We all knew the end was coming, but seeing Adele wake up James Corden with a pair of cymbals felt like the end of an era. It’s been years since that first 2016 drive in London, which, by the way, still holds the record as one of the most-watched late-night clips ever. But their final ride in 2023 wasn't just about the "Monster" rap or hitting high notes. It was about two friends from England who moved to LA at the same time and were finally saying goodbye to a shared life.
Honestly, it’s rare to see that kind of raw vulnerability on a late-night show. Usually, it's all rehearsed bits and "buy my new album" energy. This was different.
📖 Related: Jack the Ripper image: What we actually know about the face of history’s most famous ghost
The Song That Changed Everything
Most people don't realize that Adele on James Corden wasn't just a guest-host dynamic; it was a lifeline. During the final Carpool Karaoke, Adele dropped a massive bombshell about her song "I Drink Wine" from the album 30.
She wrote the first verse after a six-hour conversation with Corden. They were driving home from a family vacation in early 2020. Corden was struggling. He was dealing with "work stuff and the internet"—which many fans speculate was the fallout from the Cats movie and the general vitriol that sometimes follows him. Adele said she felt "unsafe" because James had always been the strong one, the "adult" in the room who looked after her during her divorce from Simon Konecki.
Seeing your "strong friend" crumble is a specific kind of terrifying. Adele took that feeling and turned it into lyrics about how we become versions of ourselves we don't even like. When she played the demo for him back then, James told her, "That's exactly how I was feeling."
What They Sang on the Final Ride
The playlist for the finale was a mix of nostalgia and heavy hitters. They didn't just stick to the radio edits; they went deep into the emotional catalog.
🔗 Read more: The Real Housewives of Orange County Reunion: What Actually Happened Behind the Scenes
- "Rolling in the Deep": A classic opener to get the energy up.
- "Love Is a Game": Bringing that cinematic 30 energy to the front seat.
- "I Drink Wine": The moment where both of them basically lost it.
- "Don't Rain on My Parade": A nod to their shared love of theater, even though Adele famously joked she’ll never get an EGOT because she "f***ing hates musicals."
- "Hometown Glory": The perfect, tearful bookend for a man moving back to London.
The Prank That Never Was
One of the funniest parts of the final segment was the reveal of a failed prank. James apparently spent a fortune trying to prank Adele with a fake animatronic bear. He even got Gayle King to record a fake news segment to make it look real.
It backfired completely.
Adele is apparently "unprankable." One of her assistants spotted a hidden camera, and instead of being funny, it just made Adele feel like she had a stalker. James had to come out of hiding early to stop her from spiraling. It's a reminder that even with all the Hollywood production, these two have a very real, sometimes messy, protective friendship.
📖 Related: SNL 50 Cast: Why the 50th Season Roster Actually Works
Why the 2016 Video Still Matters
You can't talk about Adele on James Corden without mentioning the first time. That 2016 segment was a cultural reset. It has over 260 million views. At the time, Adele was at the peak of 25 mania, and seeing her drink tea, talk about the Spice Girls, and nail Nicki Minaj’s rap showed a side of her the public hadn't really seen.
It wasn't just a "viral moment." It changed how late-night TV functioned. It proved that people didn't want polished interviews; they wanted to see stars being "normal" in a car.
The Reality of the "A-Bomb"
James revealed a funny tidbit about Adele’s fame during their last drive. He calls her "A-Bomb." Apparently, when they’re trying to get a table at a packed restaurant, Adele occasionally has to "drop the A-bomb" (her name) to get them in. It’s a joke between them and Corden's wife, Jules.
But behind the jokes, there was a lot of sadness. Adele admitted she wasn't ready to move back to the UK yet, even though James was. "I've never lived in LA without you," she told him. That's a heavy thing to say to a friend who is essentially your anchor in a foreign city.
Lessons from the Carpool
Looking back at the impact of Adele on James Corden, there are a few real takeaways for anyone who loves pop culture or just appreciates a solid friendship.
- Vulnerability is the best PR: The reason these segments worked wasn't the singing; it was the crying. People connect with the struggle, not just the success.
- Friendship transcends the "Brand": They didn't care about looking cool. They cared about each other.
- Endings are necessary: Corden leaving The Late Late Show felt right. He wanted to go home to his family, and Adele being the one to drive him to his last week of work was the only way to close that chapter.
To truly appreciate the depth of this connection, you have to look at the lyrics of "I Drink Wine" again. It’s not just a song about divorce; it’s a song about the heavy conversations we have with the people who know us best.
If you're looking to revisit these moments, the best way is to watch the 2016 and 2023 segments back-to-back. You can see the aging, the growth, and the shift from "rising stars" to "industry titans" who are just tired and want to go home. Focus on the nuances—the way they lean into each other when they laugh and the way the jokes mask the fact that they’re both heartbroken about the distance that was about to come between them.