To Be Loved (Adele song)
{{Short description|2021 song by Adele}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox song
| name = To Be Loved
| cover =
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| type =
| artist = Adele
| album = 30
| released = 19 November 2021
| recorded =
| studio = Will's Grandma's House (California)
| genre =
| length = 6:43
| label = Columbia
| writer =
| producer =
- Tobias Jesso Jr.
- Shawn Everett
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| misc = {{External music video|type=song|header=Lyric video|{{YouTube|_dlExeOyFh4|"To Be Loved"}}}}
}}
"To Be Loved" is a song by the English singer Adele from her fourth studio album, 30 (2021). She wrote it with Tobias Jesso Jr., who produced it with Shawn Everett. The song became available as the album's 11th track on 19 November 2021, when it was released by Columbia Records. A torch ballad, "To Be Loved" has piano instrumentation and sets the singer's echoey vocals over minimalistic production. The song is about the sacrifices one must make upon falling in love and addresses Adele's divorce from Simon Konecki, attempting to justify to her son why their marriage did not succeed.
"To Be Loved" received universal acclaim from music critics, who highlighted Adele's vocal performance as her all-time best. Several publications included it in their list of the best songs of 2021. It reached the top 40 in Australia, Canada, Sweden, and the United States and entered the charts in some other countries. Adele did not perform "To Be Loved" live but shared a clip of her performing it, accompanied by a piano, on social media.
Background and promotion
Adele began working on her fourth studio album by 2018.{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/everything-we-know-so-far-about-adeles-new-album-2343733 |title=Everything we know so far about Adele's new album |website=NME |first=Ella |last=Braidwood |date=25 June 2018 |access-date=1 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130161017/https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/everything-we-know-so-far-about-adeles-new-album-2343733 |archive-date=30 November 2018 |url-status=live }} She filed for divorce from her husband Simon Konecki in September 2019,{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49684581 |title=Adele files for divorce from husband Simon Konecki |publisher=BBC News |date=13 September 2019 |access-date=12 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913020322/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49684581 |archive-date=13 September 2019 |url-status=live }} which inspired the album. After experiencing anxiety, Adele undertook therapy sessions and mended her estranged relationship with her father.{{Cite web|last=Aguirre|first=Abby|date=7 October 2021|title=Adele on the Other Side|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/adele-cover-november-2021|url-status=live|access-date=8 October 2021|website=Vogue|language=en-US|archive-date=7 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007235338/https://www.vogue.com/article/adele-cover-november-2021}} The years following the divorce plagued her, especially due to the effect it had on her son. Adele decided to have regular conversations with him, which she recorded following advice from her therapist.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/adele-voicenotes-angelo-simon-konecki-b1960609.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119075648/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/adele-voicenotes-angelo-simon-konecki-b1960609.html |archive-date=19 November 2021 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|title=Adele voicenotes reveal emotional discussions of divorce with her son, Angelo|last=O'Connor|first=Roisin|website=The Independent|date=19 November 2021|access-date=25 December 2021}} These conversations inspired her return to the studio and the album took shape as a body of work that would explain to her son why she left his father. Adele released "Easy on Me" as the lead single from the album, entitled 30, on 14 October 2021.{{cite magazine |last=Iasimone |first=Ashley |title=Adele Considered Three 'Very Different' Options Before Releasing 'Easy on Me' as New Single |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/adele-30-songs-first-single-easy-on-me-9646374/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=4 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117021535/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/adele-30-songs-first-single-easy-on-me-9646374/ |archive-date=17 November 2021 |date=17 October 2021 |url-status=live}}
