It’s been four years since Adele released her Grammy-winning album 21. Now, she’s finally back from her hiatus. “Hello? It’s me,” she sings, in a near-whisper, at the beginning of the first song on 25. It’s a greeting both to her ex-lover and to her fans after a long absence.

If 21 was the ultimate break-up record, then 25 is the make-up.  Adele herself has said as much: “[25 is] making up for lost time. Making up for everything I ever did and never did. 25 is about getting to know who I’ve become without realizing it.” “Hello” is a reconciliation with her fans who have waited so long for her return—and the record-breaking popularity of the track shows that all is forgiven.

In 25, Adele remains true to her style of mixing classical vocals with R&B and jazz, focusing mostly on themes of love and heartbreak. Songs like “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” and “Water Under the Bridge,” however, lighten the mood with an injection of bright pop. “When We Were Young,” the second most popular song on the album so far (after “Hello”) is a piano ballad with R&B influences and a belting chorus.

Like Taylor Swift, Adele chose not to stream her music, a testament to her commitment to the craft as well as to her staying power on the pop charts. Few artists make albums that millions of people are willing to purchase in full, but in the first week alone, Adele sold 3.38 million copies.

So what is it about the 27-year-old from Tottenham that people find so universally appealing? The earth-shattering choruses allow listeners to sink into the drama—who doesn’t love belting out “Hello from the outside!” with their arms outstretched, face towards the heavens? SNL even parodied the universal appeal of “Hello” in the clip “A Thanksgiving Miracle” by showing a family arguing over politics at the Thanksgiving table, only to put aside their differences when the song plays. The record-breaking popularity of 25 seems to prove that the love of a good, cathartic weeping session can transcend all boundaries.