Breaking up with ... Adele

The 22-year-old British singer croons brutal but brilliant songs of heartbreak on her latest album, 21. We asked for her tips on surviving a breakup, as well as the songs that help get her through those ruined relationships.

Make sure you deliver the bad news face-to-face
”You gotta do it in person. I’ve been broken up with by text. Even though I was a teenager — I was 18, 19 — I was so embarrassed and mortified. I felt like a bit of [poop] on the bottom of a shoe!”

Wallow in your emotions
”I mope around for a little while. I do embrace the fact that I’m heartbroken. I don’t move on quickly. I don’t know if that’s because it seems that I’m only really creative when I’m a bit momentarily depressed.”

Write it all down
”I write letters, but I never send them, especially about my ex, who this record is about. I must have written him about five or six letters at different stages of the recovery. I’ve written, put in an envelope, stamped and everything, but never sent. I’ve got a little box of stuff that reminds me of us, and they’re in there.”

Rent a romantic comedy
”I tend to watch really trashy movies like You’ve Got Mail. Then at the end you start questioning why you aren’t with someone, and [how] you’re never, ever gonna find your Tom Hanks.”

Sign up for online dating
”I just signed up for eHarmony. I can’t put a photo of myself, so I don’t get any e-mails!”

Her favorite breakup songs:

Bonnie Raitt, “I Can’t Make You Love Me”
Mumford & Sons, “After the Storm”
Florence + the Machine, “Cosmic Love”
David Gray, “This Years Love”
Katy Perry, “Not Like the Movies”
Etta James, “All I Could Do Is Cry”