Adele wrote the song "To Be Loved" with Tobias Jesso Jr., who had worked on two songs for her third studio album 25 (2015)—"When We Were Young" and "Lay Me Down".{{cite AV media notes|title=25|others=Adele|year=2015|author=XL Recordings and Columbia Records}} They finished an early version of "To Be Loved" in a Brentwood house without any studio equipment, with Adele recording vocal takes on her MacBook. Shawn Everett placed microphones and blankets all over the room and the piano for the final recording; Jesso Jr. recounted: "It was just us playing live and together. And so in the piano tracks, you can hear vocals and in the vocals, you can hear the piano."{{cite web |last=Ang |first=Raymond |title=With Hits for Adele, Harry Styles and Haim, Tobias Jesso Jr. Is Pop's Go-To Therapist Songwriter |url=https://www.gq.com/story/tobias-jesso-jr-adele-harry-styles-2023-grammys-songwriter-of-the-year |website=GQ |access-date=20 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221216074604/https://www.gq.com/story/tobias-jesso-jr-adele-harry-styles-2023-grammys-songwriter-of-the-year |archive-date=16 December 2022 |date=15 December 2022 |url-status=live}} "To Be Loved" was among the songs Adele played for her father shortly prior to his dying from cancer, after which they both cried. She said about its inspiration: "My main goal in life is to be loved in love. And so I wanted to play it to my dad being like, 'You're the reason I haven't done that yet,' he was the reason I haven't fully accessed what it is to be in a loving relationship with somebody."{{cite web |last=Renshaw |first=David |title=Adele shares intimate living room recording of 'To Be Loved' |url=https://www.thefader.com/2021/11/18/adele-to-be-loved-30 |website=The Fader |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=18 November 2021 |archive-date=18 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118230156/https://www.thefader.com/2021/11/18/adele-to-be-loved-30 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last=Yahr |first=Emily |title=The four most personal revelations from Oprah's interview with Adele, from her divorce to weight loss to new boyfriend |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2021/11/15/adele-oprah-interview-concert/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=15 November 2021 |archive-date=5 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705205509/https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2021/11/15/adele-oprah-interview-concert/ |url-status=live }} While creating "To Be Loved", Adele envisioned playing it for her son when he would be in his 30s.{{cite web |last=Kenneally |first=Cerys |title=Adele shares video of her singing new 30 track 'To Be Loved' |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/adele-shares-video-of-her-singing-new-30-track-to-be-loved |website=The Line of Best Fit |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=18 November 2021 |archive-date=13 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213202044/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/adele-shares-video-of-her-singing-new-30-track-to-be-loved |url-status=live }} The song was announced as the 11th track on the album on 1 November 2021.{{Cite web|last=Earl|first=William|date=1 November 2021|title=Adele's 30 Tracklist Revealed, Featuring the Amazingly Titled 'I Drink Wine'|url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/adele-30-tracklist-i-drink-wine-1235102162/|url-status=live|access-date=12 April 2022|website=Variety|language=en-US|archive-date=11 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111203924/https://variety.com/2021/music/news/adele-30-tracklist-i-drink-wine-1235102162/}}
On 17 November, Adele posted a clip of her performing "To Be Loved" in her living room, accompanied by a piano. It was well-received on the Internet.{{cite web |last=Hirwani |first=Peony |title=Adele debuts new track 'To Be Loved' one day before album release, leaving fans 'in tears |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/adele-30-to-be-loved-instagram-b1959860.html |website=The Independent |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=18 November 2021 |archive-date=2 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202155312/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/adele-30-to-be-loved-instagram-b1959860.html |url-status=live }} Rolling Stone{{'}}s Althea Legaspi described the rendition as "devastatingly gorgeous", and Billboard{{'}}s Heran Mamo called it "casually soul-crushing".{{cite magazine |last=Legaspi |first=Althea |title=Adele Shatters Hearts as She Casually Belts 'To Be Loved' on Instagram |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/adele-performs-to-be-loved-instagram-video-1259247/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=17 November 2021 |archive-date=27 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127234152/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/adele-performs-to-be-loved-instagram-video-1259247/ |url-status=live }}{{cite magazine |last=Mamo |first=Heran |title=Adele Leaves Us in Shambles With Living Room Performance of 'To Be Loved' |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/adele-to-be-loved-live-performance-1234998978/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=17 November 2021 |archive-date=9 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709173609/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/adele-to-be-loved-live-performance-1234998978/ |url-status=live }} As her voice grew louder, the sound in the clip became increasingly distorted, which led Variety{{'}}s Chris Willman and The Guardian Nigeria{{'}}s Oreoritse Tariemi to comment that "it sound[ed] like it was about to break her phone".