Adele has made her highly anticipated return to the music world with her new album “30.” Through raw emotional songs that wouldn’t be out of place on a vinyl record, she confesses her pain and struggles to her young son, Angelo. After iconic albums that grapple with the betrayal and anger of breakups, “30” shows a more mature, hopeful side of Adele. Simple piano accompaniments and poignant but understated vocals allow the introspective lyrics to take center stage in the poetic songs. Written after her separation from her son’s father, Adele delves into her faults and growth in songs overflowing with self-reflection.
“30” starts with the soft, whimsical “Strangers by Nature” where somber lyrics are masked by fantastical strings. The influences of Judy Garland are evident with the dreamy bells, reminiscent of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow’s” sweet melody. The song fades with Adele saying, “Alright then, I’m ready,” prefacing the outpouring of emotions that follows.
The next song, “Easy on Me,” a song in Adele’s classic style, has wistful tones. The catchy song, which shattered records, hooks all listeners in immediately. The chorus begs everyone, including herself, to “Go easy on me, baby / I was still a child.” She reflects on the wide-eyed misdirection that led her to make reckless decisions and insists that she “had good intentions / And the highest hopes.”
“My Little Love,” a soulful song dedicated to her son, is interwoven with recordings of their conversations. Some snippets are bittersweet, like when Adele expresses her love for him after he says, “I feel like you don’t love me.” Others, like their exchange about her emotions, are strikingly honest. Like the two before it, this song continues the theme of regretting past mistakes, perfectly embodying the aftermath of a breakup.
“The song finishes Adele’s journey in the present, relishing her freedom from her breakup”
The tearful confession that ends “My Little Love” is an apt segue to “Cry Your Heart Out.” The misleadingly cheery tune disguises the depressing lyrics. Adele recounts feelings of invisibility, exhaustion, and guilt: “I created this storm, it’s only fair I have to sit in its rain.” However, the bright chorus has reassuring messages like “When you’re in doubt, go at your own pace.” The notes of self-acceptance begin a more hopeful journey in the album.
“Oh My God,” expresses Adele’s desire to just have fun. The song is very carefree as she sings of her independence: “I don’t have to explain myself to you / I am a grown woman and I do what I want to do.”
“Can I Get It” has a similar acoustic feel to “Rolling in the Deep.” Adele speaks to her ideal lover who she is impatient to find. The song finishes Adele’s journey in the present, relishing her freedom from her breakup and living in the moment. As the album reaches its halfway point, she begins to look at her future and the path to self-acceptance.
The mood mellows with the slow, bluesy “I Drink Wine” in which Adele voices her desire to stop pretending about who she is to impress the world. She sings of finding a person who will genuinely love her: “Everybody wants somethin’, you just want me.” At over six minutes long, the song is difficult to get through, but the lyrics have a poetic relatability that has received praise.
“All Night Parking,” an R&B song with a jazzy piano interlude by Erroll Garner, has the staticky sound of an old movie and warns of the inevitable intoxication of new love.
“Hold On,” “To Be Loved” and “Love is a Game,” which drag on longer than necessary, have little shape. However, The breathtaking vocals and passionate lyrics with moving meanings provide some redemption. As the album draws to a close, the theme shifts to acceptance for herself and anticipation for her future. “Hold On” is an inspirational song about finding love and staying strong. “To Be Loved” includes the recurring themes of staying true to herself and persisting.
“Love is a Game,” with its shimmery strings and floating vocals, ties back to “Strangers by Nature,” warning of the tortures of love. However, the dramatic leap from the first and last song exemplifies Adele’s growth from mourning failed relationships to looking forward to the future. The album fades away with one last line, tinged with one of the first signs of optimism in the entire album: “I’d do it all again like I did then.”
Adele’s new album, “30,” which is on track to be her most successful yet, is strikingly unexpected. It’s a moving story that transitions from regretting the past to enjoying the present and dedicates nearly half the album to self-acceptance and looking for meaning in the future. Although Adele’s name is synonymous with breakups, the album also explores the burden of living under the spotlight and the obstacles of motherhood. She shows maturity as most of her songs are introspective, progressing from accepting blame to apologizing and forgiving herself for her mistakes. Starting with an impressive selection of heartfelt songs each with a distinct style, the album ends underwhelmingly, earning it a rating of four out of five stars.
