Singer-songwriter Adele has had a piece of music leaked to the internet and fears it could be "disastrous" for her new music.
According to The Daily Mail, a leak consists of a 10-second snippet of an outtake from the 32-year-old songstress' album 25, which was released back in 2015.
In the leaked audio file in question, Adele's distinctive voice can allegedly be heard singing: "Forget about who’s winning, baby. You better hope he’ll find it in him, maybe, to forgive the sinner he’s made you."
The leak, which has occurred ahead of her hotly-anticipated and as-yet-unreleased fourth studio album has prompted concerns from Adele about the security of her intellectual property.
Commenting on the leak, a source allegedly told The Sun that: "Adele's campaigns are always shrouded in secrecy and that is what made her return in 2015 so exciting."
They continued: "There was real hype to hear her voice again and everyone rushed out to buy her record. But if her next album leaks it could be disastrous. It could have a dent on her sales figures and also taint her entire return to music."
According to The Mail, Adele's next album is set to be released sometime in 2021 and is due to be the first new music heard from the artist in six years.
Fans have been fervently speculating as to what the new album's content might consist of, but a source close to her has already alleged that it will respectfully not make any reference to her ex-husband Simon Konecki, whom the singer divorced in January of 2020.
The Sun reports that the unnamed source apparently told them: "Heartbreak has helped Adele shift records over the years but this split is quite different.
"They’re both aware their son Angelo should be protected and that’s why Adele has agreed not to sing about their relationship.
"Her new album will have a different sound anyway, so it hasn’t bothered her too much that Simon quietly expected her to keep their relationship out of her music. It's a show of respect."