Adele Is Honest And Vulnerable On Her Highly Anticipated Album ‘30’
Samantha Colleran, November 2021
This woman and this album don’t need much of an introduction. Years in the making, Adele’s highly anticipated 30 is finally here, and it’s an absolutely gorgeous masterpiece. If you’re expecting your typical Adele powerhouse ballad album, leave your expectations at the door and get ready to be dazzled by the incredible vocals and lyrics of a woman who pulled herself out of a dark time in her life and learned to heal from her past.
Let me start this off by saying it’s wonderful to have Adele back after so long. This album serves as a reminder of how incredible she is as a songwriter and a vocalist. Of course we kicked off this new album with “Easy On Me”, the single that confirmed Adele’s comeback. Reminiscent of the classic Adele piano sound, Adele begs the people in her life to “go easy” on her as she works through one of the toughest decisions of her life; divorcing her husband and putting her own happiness first. This set a common theme that runs throughout the album, Adele working through her feelings while simultaneously trying to explain her decisions and emotions to her son, Angelo.
We see a new side of Adele; although she’s always been a heartfelt writer, we get a deeper look into her soul on this album. Sprinkled throughout the album are spoken portions where we get a real understanding of what Adele was feeling throughout the process of divorcing her husband. “My Little Love” is perhaps the best and most heartbreaking example. Angelo is featured on this track, and we see Adele trying to sort through her own feelings while trying to be a mother to her son. There’s a fine line to walk when explaining such heavy topics to a young child, and Adele does it perfectly. It’s so raw and personal, and the final voice note will break your heart.
Although the general subject matter of the album is sad, there are still some slightly lighter sounding moments. “Cry Your Heart Out” is a groovy number where Adele questions when she’ll stop experiencing such heavy feelings. The solution? Cry your heart out, go at your own pace when you’re having feelings of doubt. Instrumentally it’s such a different style for Adele, and definitely something I’d like to see her explore further. “Can I Get It” sees Adele longing for something more than a casual relationship, she’s on the hunt for something meaningful and real. An acoustic guitar leads the instrumentation and the layered vocals are absolutely stellar. “All Night Parking (with Erroll Garner) Interlude” touches on the first relationship Adele experienced post divorce. Although the relationship didn’t last, it’s still refreshing to hear a hint of happiness in her voice as she sings about wanting to dream about this mystery person all night long.
“Strangers By Nature”, the album opener, is a pivotal moment. “I’ll be taking flowers to the cemetery of my heart/ For all of my lovers in the present and in the dark” opens the album, setting the tone for what we’re about to get into. Taking inspiration from the music of Judy Garland, this song is unlike anything Adele has ever done before, and it’s the perfect way to launch listeners into this new era of music. Taking inspiration from Elton John and Bernie Taupin style songwriting, Adele sheds her ego and stops trying to be someone else to please people so she can learn to truly love again.
Adele takes control of her life and calls her power back on “Oh My God” and “Woman Like Me”. Wanting to have fun and get back into the world of dating is something that can be tough for anyone, but as a famous person it can be even harder. Adele navigates the feelings of wanting to have fun despite it feeling “wrong” to do so. Centering around the only time she felt rage through her divorce, Adele calls out her husband for not being consistent in their relationship. Although it’s sung softly, you can feel the harsh nature of the lyrics.
The final three tracks give us a true sense of the healing Adele has done. Friends of her’s join on the chorus for “Hold On”, which makes it way more meaningful and intimate. Having those who helped her through the dark period of her life tell her that she’s strong and love will come to her soon is so heartwarming and special. “To Be Loved” sees Adele reflecting on her past and proudly owning up to her mistakes and decisions in life, you can see her slowly piecing her life back together in these six minutes and everything about it is gut wrenchingly beautiful. “Love Is A Game” ends our listening journey. The credits roll on the story of Adele’s 30, dreamy strings guide you through the track as Adele tells us love is a game for fools, and she can no longer go through the pain of losing it. However, love is an inevitable part of life, as expressed by the outro, “I can love, I can love again/ I love me now, like I loved him/ I’m a fool for that/ You know I, you know I’m gonna do it/ Oh-oh-oh-oh/ I’d do it all again like I did then”.
Sam’s Song Selection
As always, this is subject to change, but for now…
1. “To Be Loved”: One of Adele’s most vulnerable vocal performances and lyrically beautiful songs, “To Be Loved” is easily one of the greatest songs to come out of this year.
2. “Strangers By Nature”: I love the sound of this song, that first line is one I won’t ever forget hearing for the first time. It’s such a solid way to begin the journey of this album!
3. “I Drink Wine”: Honest and raw, we see a transformation as Adele slowly lets her ego unravel and she stops trying to impress people around her.
This album is about divorce, but it’s so much more than that. You can feel all the emotion poured into every single song, you see Adele slowly healing herself and picking up the broken pieces of her life and slowly putting everything back together. You heal along with her, even if you feel like you have nothing to heal from you’ll feel something inside of you shift. If you haven’t listened to 30 yet, I highly suggest you do so. It’s a stellar album, and I can’t wait to hear everyone else’s thoughts on it!