Review | Adele makes her triumphant return on ’30’ – The Breeze

Whats my next album going to be based on? Divorce, babe divorce, Adele gleefully exclaimed on Instagram Live during the announcement of her latest album, 30. The album titled after her age during the recording process is the songstress first offering in six years, following the blockbuster success of her previous albums 21 and 25.

In the six years following her last release, Adele has publicly grappled with a barrage of life-changing events. The singer divorced her husband, received backlash for losing weight and lost her father, with whom she maintained a strained relationship. With confessional lyricism being one of Adeles artistic staples, 30 doesnt hold back in thoroughly exploring these melancholic themes.

[This album] was my ride or die throughout the most turbulent period of my life, Adele wrote on Twitter. Ive painstakingly rebuilt my house and my heart and this album narrates it.

The album opens with the subdued lullaby Strangers By Nature. It evokes a startlingly grim undertone, depicting Adele delivering flowers to the cemetery of [her] heart to commemorate previous relationships. Forlorn lyrics aside, the song marks exciting new territory for Adele. The track is her first to openly use contemporary instrumentation. Synth keyboards and digitally augmented vocals are paired with the singers classic orchestral arrangements. The pairing of contrasting sounds gels surprisingly well and continues through the rest of the album.

Easy On Me the first single released is a return to form for the songstress. The ballad harkens back to classic Adele songs, such as Someone Like You and Hello, with Adele belting over a familiar piano background. Fans will be pleased to find that Adeles voice sounds clearer and healthier than ever, after the singers lengthy struggle with maintaining proper vocal health.

My Little Love sees Adele experiment further with new sonic landscapes. In an interview with Vogue, Adele detailed an anecdote where her son, Angelo, claimed he metaphorically couldnt see her because of how preoccupied she was with anxiety. In My Little Love, Adele extrapolates upon this concept, composing the songs verses with muffled clips of a recorded conversation between herself and her son. The songs content is staggeringly voyeuristic, with the voice memos portraying Angelo claiming he feels his mother doesnt love him and Adele eventually breaking down in tears over her loneliness, rendering the anxieties of motherhood.

Listeners shouldnt be discouraged by the albums initial somber pace, as the tracklist also features a variety of upbeat moments although the lyrics do remain rather dismal. At first glance, Cry Your Heart Out features Adele cheerily channeling 60s girl groups and doo-wop music. When looking beyond the bright exterior, listeners will find that Adele is describing her disillusioned attitude toward life, with her lamenting, When I wake up, I'm afraid of the idea of facing' the day / I would rather stay home on my own, drink it all away.

The singers musical experimentation carries on in Oh My God, an electronic, slinky ode to careless hedonism after a breakup. Can I Get It co-written by prominent pop hitmaker Max Martin also places Adele outside of her comfort zone, with the singer crooning over a 90s-inspired acoustic guitar, reminiscent of the likes of Beck. All Night Parking is a smooth, trip hop interlude where Adele sings about finding love again over a trap beat.

Although seeing Adele innovate her sound by dipping her toes into a variety of musical genres, 30 excels when presenting the singers speciality lovelorn ballads.

Woman Like Me a standout on the album portrays an anguished Adele composing a scathing diatribe against her ex-husband. The song is down-tempo, with the singer utilizing the deeper parts of her range to cultivate an angry, ominous tone. The lyrics describe her husband as complacent and too lazy to maintain a relationship with a woman like [Adele], citing how her success makes him feel small.

The track Hold On traverses the subject of existential dread. The refrain, which encourages listeners to hold on through their personal hardships, is inspired by a phrase that Adeles friends would use when coaching her through anxiety. The song starts off slowly and builds into an uplifting anthem, with Adeles friends featured as members of a gospel choir that encourages listeners to be gratuitous and patient as love will come soon.

The album closes with the nearly seven-minute cinematic song, Love Is A Game. Its inspired by the film Breakfast at Tiffanys, with the singer claiming she wrote the song as if [she] were writing the [films] soundtrack. Adele pulls out all stops, including a soaring full orchestral arrangement and an invigorating key change.

30 acts as a well-earned victory lap for Adele as she enters a new decade showcasing her undeniable talent while also allowing the industry veteran to play with fresh sounds. With music industry experts predicting the album to sell over 800,000 copies a rarity when todays consumers simply stream music listeners are bound to tune in.

Contact Jake Dodohara at dodohajh@dukes.jmu.edu . For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on Twitter and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.

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Review | Adele makes her triumphant return on '30' - The Breeze