Why ADL is The Most Important Yeat Album
VERY VERY BRIEF TLDR BELOW, ID SUGGEST GOING THRU THE POST THO <3
Alr so, Ive been looking into ADL since the day it released and I think I finally have a good grasp on what Noah was going for on this album.
Js a Warning, this post is gonna be quite long, I lowk been doin ts durin study breaks for almost a month lol.
I wanna preface this by saying, by no means is this album perfect, IMO he added a couple songs that stretched it out and turned people off, although I do like those songs (taller, geek luv, naked, 2 planes, Silk face, etc.) NOW, this wouldnt be bad if this album wasnt the most important album OF HIS CAREER, but since it is, this decision really takes away from the experience. I also wanna add that this album really plays on the trope of the angel and devil on yeats shoulder, and for once, we see the angel side getting the spotlight. Finally, all this is going off the assumption that nothing in DS is related to the ongoing internal battle between noah and his demons (the ceo) so keep that in mind.
I believe that ADLyfe (Adly for short) is meant to represent the cycle of life, from birth all the way to death. Going off this, ADLove (Adlo for short) is meant to symbolize a dwindling relationship, from its toxic last stages all the way til accepting its gone. Now, whether this is a relationship with a woman, drugs, or the devil? That is completely up to how you wanna see it, but I see it as a mix of all 3.
Why do I believe this though? I mean, love seems like such a small thing compared to life doesnt it? I am led to believe that Noah sees these 2 things as gifts from god. Now, I am not christian or catholic, I have read the bible out of personal curiosity but never out of being forced to study it. However, the inclusion of John 17:24 ("Not as the world giveth give I unto you) on the cover of the album leads me to believe that Love and life are the 2 greatest gifts from god given to yeat, in HIS eyes. Those 2 things are something the world cannot give him, he can only give them to himself, and that is the goal of this album.
I wont be going over specific lyrics in this post, unless I gotta so lets start with the top of Adly.
Purpose general is seen to have a slow start, then a very very energetic burst that doesnt let up. I see this as the process of birth, it begins with a calm, slow, silence, then a very sudden shock to your nerves that remains constant.
Then we go to face the flame, this song is meant to show the infant years, the song literally just passes by, it doesnt do anything too memorable, it just flows.
Now we get to Lose control, this is meant to be childhood, the "disney like" tone is meant to be on purpose the way I see it. Elton john is no coincidence either, he literally says "butterflies are free to fly, fly away, high away..." its literally telling you that you are meant to flourish. Then yeats part is mainly looped, just like the life of a child, you live a structured life until you are able to stand on your own. It also touches on some themes of how yeat was abusing drugs as a child, and he looks a bit at his youth on this song too. Side note, I LOVE this song, its so good.
Next we have griddle, its a bit confusing, so this may be a bit of a stretch but this is the start of the teenage years. The energy starts with a bang and never really lets up, the inclusion of don toliver is also quite purposeful as from here on out, features start to have a prominent role in the songs, just like how friends really shape you up to be who you are.
After that comes what I want, honestly, this song is ome of those filler songs I believe, it was here just for fanservice. But, this song is possibly meant to symbolize the rebellious teen years as you just believe that you should do what you wanna do and no one can stop you.
Now comes liv like dis, this song is meant to be your first years as an adult. You are just partying, having fun "as you can see with the whole she wit da birds chant in rhe back" and your life is just flying by.
Now we get to Taller, another filler track IMHO, I aint got much on this one tbh. This us gonna be a reach but it could sit to show how as you grow older people only want more from you. Especially when your rich. "can you help my money make it taller" thas all I got, if u guys got better lmk.
Now we got my way. My way is meant to show you getting up there in age, not quite at the end of your life, but its in the distance. Noah says he wants to do it his way, its litersllt the name of the song, this can mean many things but to me I think it means he wants to live the rest of his life his way. He boasts all he did in his life and He says, now we should do it MY way, which is meant to show that he wants control in his final moments.
Now we got LKTT, this song is a BANGER. Anyway, I think this is meant to show your last few years of energy, this song is meant to be a call to let him talk on the next track. I think his alchoholic state is the most importanr part. As you get to the age of abour 60, you need to start to cope with the fact that death is coming. On this song, the fact that hes drunk is showint that in the final moments of his mobile life, he will be drinking to cope with the fact that its coming to a close.
Dangerous house is meant to show the paranoia that comes at your old age. He is scared that anything could end his fragile life, that fear is creeping up on him near the end, where it loads into his senses. In my opinion this is meant to be a hospitalizing accident, which leads into the next song...
Finally, we get to No more Ghosts, this is meant to be the end of a life. This song is just him talking over a beat, symbolizing how people die in their own words, not in silence. He is departing with a final message so that all his wrongdoings are out there. There are no more ghosts to haunt everyone that is listening because he's content with it, hes done holdin on. The end of the song is just peace.
This concludes ADL
He has said multiple times that he wishes to live a long, normal, fulfilling life. He said this album will paint the trajectory of the rest of his career. This half of the album is meant to be him giving himself a chance at a new life, not a dangerous one just one he needs.
