30

by Adele

Overview

Since 2008, Adele has allowed listeners to peek into her world, carrying them through the major stages of her life as a shoulder to cry on and a relatable presence. With her fourth set, 30, she grants more access than ever before, detailing one of her most painful seasons with poise and grace. Charting the aftermath of her 2019 divorce, 30 is not a fiery breakup album. Rather, focusing on acceptance, growth, and owning her mistakes, she's created a time capsule for her son, Angelo, to understand what his mother was going through at this pivotal time. After the curtains part on the dramatic, Judy Garland-inspired overture "Strangers by Nature," she addresses the split with "Easy on Me," redirecting her focus as a plea for patience and understanding from her son. "My Little Love" interpolates their intimate conversations atop smoky R&B production that echoes early-2000s Alicia Keys. When she confesses, "Mummy's been having a lot of big feelings lately," it's a prelude to the heartbreak that closes the song, where a crying Adele admits she's lonely and scared. Hearing the superstar in such an unguarded human state might be jarring, but it's oddly reassuring to witness these levels of vulnerability and candor: Adele feels the same pain and she's fumbling along the way to happiness just like the rest of us. As 30 unfolds, she takes tentative steps back onto the market, having the wrong kind of "fun" on the standout "Oh My God," a hit in the making that rides an infectious beat peppered with handclaps and whistles. Wading deeper into the dating pool with the stomping Max Martin and Shellback-penned "Can I Get It," she searches for a real love connection, which leads to "All Night Parking," a lovelorn gem about budding romance. Those fresh thrills don't last long, as the delicious kiss-off "Woman Like Me" knocks the unnamed Romeo down a few pegs for being too lazy, whiny, and complacent for a powerhouse like Ms. Adkins. Later, on the triumphant "Hold On," a choir of friends empowers a faltering Adele, reminding her that, "You are still strong/Love will soon come." Tough realizations and soul-searching land on the Elton John-influenced piano ballad "I Drink Wine" and the showstopping "To Be Loved," a shiver-inducing showcase of vocal acrobatics that stands tall alongside the best performances by Whitney, Mariah, and Celine. As the credits roll on "Love Is a Game," lush strings and a pensive organ usher in a nostalgic Motown girl group timelessness, where Adele admits, "Love is a game for fools to play," picking up the pieces and taking responsibility for her actions. Meeting titanic expectations, this linear journey of the heart is Adele's most cohesive statement to date, pairing her inimitable voice with a dozen engrossing vignettes, reminding us that all we can do is keep trying. ~ Neil Z. Yeung

Product Details

Release Date:	11/19/2021
Label:	Columbia
UPC:	0194399379721

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Adele   Primary Artist,Vocals,Voices,Clapping,Stomping,Tambourine,Handclapping
Shellback   Stomping,Keyboards,Percussion,Bass,Drums,Guitar,Clapping
Inflo   Piano,Guitar,Wurlitzer,Percussion,Handclapping,Guitar (Electric),Bass,Drums,Organ
Tobias Jesso, Jr.   Piano
Joey Pecoraro   Drums,Piano,Violin,Trumpet
Adele's Crazy Friends   Choir/Chorus
Angelo James Adkins   Voices
Chris Dave   Drums,Bongos,Vibraslap,Percussion
Greg Kurstin   Bass,Drums,Piano,Guitar,Clapping,Keyboards,Mellotron,Percussion,Drums (Bass),Fender Rhodes,Guitar (Steel),Organ (Hammond)
Erroll Garner   Piano,Featured Artist
Max Martin   Piano,Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Adele Adkins   Vocals
David Campbell   String Conductor
Ludwig Goeransson   Bass,Piano,Mellotron,Fender Rhodes

Technical Credits

Shellback   Producer,Programming,Composer
Inflo   Engineer,Producer
Julian Burg   Engineer,Vocal Engineer
Ivan Wayman   Engineer
Tobias Jesso, Jr.   Composer,Producer
Matt Dyson   Engineer
Tom Campbell   Engineer
Joey Pecoraro   Producer
Bryce Bordone   Mixing Assistant
Brian Rajaratnam   Assistant Engineer
Matthew Scatchell   Mixing Engineer
Serena Goransson   String Arrangements
Raven B. Varona   Photography
Adele   Creative Director,Design
Riley Mackin   Engineer
Steve Churchyard   String Engineer
Greg Kurstin   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Orchestration,Vocal Engineer,Drum Programming
Serban Ghenea   Mixing
Erroll Garner   Composer
John Hanes   Mixing Engineer
Michael Ilbert   Engineer
Max Martin   Composer,Producer,Programming
Lasse Marten   Engineer
Adele Adkins   Composer
Shawn Everett   Engineer,Producer
Tom Elmhirst   Mixing
David Campbell   String Arrangements
Simon Emmett   Cover Photo
Todd Monfalcone   Engineer
Alex Pasco   Engineer
Sam Holland   Engineer
Ludwig Goeransson   Composer,Producer,Synthesizer Programming
Phil Lee   Design,Creative Director
Randy Merrill   Mastering
Ryan Lytle   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Dean Josiah Cover   Composer
Karl Schuster   Composer