{{cite web |last=Willman |first=Chris |title=Adele Belts Out New Album's Vocal Standout, 'To Be Loved', From Her Couch in Social Media Post |url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/adele-sings-to-be-loved-social-media-30-album-1235114693/ |website=Variety |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=17 November 2021 |archive-date=20 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120172810/https://variety.com/2021/music/news/adele-sings-to-be-loved-social-media-30-album-1235114693/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last=Tariemi |first=Oreoritse |title=Adele Debuts New Single 'To Be Loved' from Her Couch |url=https://guardian.ng/life/adele-debuts-new-single-to-be-loved-from-her-couch/ |work=The Guardian |access-date=25 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118131140/https://guardian.ng/life/adele-debuts-new-single-to-be-loved-from-her-couch/ |archive-date=18 November 2021 |date=18 November 2021 |url-status=live}} About the prospect of performing the song again in the future, Adele stated, "I don't think I'll do it live. I can't even listen to it, so no. I have to leave the room, I get really upset, I get really choked up."{{cite web |last=Langford |first=Jackson |title=Watch Adele perform new song 'To Be Loved' in her living room |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/watch-adele-perform-new-song-to-be-loved-in-her-living-room-3098251 |website=NME |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=18 November 2021 |archive-date=27 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127205335/https://www.nme.com/news/music/watch-adele-perform-new-song-to-be-loved-in-her-living-room-3098251 |url-status=live }}
"To Be Loved" became available for digital download on 30, which was released two days later.{{cite web |title='To Be Loved' by Adele |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/to-be-loved/1590035691?i=1590036269 |publisher=Apple Music (US) |access-date=9 July 2022 |url-status=live |archive-date=9 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709173611/https://music.apple.com/us/album/to-be-loved/1590035691?i=1590036269 }} In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number 12 on the Official Audio Streaming Chart. The song charted at number 32 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It peaked at number 16 on the Canadian Hot 100. In Australia, "To Be Loved" reached number 25. On the Billboard Global 200, the song peaked at number 19. It reached national record charts, at number 26 in Sweden, number 48 in Portugal, and number 116 in France.
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Composition
{{listen|filename=Adele - To Be Loved.ogg|title="To Be Loved"
|description=Adele's voice cracks as she delivers prolonged vocals over the piano instrumentation of "To Be Loved" (sampled), which switch between a vibrato and vocal growls, and drew critical praise.
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"To Be Loved" is six minutes and 43 seconds long. Jesso Jr. played the piano, and produced the song with Everett, who recorded it at Will's Grandma's House in California and engineered it with Ivan Wayman. Randy Merrill mastered it at Sterling Sound in New Jersey, and Matt Scatchell and Tom Elmhirst mixed it at Electric Lady Studios in New York.
"To Be Loved" is a torch ballad{{cite web |last=Moran |first=Robert |title='Easy on Me' is a trick, and four other things we learnt from Adele's new album |url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/five-things-we-learned-from-a-preview-listen-of-adele-s-30-20211116-p599cg.html |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=18 November 2021 |archive-date=25 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125182602/https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/five-things-we-learned-from-a-preview-listen-of-adele-s-30-20211116-p599cg.html |url-status=live }} with minimalistic piano instrumentation. The song progresses at a slow tempo, which The Guardian{{'}}s Alexis Petridis compared to a "12-mile tailback on the M62".{{Cite web|last=Petridis|first=Alexis|author-link=Alexis Petridis|date=17 November 2021|title=Adele: 30 review – the defining voice of heartbreak returns|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/nov/17/adele-30-album-review-the-defining-voice-of-heartbreak-returns|access-date=17 November 2021|website=The Guardian|archive-date=19 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119083717/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/nov/17/adele-30-album-review-the-defining-voice-of-heartbreak-returns|url-status=live}} It opens with a powerful and unabashed piano line. "To Be Loved" sets Adele's echoey vocals over bare and exposed production, which The A.V. Club{{'}}s Gabrielle Sanchez thought sounded like "she's singing on an empty stage".