 million copies since its release. Adele’s only track that has been released since then was written for the 2012 James Bond film, Skyfall. This track resulted in Adele being awarded a Grammy Award, an Oscar and a Golden Globe, all within 2012.
XL Recordings have had incredible success with Adele, reporting profits in excess of £9.5 million in 2013, while the continuing sales of 21 continue to contribute significantly to this figure. However, 2013 saw a decrease in profits from the year before, when Adele’s second album helped earn the label a staggering £19 million. As her global network of fans appears to be growing every day, the company can only speculate on what profits will be achieved once the upcoming album, 25, is released. With today’s announcement bringing Adele back into the limelight for a brief moment, the reaction seen on social media when the album is released, presumably in 2015, will potentially dominate the social media and global music platform.