Adele dropped her emotional new single, "When We Were Young," on Tuesday (Nov. 17) -- although what Adele song isn't emotional? And of course, she debuted it with a powerfully fierce performance video filmed at London's Church Studios.

Adele wrote the song with Tobias Jesso Jr., a 30-year-old singer-songwriter from Vancouver whose debut album, Goon, was released in March. It might seem like Jesso has suddenly come out of nowhere, but his backstory is replete with musical adventures and heartbreak, which actually makes his match-up with Adele pretty perfect.

Here's what you need to know about Jesso -- and how his pop connections go way further than just this 25 album cut.

It all started with a tweet.

When Jesso's awesome tune "How Could You Babe" premiered in January, Adele tweeted it out, called it "fantastic" and advised fans to "click away."

Meeting Adele was a big deal to him.

"It's impossible to question why she's where she is once you sit down with her to write a song," Jesso told Rolling Stone. "She was the first introduction I had to somebody who could sing words on the spot that were actually really great."

The "When We Were Young" recording sessions literally rocked the house.

Jesso's manager said he could hear Adele's voice from outside the house where she was singing and that it was shaking the building.

He started playing piano at 27.

And since he's 30 now, that means he's become good enough for Adele collabs in only three years' time. But that doesn't even tell the whole story.

His big break didn't come until he failed a few times.

After playing bass for The Sessions and pop singer Melissa Cavatti, Jesso moved from LA back to Vancouver to retreat and start all over again on his own. Pretty good comeback, eh?

His song "Hollywood" is about his failures.

"I was in L.A. and I was just walking around like a regular guy. I was trying to be a songwriter; I really was, you know?" he told Stereogum in January. "I just don’t think I was going about it the right way. And then when I went home, I started working for my best friend’s moving company, and then I was like, “OK, I’ll figure it out here. I’ll be a mover or something.” And then it was within a week or two that I started writing on piano."

He had superstar help with his debut LP.

The Black Keys' Patrick Carney, Chet "JR" White from Girls and Ariel Rechtshaid all helped shape Goon.

He played all the instruments on his album.

Vocals, piano, guitar, bass and drums on every track...except one.

Danielle Haim plays on "Without You."

So, that's pretty rad.

He really is 6'7'' tall.

You literally can't miss him. But musically, it's hard to as well.