{{cite web |last=Sanchez |first=Gabrielle |title=Adele reaches new heights on 30, her best album to date |url=https://www.avclub.com/adele-reaches-new-heights-on-30-her-best-album-to-date-1848102061 |website=The A.V. Club |access-date=2 July 2022 |date=23 November 2021 |archive-date=31 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531031105/https://www.avclub.com/adele-reaches-new-heights-on-30-her-best-album-to-date-1848102061 |url-status=live }} She employs a chest belt that switches between a vibrato and vocal growls, spanning a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Adele's voice cracks during the bridge. She delivers the song's highest note with the words "I tried".{{cite web|url=https://diymag.com/2021/11/17/adele-30-album-review|title=Adele – 30 Album Review|website=DIY|last=Swann|first=Emma|date=17 November 2021 |access-date=17 November 2021|archive-date=20 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120151755/https://diymag.com/2021/11/17/adele-30-album-review|url-status=live}} The Telegraph{{'}}s Neil McCormick described its climax as a testimonial epilogue gigantic enough to "blow out her vocal cords".{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/adele-30-review-fiercely-honest-shockingly-raw-best-album-yet/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/adele-30-review-fiercely-honest-shockingly-raw-best-album-yet/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-status=live|title=Adele, 30, review: fiercely honest and shockingly raw, this is her best album yet|website=The Telegraph|last=McCormick|first=Neil|author-link=Neil McCormick|date=17 November 2021|access-date=17 November 2021|url-access=subscription}}{{cbignore}}
Adele addresses her divorce from Konecki on "To Be Loved", explaining to her son why her marriage did not succeed, a theme also explored on 30{{'}}s third track "My Little Love". The song has lyrics about persevering in a relationship with the sole reason of wanting to be loved.{{cite web |last=Mier |first=Tomás |title=Adele Brings Us to Tears with Sneak Peek of 'To Be Loved' from Album 30: 'I Don't Regret a Thing' |url=https://people.com/music/adele-gives-sneak-peek-of-30-with-to-be-loved/ |website=People |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=17 November 2021 |archive-date=30 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130122125/https://people.com/music/adele-gives-sneak-peek-of-30-with-to-be-loved/ |url-status=live }} She describes the price one has to pay upon completely and unapologetically falling in love with someone else. Adele justifies the separation, as she believes the marriage deprived her of the true love she had been seeking her whole life, and parts ways in hopes that a greater love is possible.{{cite web |last=Willman |first=Chris |title=Adele's 30 Is Her Emotionally Rawest, Riskiest and Best Record |url=https://variety.com/2021/music/album-reviews/adele-30-album-review-1235113555/ |website=Variety |access-date=2 July 2022 |date=16 November 2021 |archive-date=19 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419105632/https://variety.com/2021/music/album-reviews/adele-30-album-review-1235113555/ |url-status=live }} On "To Be Loved", she confronts what it means to share her life, attempting to gauge where her trust and dependence transformed into self-erasure: "To be loved and love at the highest count/Means to lose all the things I can't live without," and states, "I can't live a lie".{{cite web |last=Pareles |first=Jon |title=Adele Has a Lot of Big Feelings on 30 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/17/arts/music/adele-new-album-30-review.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=2 July 2022 |date=17 November 2021 |archive-date=17 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220317162322/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/17/arts/music/adele-new-album-30-review.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }} Slant Magazine{{'}}s Eric Mason described the song as "the internal monologue of a Broadway actor who's been unexpectedly left alone on stage".{{cite web |last=Mason |first=Eric |title=With 30, Adele Expands Her Brand of Pop-Soul Into Ever More Expressive Terrain |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/adele-30-album-review/ |website=Slant Magazine |access-date=2 July 2022 |date=19 November 2021 |archive-date=4 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211204044012/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/adele-30-album-review/ |url-status=live }}
Critical reception
"To Be Loved" received rave reviews from music critics. Pitchfork{{'}}s Gio Santiago named the song an "off-the-cuff masterpiece" and thought Adele reached new levels of vulnerability with it. He likened it to an 11 o'clock number and stated that it placed determinedly among a collection of heartbreak songs.{{cite web |last=Santiago |first=Gio |title=Adele: 'To Be Loved' Track Review |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/adele-to-be-loved/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=19 November 2021 |archive-date=4 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220504163429/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/adele-to-be-loved/ |url-status=live }} Cat Sposato of NPR wrote that "To Be Loved" was Adele at her prime vocally and believed she delivered her final vocals on it with extenuating passion that might be strong enough to cure her bygone lesions.