(Graphic by Charlie Luttrell)
Charlie Luttrell
Adele is back after a six year hiatus with her new album, ‘30’. The 12-song album gives listeners the classic Adele we all know, flexing her strong and distinct vocals but it also experiments with new sounds and ideas she has never showed before in her two previous projects.
This continues Adele’s progression as a distinguished artist, serving as a refreshing listen. However, those who are looking for a hit like “Rolling in the Deep” or “Hello” probably won’t be satisfied with this project, as she does experiment a lot.
The most recognizable song with chart-topping potential is its single, “Easy on Me”. It offers the Adele most listeners are familiar with while still serving as an overview of the album’s main themes.
“Oh My God” and “Cry Your Heart Out”, which are placed next to each other on the album’s tracklist, are the most upbeat tracks. They also feature a unique sound from Adele, which is nice to hear. They aren’t the strongest songs of the project, but serve as a bridge to the final track’s message.
Known for her emotional lyrics, the album’s subject matter is the most emotionally raw of all her albums. Adele poured all of her thoughts and feelings into ‘30’, and it shows.
“My Little Love” includes recordings of Adele talking to her son and to herself about her emotional state after her divorce. Each track focuses on her journey through her emotions, and she isn’t afraid to share her true thoughts on things, no matter what.
‘30’ reaches its peak at the 11th track, “To Be Loved”. Accompanied by just a piano, the song is carried through raw emotion and features one of Adele’s best vocal performances. The song is moving and feels the most authentic. It’s Adele telling her audience the final message in the pre-chorus, “I’ll never learn if I never leap / I’ll always yearn if I never speak”, that connects ‘30’ together and ends it on a reflective note.
There’s always a next step and new approach artists can take, and Adele has shown us that with ‘30’. This album is experimental at times but fully cohesive. It serves as a reminder of Adele’s powerful voice, proving she’s one of this generation’s most talented artists.
Rating: 9/10
Cordaveon Carter
Adele recently released her highly anticipated album ‘30’ last week. People were so eager for this album to come out and deliver, and it did just that.
This album was fantastic. It really dives deep into Adele’s personal life to show us a glimpse of her mind during her divorce. It draws a lot from that past relationship, showing her at the worst mental state of her life. She is no different from any of us, especially with how she deals with her own personal demons.
Personally, I feel as if this album took a lot of courage for Adele to finally release when she finally did release it. It’s hard to talk about such a personal matter, and the resulting project literally blew me away.
‘30’ shows the meaning of having true and great mental health and happiness. Her last relationship was extremely rough, but it also showed her the value of knowing self-worth. This is evident due to the simple fact that her voice got better, and she has gotten in the best shape of her life.
The song selection was great. Despite a run time of 58 minutes, she still manages to pour her all into each and every track.
She did not miss once on the entire album. This album was personal, and you can hear that in every single note of every single song. My favorite songs were the last three: “Hold On”, “To Be Loved” and “Love Is a Game”.
This was truly a masterpiece and, honestly, one of the best albums of this decade.
Final Rating: 10/10. An absolute Must Listen. I also suggest bringing tissues.
