Adele has revealed that she penned a verse in one of her popular songs about her close friend James Corden.
The singer, 34, made the revelation as she appeared on the last ever Carpool Karaoke before James, 44, steps down from the Late Late Show later this week.
In the segment, which was released on Monday, Adele candidly shared for the first time that a verse in one of her hit tracks was inspired by James.
She described the verse as ‘some of her best writing’ and tearfully said it was influenced by a six-hour chat she had with James when he was having a hard time.
But can you guess which of Adele’s hits was touchingly inspired by James?
Sweet: Adele has revealed that she penned a verse in one of her popular songs about her close friend James Corden
It’s I Drink Wine, from her fourth studio album 30!
On Carpool Karaoke, Adele took a moment to explain the meaning behind the track before they played the hit and sang along to its poignant lyrics.
She said: ‘We don’t have to talk a lot about it, but the first verse of this song, which is some of my best writing, if I do say so myself, was inspired by a conversation that you and I had.’
Adele finalised her divorce from her ex Simon Konecki in March 2021, two years after first announcing their split.
Reflecting on the difficult time, Adele said she went on holiday with James, his wife Julia Carey, their three children, and her son Angelo, 10, after the split.
She explained that on the way home from the trip, she had an emotional six-hour chat with James when he admitted he was also going through a difficult time.
Breaking down in tears, she explained: ‘We were on our way home [from the holiday] and my mood had changed and it was like the first year that I felt like I had to hold myself accountable, for just being an adult.
‘Whereas the year before that I left Simon, you and Jules and the kids were so integral in looking after me and Angelo.
Friendship: The singer, 34, made the revelation as she appeared on the last ever Carpool Karaoke before James, 44, steps down from the Late Late Show later this week
‘You used to do it with humour as well, you used to be like, “good luck with that one!” with any sort of thing that I was pursuing, and you were always so, you were like an adult with me, you and Julia would always give me this advice.
‘I remember I said to you on the way home “what’s wrong?” you just seemed down, and you laid it all out to me, you didn’t feel strong, and we had a six-hour conversation about it all the way home.’
Explaining how he had been feeling at the time, James added: ‘It was work stuff, and the Internet, and all those things.’
Adele then responded: ‘It got me thinking, I felt so unsafe, with you feeling unsafe, because you’ve always been like [the adult] you have, since I was like 21.
‘I went to the studio a couple of weeks later, I wrote [I Drink Wine] and I sang it into my phone and sent it to you, and I remember you said “that’s exactly how I was feeling”.’
James became teary-eyed as he described it as a ‘privilege’ to have a song dedicated to him, saying he was amazed she had translated how he felt into her music.
He said: ‘It was everything I was feeling that day, I was floored by how you’d managed to take everything that I was feeling about myself and life and put it in a verse.
‘It is the greatest privilege, from a conversation so honest between friends, that you would create such a thing.’
Emotional: But can you guess which of Adele’s hits was touchingly inspired by James? It’s I Drink Wine, from her fourth studio album 30
As the song began playing, James said he would be reduced to tears when hearing the track, before they both belted out its poignant lyrics.
Adele admitted that she always thinks of James when she sings the song as the pals shared a very tearful moment together.
The hit includes the lines: ‘How come we’ve both become a version of a person we don’t even like?
‘We’re in love with the world, but the world just wants to bring us down, by putting ideas in our heads, that corrupt our hearts somehow.’