{{cite web |last=Sposato |first=Cat |title=Adele, 'To Be Loved' |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/now-playing/2021/11/19/1057259442/adele-to-be-loved |website=NPR |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=19 November 2021 |archive-date=5 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220405133450/https://www.npr.org/sections/now-playing/2021/11/19/1057259442/adele-to-be-loved |url-status=live }} Writing for The Observer, Kitty Empire named the song 30{{'}}s defining track as well as "the Burj Khalifa of piano ballads".{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/nov/20/adele-30-review-waterworks-that-go-all-the-way-up-to-11|title=Adele: 30 review – waterworks turned up to 11|website=The Observer|last=Empire|first=Kitty|author-link=Kitty Empire|date=20 November 2021|access-date=20 November 2021|archive-date=20 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120143133/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/nov/20/adele-30-review-waterworks-that-go-all-the-way-up-to-11|url-status=live}} Jason Lipshutz of Billboard deemed it the most dexterous moment of the album and the "most mesmerizing powerhouse vocal performance" of Adele's career.{{cite magazine |last=Lipshutz |first=Jason |title=Every Song Ranked on Adele's 30 |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/adele-30-tracks-ranked-critics-picks-1235000116/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=11 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119052712/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/adele-30-tracks-ranked-critics-picks-1235000116/ |archive-date=19 November 2021 |date=19 November 2021 |url-status=live}} Critics compared Adele's vocal performance on "To Be Loved" to Whitney Houston.{{Cite web |last=Mapes |first=Jillian |date=22 November 2021 |title=Adele: 30 Album Review |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/adele-30/ |access-date=22 November 2021 |website=Pitchfork |archive-date=24 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211124053148/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/adele-30/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web|last=Yeung|first=Neil Z.|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/30-mw0003606012|title=30 – Adele|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=19 November 2021|archive-date=19 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119172809/https://www.allmusic.com/album/30-mw0003606012|url-status=live}}{{cite web |last=Murray |first=Robin |title=Adele – 30 |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/adele-30/ |website=Clash |access-date=2 July 2022 |date=17 November 2021 |archive-date=23 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123054106/https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/adele-30 |url-status=live }} Writing for Clash, Robin Murray thought her prolonged and dulcet vocal lines drew full strength from her throat and further compared them to vocalised pirouettes performed by Houston during her prime.
McCormick described "To Be Loved" as an eye-catching ballad and opined that its final vocals were almost flabbergasting to hear, the crude emotion achieving something "beyond musical finesse". Sanchez thought Adele was at her pinnacle on the song, her "raw, powerhouse performance" likely to induce an impulse to applaud from the listener. Pitchfork{{'}}s Jillian Mapes opined that it will go down in history and saw her do what she is best at: "creat[ing] a world of feeling out of little more than her voice and then tak[ing] you to the brink". Kyle Mullin of Exclaim! thought the wounded piano and high notes of "To Be Loved" shared the chill-inducing quality of "Someone like You" (2011).{{cite web |last=Mullin |first=Kyle |title=Adele Pushes Her Songcraft to Even Grander Heights on 30 |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/adele_30_album_review |website=Exclaim! |access-date=11 July 2022 |date=22 November 2021 |archive-date=7 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220607101836/https://exclaim.ca/music/article/adele_30_album_review |url-status=live }} Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Mikael Wood described the vocals in the song's climax as "a howl of pain", and deemed it remarkable that "everybody in Los Angeles didn't stop on the day she recorded it and wonder what they just heard".{{Cite web|last=Wood|first=Mikael|date=17 November 2021|title=Review: There are many heirs to her throne, but Adele is still queen of the ugly-cry ballad|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-11-16/adele-30-album-review|access-date=17 November 2021|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|archive-date=17 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117064631/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-11-16/adele-30-album-review|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}
