"Water Under the Bridge" is a song by English singer Adele from her third studio album 25 (2015). Adele co-wrote the song with its producer, Greg Kurstin. Columbia Records released the track as the album's fourth single on November 14, 2016. The song is a mix of pop, soul, and soft rock music with a moderate pace. It includes sounds from the 1980s, R&B, and a gospel choir over guitars and snare drums. Inspired by Adele's relationship with Simon Konecki, a charity founder, the song talks about forgiveness and describes a key moment in a relationship when a partner shows willingness to work to make it succeed.

Some critics praised Adele's singing, but others said the song was too loud and had some issues with the music production. The song reached number one in Israel, entered the top 10 in Poland, Belgium, and Iceland, and received Platinum or higher certifications in Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. Adele performed the song on her NBC special Adele Live in New York City and on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. She also included it in her Adele Live 2016 tour and her Weekends with Adele residency. In 2021, a mix of the song with Megan Thee Stallion's performance of "Body" at the 2020 American Music Awards became popular on TikTok.

Background

In February 2013, Adele shared that she was working on meetings for her third studio album. The first recording sessions for the album were not successful. She explained, "I felt like I would never finish this record. The process took a long time. I wanted to give up many times because I struggled to create music. I worried I had run out of ideas and lost my ability to write songs." Adele made progress after meeting with American producer Greg Kurstin. They worked together in a helpful way, and she said, "It all poured right out of me." Together, they wrote the song "Hello" (2015), which was released as the first single from the album. The song reached number one in 36 countries, and its music video set a record for the most views in a single day on Vevo.

Kurstin also produced two other songs for the album 25 (2015): "Million Years Ago" and "Water Under the Bridge." The latter was inspired by Adele's relationship with Simon Konecki, a charity founder she dated for seven years and married in May 2018. Adele rarely discusses this relationship in her music. She said, "'Water Under the Bridge' reflects me waiting for the relationship to end, even though I believe it might not." She noted that while her past relationships ended quickly when challenges arose, her bond with Konecki made her feel strong and lasting. She explained, "Overcoming difficulties is what makes love deep and powerful."

Adele shared the tracklist for 25 on October 22, 2015, including "Water Under the Bridge" as the sixth song. The song was available for digital download when the album was released on November 20, 2015. XL Recordings released "Water Under the Bridge" as the fourth single from 25 on the iTunes Store with artwork. Columbia Records sent the song to adult album alternative and contemporary hit radio stations in the United States on November 14 and 15, 2016, respectively.

Composition

"Water Under the Bridge" is four minutes long. The song was recorded at Metropolis Studios in London. It was produced by Kurstin, and engineered by Kurstin, Liam Nolan, Alex Pasco, and Julian Burg. Kurstin played bass, drums, guitar, piano, and keyboards. Tom Coyne and Randy Merrill mastered the song at Sterling Sound Studios in New York City. Serban Ghenea and John Hanes mixed the song at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

"Water Under the Bridge" is a pop, soul, and soft rock song with influences from 1980s music and R&B. The song uses guitars and snare drums with an echoing sound. It begins with an electronic drum beat and a tropical, trip hop melody, followed by a jazz hands melody. After several key changes, a gospel choir in the background becomes more prominent during the song's climax, as noted by PopMatters' Chris Gerard. Rolling Stone's Jon Dolan described this part as "gospel-steeped ecstasy." Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani called some of the song's vocals "submerged yelps," and Gerard said they were "digitally treated."

"Water Under the Bridge" has a theme about forgiveness. The song describes uncertainty in a relationship and the moment of deciding whether a partner is committed or not. Adele tries to continue a difficult romantic relationship, expressing her desire to stay together but feeling pushed away by her partner's reckless behavior. She asks if he will let her down and if he will do so gently. In another interpretation, Vogue's Patricia Garcia said the song is about a relationship that clearly needs to end. Leonie Cooper of NME described the song as a "dramatic diary entry to her ex."

Critical reception

Digital Spy's Lewis Corner said the song had the most enjoyable melody Adele had ever recorded. Though the production style was similar to Kurstin's work on Katy Perry's 2013 album Prism, Adele's strong lyrics and powerful voice made the song stand out. Andy Gill from The Independent believed the song's simple style let Adele's voice shine. Cinquemani compared "Water Under the Bridge" to Jessie Ware's music and noted its unique but complex elements as some of the best parts of Adele's 25 album. Tom Connick from DIY said the loud drumming and lively guitar lines improved the song, while The Telegraph's Neil McCormick described it as a mysterious and grand "big production drama." Gareth James from Clash felt the song's large chorus balanced being impressive and unobtrusive. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic said the song was "perfect for playing over the closing credits of an inspirational biopic." Sarah Murphy from Exclaim! praised Adele for moving away from her usual piano-pop style to explore more interesting, rhythm-focused music. Sarah Rodman from The Boston Globe called the song an "earwormy, hip-swiveler" that added needed energy to 25.

