Sweetest Devotion

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Lore & Background

The creation of "Sweetest Devotion" occurred during the recording sessions for *25*, a project that saw Adele reuniting with previous collaborators while also embracing new writers. Specifically, she co-wrote this song with Greg Kurstin, who also contributed to "Hello", "Million Years Ago", and "Water Under the Bridge" on the same album. This partnership contrasts with her work on *21*, where she reunited with Eg White for "Take It All" or worked with Paul Epworth on lead single "Rolling in the Deep". The song exists within a timeline that includes her 2012 James Bond contribution, "Skyfall", co-written with Epworth, and her upcoming work on *30* with Kurstin. By 2015, Adele had already established a pattern of co-writing hits like "Someone Like You" with Dan Wilson or "Set Fire to the Rain" with Fraser T Smith, making this collaboration with Kurstin another key moment in her discography.

In Their Own Story

In 2015, as Adele prepared *25*, she turned to Greg Kurstin for co-writing duties on several tracks. The session that produced "Sweetest Devotion" was one of these collaborations, distinct from her earlier work with Eg White on "Melt My Heart to Stone" or her solo writing of "Hometown Glory". This period followed the massive success of *21*, which had yielded platinum-certified singles like "Rolling in the Deep" and "Someone Like You". Kurstin's involvement on *25* was significant, as he helped shape not just this song but also the album's title track. The process mirrored her 2021 work on *30*, where she again collaborated with Kurstin on the single "Easy on Me", showing a long-term creative bond that began or solidified during the *25* sessions.

Reader's Guide

To understand "Sweetest Devotion" in context, look at its placement within Adele's writing credits. It is one of five songs explicitly co-written with Greg Kurstin on *25*, alongside "Hello", "Million Years Ago", and "Water Under the Bridge". This differs from her 2011 album *21*, where she worked with Paul Epworth, Dan Wilson, Ryan Tedder, and Fraser T Smith. The song represents a continuation of her ability to blend solo writing (as seen on *19* with tracks like "Best for Last") with high-profile collaborations. Fans noting the production style can compare it to her 2012 single "Skyfall", also co-written with Epworth, or her upcoming 2021 single "Easy on Me" with Kurstin. The track is a concrete example of how Adele utilized specific collaborators to achieve different sonic textures across her three studio albums released between 2008 and 2015.

Did You Know?

• Adele co-wrote "Sweetest Devotion" with Greg Kurstin, who also wrote "Hello", "Million Years Ago", and "Water Under the Bridge" for the same album.
• The song is part of Adele's third studio album, *25*, which was released in 2015.
• This collaboration with Kurstin prefigures their later work together on the single "Easy on Me" from her 2021 album, *30*.