Murray thought the beautiful melody and chord structure of "To Be Loved" contrasted with its dark lyrics. NME{{'}}s El Hunt felt the song's production is so tender, one can almost feel the silky "hammers of the keys".{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/adele-30-album-review-dependable-pop-titan-finally-mixes-things-up-3096613|title=Adele – 30 album review: dependable pop titan finally mixes things up|website=NME|last=Hunt|first=El|date=17 November 2021|access-date=17 November 2021|archive-date=19 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119153952/https://www.nme.com/reviews/adele-30-album-review-dependable-pop-titan-finally-mixes-things-up-3096613|url-status=live}} Sanchez praised its figurative lyricism. David Cobbald of The Line of Best Fit considered "To Be Loved" both lyrically and melodically strong, as well as "one of Adele's best vocal performances to date", but thought its replayability was compromised by its theatricality.{{cite web |last=Cobbald |first=David |title=Adele's 30 takes a bold leap into the unknown |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/adele-30-album-review |website=The Line of Best Fit |access-date=2 July 2022 |date=17 November 2021 |archive-date=18 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118060418/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/adele-30-album-review |url-status=live }} Writing for MusicOMH, Graeme Marsh thought she went overboard feeling sorry for herself and came across as if she was trying to convince herself she did everything to prevent her divorce, a recurring theme on 30, but described the song as stunning nonetheless.{{cite web |last=Marsh |first=Graeme |title=Adele – 30 |url=https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/adele-30 |website=MusicOMH |access-date=2 July 2022 |date=23 November 2021 |archive-date=27 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220127204849/https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/adele-30 |url-status=live }}
Several publications included "To Be Loved" in their list of the best songs of 2021. The Sydney Morning Herald{{'}}s Robert Moran placed the song at number three and deemed it worthy of a standing ovation due to Adele's stentorian vocals reminiscent of Houston.{{cite web |last=Moran |first=Robert |title=The 21 best songs of 2021 |url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/the-21-best-songs-of-2021-20211223-p59jr5.html |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=29 December 2021 |archive-date=14 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214224635/https://www.smh.com.au/culture/music/the-21-best-songs-of-2021-20211223-p59jr5.html |url-status=live }} Lindsay Zoladz of The New York Times included it at number six and stated that it was emblematic of her being "regal as ever", but freshly open to the world and daring enough to get a little sullied.{{cite web |last=Zoladz |first=Lindsay |title=Best Songs of 2021 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/07/arts/music/best-songs.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=7 December 2021 |archive-date=8 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208162129/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/07/arts/music/best-songs.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }} Willman listed "To Be Loved" at number seven, opined that it was the most monumental 30 track, and thought Adele's vocal performance on it would make listeners shout from their rooftops that "Adele is one of the great singers of our lifetime".{{cite web |last=Willman |first=Chris |title=The 50 Best Songs of 2021 |url=https://variety.com/lists/best-songs-2021-music/adele-to-be-loved/ |website=Variety |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=31 December 2021 |archive-date=9 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709114816/https://variety.com/lists/best-songs-2021-music/adele-to-be-loved/ |url-status=live }} The Los Angeles Times placed the song at number 10, and Wood declared it "the vocal performance of the year".{{cite web |last=Wood |first=Mikael |title=The 100 best songs of 2021 |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-12-20/100-best-songs-2021-sza-kali-uchis-baby-keem |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=20 December 2021 |archive-date=20 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220211525/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-12-20/100-best-songs-2021-sza-kali-uchis-baby-keem |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}