The New York Times wrote that Adele expressed deep pain clearly and calmly in the song, but it might have been calmer if her voice was less loud. Gerard called the song one of the least successful tracks on 25, criticizing its beats and Adele's loud vocals. He said the melody reminded him of pop radio hits but praised the final "wall of sound" and choir as a moving ending. Greg Kot from The Chicago Tribune found the gospel choir's addition questionable and the drum sounds annoying, comparing them to a cannon firing. Alexandra Pollard from Gigwise found the song's beat interesting but thought a simpler production might have worked better. Ben Rayner from The Toronto Star said avoiding the song's dramatic, "Sermon From the Mount" style would not have hurt its quality. The Times's Will Hodgkinson and Business Post's Johnnie Craig and Tony Clayton-Lea criticized the song's 1980s influences, with the latter calling it "a forgotten 1980s dad-funk B-side."

The song was included in lists that looked back at Adele's music in the 2020s. Rolling Stone ranked "Water Under the Bridge" as Adele's 18th-best song, with Brittany Spanos expressing disappointment that it did not become a major hit. Billboard's Chuck Arnold placed it at number 28 in a list of Adele's songs, calling it a good pop song but noting it could have been made by any of her peers. Alexis Petridis from The Guardian, who ranked it 34th, said the song showed the challenges of working with top songwriters, calling it a "serviceable" pop-soul track with a strong chorus and hints of tropical house music but feeling slightly generic.

Commercial performance

"Water Under the Bridge" reached number 39 on the UK Singles Chart and received a 2× Platinum certification from the British Phonographic Industry. On December 14, 2015, Billboard reported that the song had 104,000 downloads in the United States, the third-highest among 25 songs and the highest among non-singles. It reached number 26 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. The song charted at number 37 on the Canadian Hot 100 and earned a 3× Platinum certification from Music Canada.

In Australia, "Water Under the Bridge" reached number 23 and was certified Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association. It reached number 15 in New Zealand and received a Gold certification from Recorded Music NZ. Elsewhere, it charted within the top 20, reaching number one in Israel, number five in Poland, number 10 in Belgium and Iceland, number 14 in Slovenia, number 16 in Argentina and Brazil, and number 20 in Finland and Hungary. The song earned a Platinum certification in Mexico and Gold certifications in Belgium, Denmark, and Italy.

Promotion and other usage

Adele first performed "Water Under the Bridge" live during her NBC special Adele Live in New York City, which was recorded at Radio City Music Hall on November 17, 2015. She performed the song again on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on November 23. Lars Brandle, writing for Billboard, called her performance "a confident, first-rate performance." Adelle Platon said Adele "sang her heart out." The song was part of the set list for Adele's Adele Live 2016 concert tour, which included a performance at the Glastonbury Festival in 2016.

Sarah Stone, a contestant on The Voice Australia season six, sang a cover of "Water Under the Bridge" in 2017. On March 22, 2021, Kelly Clarkson performed the song on The Kelly Clarkson Show. Billboard writer Gil Kaufman said the performance was "right in [her] sweet spot" and noted it was a flawless way to begin the following week's performances, which built up to a crescendo and ended with an ascending a cappella section.

In November 2021, a tweet combining a mashup of "Water Under the Bridge" and Megan Thee Stallion's performance of "Body" at the 2020 American Music Awards went viral. A dance challenge using the mashup became popular on TikTok, with users trying to copy the choreography, even though Adele had concerns about how it was used. Three months later, Megan Thee Stallion said she had seen the clip and shared that Adele was her dream collaboration: "If Adele wants me to come get on the track, be the dancer, I'm there, I'm here for it." Adele included the choreography in her performance of the song at her British Summer Time concerts on July 1 and 2, 2022. She also added it to the set list for her Weekends with Adele concert residency.

Credits and personnel

The credits below are taken from the liner notes of the album 25.

• Greg Kurstin – producer, songwriter, sound engineer, and musician (bass, drums, guitar, piano, keyboards)
• Adele – songwriter
• Tom Coyne – mastering engineer
• Randy Merrill – mastering engineer
• Serban Ghenea – mixing engineer
• John Hanes – mixing engineer
• Liam Nolan – sound engineer
• Alex Pasco – sound engineer
• Julian Burg – sound engineer, mixing engineer