On “Chasing Pavements”, Adele wonders whether or not to try and pursue a relationship with the man of her dreams. It actually caused a bit of controversy in the States because people thought “chasing pavements” was a euphemism for being in love with gay men (definitely unattainable for women).

Adele briefly explained the story behind this track in an interview with ELLE for their “Life in Lyrics,” saying:

“Chasing Pavements,” I slapped my boyfriend and was running down to Tottenham Court Road in London to make sure I didn’t get in trouble, and then no one was chasing after me, and I was, like, “You’re chasing pavements, it’s going nowhere.”

The song was Adele’s first big hit in the United States and earned the Brit one of her first Grammys (Best Female Pop Vocal Performance).

Rapper Machine Gun Kelly later used a sample from this song for his own “Chasing Pavements” off his self-released album Rage Pack.