Jordan Rose of Complex included "To Be Loved" at number 19, naming it one of the "crown jewels" of Adele's discography, and deemed it "beautiful, painful, and [illustrative of] one of the album's core themes: authentic love comes at a cost and it never truly fades away".{{cite web |last=Rose |first=Jordan |title=The Best Songs of 2021 |url=https://www.complex.com/music/best-songs-of-2021/adele-to-be-loved |website=Complex |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=15 December 2021 |archive-date=9 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709110859/https://www.complex.com/music/best-songs-of-2021/adele-to-be-loved |url-status=live }} The Line of Best Fit listed the song at number 37, and Cobbald stated that it was a standout on 30 and "arguably Adele's best vocal performance to date", topping off her position as the "queen of heartbroken millennials".{{cite web |last=Cobbald |first=David |title=The Best Songs of 2021 Ranked |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/features/articles/best-songs-of-2021-ranked |website=The Line of Best Fit |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=20 December 2021 |archive-date=22 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222224103/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/features/articles/best-songs-of-2021-ranked |url-status=live }} Pitchfork{{'}}s Owen Myers placed it at number 39 and praised her vocal control on it: "She pushes her voice way past the elegant restraint that is her signature, as it curdles into squalls and ragged screams."{{cite web |last=Myers |first=Owen |title=The 100 Best Songs of 2021 |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/best-songs-2021/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=6 December 2021 |archive-date=28 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328041351/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/best-songs-2021/ |url-status=live }} Andrew Unterberger of Billboard included "To Be Loved" at number 45 and remarked that Adele "sinks her heart, soul and diaphragm into [the] personal anthem about refusing to regret not looking before she leaps" over its deservedly lengthy duration.{{cite magazine |last=Unterberger |first=Andrew |title=The 100 Best Songs of 2021 |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-songs-2021/adele-to-be-loved/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=7 December 2021 |archive-date=9 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709114818/https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-songs-2021/adele-to-be-loved/ |url-status=live }} The song was also placed on unranked lists by the Associated Press and Vogue.{{cite web |last=Clark |first=Ragan |title=AP Top Songs of 2021 include 'Peaches,' 'Drivers License' |url=https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-entertainment-hip-hop-and-rap-justin-bieber-0cabc9bf4daa0d612e46d7ed83dfc5b7 |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=17 December 2021 |archive-date=14 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220414221326/https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-arts-and-entertainment-hip-hop-and-rap-justin-bieber-0cabc9bf4daa0d612e46d7ed83dfc5b7 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last=Schmidt |first=Clarissa |title=The 38 Best Songs of 2021, According to Vogue Editors |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/best-songs-of-2021 |website=Vogue |access-date=9 July 2022 |date=7 December 2021 |archive-date=23 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220323200555/https://www.vogue.com/article/best-songs-of-2021 |url-status=live }}
Credits and personnel
Credits are adapted from the liner notes of 30.{{cite AV media notes|title=30|others=Adele|year=2021|author=Columbia Records}}
- Tobias Jesso Jr. – producer, songwriter, piano
- Shawn Everett – producer, engineering
- Adele – songwriter
- Randy Merrill – mastering
- Matt Scatchell – mixing
- Tom Elmhirst – mixing
- Ivan Wayman – engineering
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Chart positions for "To Be Loved" ! scope="col"| Chart (2021) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{single chart|Australia|25|artist=Adele|song=To Be Loved|rowheader=true|access-date=9 July 2022|refname="AU"}} |
| {{single chart|Canada|16|artist=Adele|rowheader=true|access-date=9 July 2022|refname="CA"}} |
| {{single chart|France|116|artist=Adele|song=To Be Loved|rowheader=true|access-date=9 July 2022|refname="FR"}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardglobal200|19|artist=Adele|rowheader=true|access-date=9 July 2022|refname="GL"}} |
| scope="row"| Iceland (Tónlistinn){{cite web|url=http://plotutidindi.is/tonlistinn/|title=Tónlistinn – Lög|publisher=Plötutíðindi|language=is|trans-title=The Music – Songs|access-date=23 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129190021/http://plotutidindi.is/tonlistinn/|archive-date=29 November 2021}}
| 17 |
|---|
| {{single chart|Portugal|48|artist=Adele|song=To Be Loved|rowheader=true|access-date=9 July 2022|refname="PO"}} |
| {{single chart|Sweden|26|artist=Adele|song=To Be Loved|rowheader=true|access-date=9 July 2022|refname="SW"}} |
| {{single chart|UKstreaming|12|date=20211202|rowheader=true|access-date=9 July 2022|refname="UK"}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardhot100|32|artist=Adele|rowheader=true|access-date=9 July 2022|refname="US"}} |
Certification
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certification for "To Be Loved"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|type=single|artist=Adele|title=To Be Loved|award=Gold|relyear=2021|certyear=2022|access-date=4 January 2023}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|relyear=2024|certyear=2024|title=To Be Loved|artist=Adele|type=single|award=Silver|id=8931-417-1|access-date=18 November 2024}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}