Music

Fans react to Adele’s debut performance of “top tier” track I Drink Wine

By Conor Clark

15th November 2021

Photo: CBS

Adele has performed Easy On Me’s follow-up single I Drink Wine for the first time during her US TV special, Adele: One Night Only.

In her recent cover story with Rolling Stone, the Chasing Pavements singer confirmed that the song is the next to be released after its title went viral online upon the release of 30’s tracklist.

Adele said that I Drink Wine is about letting go of her ego, which the lyrics reflect.

“I took everything so personally at that period of time in my life,” she told the magazine, “so the lyric ‘I hope I learn to get over myself’ is like [me saying] ‘Once I’ve done that, then maybe I can let you love me.’”

In her TV special on 14 November, Adele performed four songs from her upcoming fourth studio album in a set that was recorded at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.

The special aired on CBS and included an interview with Oprah Winfrey that was described as the “first televised wide-ranging conversation about her new album, the stories behind the songs, life after divorce, weight loss and raising her son”.

As well as I Drink Wine, she treated the star-studded audience to the first live performance of Easy On Me and previously unheard tracks Hold On and Love Is A Game.

“When I was a child every single thing could blow my mind,” Adele sings on I Drink Wine. “Soaking it all up for fun but now I only soak up wine.”

She explained to Rolling Stone that every chorus of the song is sung differently, something she referred to as a “Barry Manilow trick.”

Adele added: “It made it less intimidating, because some of the things I’m talking about really hit home for a lot of people.”

The studio version of the new songs will be released alongside 30 on 19 November, which will be followed by the premiere of An Audience with Adele, filmed at the London Palladium, on ITV two days later.

All three of Adele’s albums have gone number one in the UK, racking up an impressive 37 weeks at the top spot between them.

Three of her singles – Someone Like You, Hello and Easy On Me – have also peaked atop the chart.

Adele is one of the most successful artists of the 21st century, with 25 being the fastest-selling album of all time in the UK and selling three million copies faster than any other record.

30 will be released on 19 November.

Here’s how fans reacted to I Drink Wine: