Σtella - Adagio [Pink]

Σtella slows the clock right down on Adagio, a breezy, sun-warmed set of songs from the Greek singer and songwriter, pressed here on pink vinyl.

Released in 2025 as her fifth album and her second for Sub Pop after Up and Away, Adagio was written and recorded over five years, partly by trading ideas at a distance. Rafael Cohen of !!!, appearing under his Las Palabras alias, and British songwriter Gabriel Stebbing helped shape the songs, and their touch keeps things light and unfussy.

The theme is right there in the title. These are songs about slowness, love, desire and rest, coloured by a longing for the unhurried pace of her childhood. For the first time in her catalogue she sings two songs in Greek, and the shift in language gives the record a quietly personal glow.

The title track sets an easy, unhurried tempo, while "Baby Brazil" lets Las Palabras join the conversation. "Omorfo Mou", Greek for my beautiful, and "Corfu", named for the island, lean into Mediterranean warmth, her airy voice floating just above the mix.

At around 27 minutes it never overstays its welcome, which feels exactly right for a record that argues for taking your time. Put it on during a slow Sunday and let it set the pace for the afternoon.