Adele vs. Joe | Head 2 Head 🗣️

On the 33^rd edition of Head 2 Head, Grammy winner Adele and Grammy-nominated artist Joe contend for the best rendition of “Hello.”

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elcome to Head 2 Head 🗣️! On Head 2 Head, we pit at least two musicians singing the same song together, comparing their performances.  Then, after much deliberation, we deliver a verdict of which performance was the best, or at least, subjectively, which performance moved us more.  On the 33^rd edition of head-to-head, iconic musicians 🎙 Adele and 🎙 Joe contend for the best rendition of 🎵 “Hello”. So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!

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1. Adele, “Hello”

💿 21 • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 2015

Six years before being advised to take it 🎵 “Easy on Me”, 🎙 Adele greeted us with 🎵 “Hello”, written alongside 🎼✍ Greg Kurstin. “Hello, it’s me / I was wondering if after all these years you’d like to meet…”  After a four-year-hiatus, the 🏆 Academy Award and Grammy-winning British pop singer/songwriter made an emotional, ‘pitch-perfect’ return. Among the saddest songs released in 2015, “Hello” managed to make everybody happy as the promo single from her second 🏆 Album of the Year winner, 💿 25. 

“Hello, can you hear me? / I’m in California dreaming about who we used to be.” Sigh, “Hello” is an outstanding ballad in all facets tailor made for the soulful pop diva. The vulnerability and relatable nature of the songwriting plays a crucial role in its overall success.  Adele reflects on the past – specifically a relationship – examining her mistakes and trying to atone for them.   Furthermore, her performance is elite, showcasing incredible musicianship through those vocal chops. The verses are restrained and more poised while the chorus is emotional and gargantuan – where her bread is buttered.  That tuneful, sing-along chorus latches the first time you hear it:

“Hello from the other side
I must’ve called a thousand times
To tell you I’m sorry for everything that I’ve done
But when I call, you never seem to be home
Hello from the outside
At least, I can say that I’ve tried
To tell you I’m sorry for breaking your heart
But it don’t matter, it clearly doesn’t tear you apart anymore.”

“Hello” is sheer excellence exemplified – a shoo-in for Record and Song of the Year.  Even if she didn’t take substantial risks on “Hello,” she didn’t need to.  Hard to imagine someone successfully taking the ‘definitive’ status of this dominant hit away from her – FACTS!

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2. Joe, “Hello”

💿 #MYNAMEISJOETHOMAS • 🏷 Plaid Takeover LLC / BMG Rights Management • 📅 2016

Man, oh man, 🎙 Joe is brave! The 🏆 Grammy-nominated R&B singer recorded a cover of the 🎙 Adele megahit, 🎵 “Hello” – let that sink in! Honestly, he does an excellent job on the cover, which appears on his 2016 album, 💿 #MYNAMEISJOETHOMAS.  How is “Hello” similar in his hands? Well, for one, it retains the original key of A-flat.  Furthermore, the production has the same aesthetic and vibe – never growing overwrought.  Arguably, during the verse section, it could’ve used a bit more punch. 

Even without something more than those drums to distinguish the verses, the overall sound is solid.  The biggest takeaway, expectedly, is the voice.  Adele is a force, but so is Joe Thomas, who have been delivering superb R&B for years and years – he ain’t new to this! His voice sounds smooth while he sounds powerful on the chorus (“Hello from the other side…”). Most of the record is performed in chest voice, but the highest pitches find him dipping into his falsetto. During the ad-lib section, he takes a few more liberties than the originator, but doesn’t tread too far from the original. He didn’t need to do much different honestly.

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The Verdict 👨🏿‍⚖️ 

Adele or Joe?  Joe did a nice job with “Hello” – he deserves his props! That said, he DOES NOT supplant the original, even if he manages to hold his own.  So, expectedly, the queen, A-D-E-L-E wins! Was there any other possible outcome? NOOOOO!!!

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Adele vs. Joe: Head 2 Head 🗣️ No. 33 [📷: BMG Rights Management, Brent Faulkner, Columbia, GenderArts from Pixabay, The Musical Hype, Plaid Takeover LLC, Valentin Tikhonov from Pixabay]

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