Now we get into ADLOVE. This one IMO is much more abstract, its harder to follow and its a bit messy. Just like love. Once again, its not clear if the woman he talks of is really a woman or if its the devil or drugs, that is up to your own mind. TO me its definetely his old love for drugs.
The first song is 2Nite, this song is meant to pick up near the end of a story, a love story. This story is about to die, this song is meant to be a love song. He literally talks about how he himself is a self-centred man, he is toxic, he compares the woman to nightlife, he says he wants to cut the woman and watch her bleed. This is just a normal toxic relationship, he constantly speaks of bad things he wants to do but it all never ends.
After this We come to geek luv, 100% a filler track but it has some sort of substance. Its meant to be noah voicing his frustrations of the relationship. However, these concerns only turn into having sex to relieve the tension between the 2, i mean fuck bro hes litrerally moaning on the beat😭. Which results in nothing being gained from the conversation
Now we got naked, this song isnt a filler track to me. It seems like Noah is just saying to whoever is in the relationship with him that he doesnt care about the relationship. All he wants is the sex, to see the other as a tool of pleasure and use them as such.
Now we get to my fav song on the album, Went wrong. This is the song where the relationship ends. Noah is initially unable to take accountability for what he did in the relationship, however, after we hear 070 shake's verse, he seemingly takes accountability. He even says he needs god to show him where he is. Now, here I think noah isnt talking about God literally, I think he is talking about sobriety. In his older music, he calls drugs the devil, but now? I believe God is meant to be him looking at life through a more sober lens. This makes the ending of the song much more clear, he needs sobriety to show him how bad the addiction was, now he is back on the drugs but he isnt as addicted "I needed, you to come back like this....."
Next we have real lyfe shit, this IMO is a filler track but I think its meant to represent all the regret that comes from thr end of a relationship. It is also meant to be him trying to live without it in his life and him actually failing to do so. The energy of this song is him trying to keep up an energetic pace but simply failing to do so. Its the "getting over it and failing" phase
Now we have My time. This is meant to be a sudden burst of happiness that you get when you forget the relationship existed. You feel as if you are on top of the world. Its visualized by his super high energy on the track, alongside a VERY high presence all over the beat.
Now we got 2planes. Another filler track, except this time i got literallt nothing. Maybe its the crash after that high? You try to get back up (as shown in those pockets of sudden energy) and you just crash again. The outro also could show that the woman he was with doesnr wanna live the life that Noah wants now I think? Idrk...
Silk face is the start of the healing process, he is stepping away from life, taking a break, realizing that he cant do anything even tho he knew the love was turning toxic. His delivery is seemingly very stable, showing that hes finally dealing with emotions rather than letting them crash over like waves.
Back Home is him missing whoever he broke up with, but in a healthy way. He says life doesnt feel as right without the relationship and he needs to find that home again. However, unlike before its a much calmer tone, he isnt beint as posessive or overbearing. He seems like he has control of what hes doing, and isnt trying to force it. Its the acceptance that the person he was in the relationship must die, because he cant go back home.
Now we have Up from here, this is the most vunerable track Noah has made since 1093, the track outlines the life of Noah. His highs, his lows, the yeat persona and everything in between. He notes that he has reached the lowest low he has hit, even lower than the time he went to NY with only 5K, because he was happy there. The life of yeat isnt the life he wants, that life led him to rock bottom. But he has accepted the path out, he has left that relationship in the past, and he sees the cycle of life that awaits him. He has given himself what he needs. So its only up from here.
That concludes me going over the tracklist.
Now, I really really wish Noah had better lyrics on this album so I wouldnt have to read between the lines as much and analyze energy patterns and Ill admit, make some stretches here and there. This album could have been his best with just a few better lyrics and could have been a masterpiece if he did what I think he was tryna do with a bit more focus on the overall goal than just focusing track by track. I do have a newfound appreciation for this album but the lyrics REALLY hold it back IMO.
My last point I wanna make is the 2093 storyline and how this album connects to it.
I believe that this album is completely Noah, no CEO (esp cuz the naked MV literally says directed by NOAH NOT YEAT!!!). 2093 was the struggle against the CEO, Lyfestyle was the victory of the CEO, ADL is Noah taking the edge. This is why LS and ADL seem so empty. The CEO and Noah both need each other, The CEO has the energy, Noah has the creative mind. There is no Yeat without both working in collaboration. I think we will see the CEO again at some point, maybe even next album but I dont think we will see the Yeat we know and love for a while, not until the ceo and Noah both can get along.
Sorry for the post being a bit too long, I wanted to give yall a good idea on why I defend this album with my life and why I enjoy it sm:)
If you dont enjoy it, thats alright, all this is speculation and honestly? Music is subjective, dont feel like you gotta like or hate smth just cuz someone else does.
TLDR: Adlife is The cycle of life and death, adlove is a breakup. This is a full Noah album, the CEO had nothing to do with it. Which is why it feels so empty