It has been over four months since Adele’s latest release—her highly anticipated comeback record, 30. There has certainly been a lot of hype prior to the record’s release, from the cryptic ’30’ billboards popping up all around the world to a series of radio interviews, TV specials, and media appearances. As an Adele fan since 2011, or a Daydreamer if you may call me, I am very excited for this new release (and era) from one of my favourite mainstream artists.

Without further ado, let’s dive right in to Adele’s 30!

Track 1 – “Strangers by Nature” (Score: 8.1/10)

Writer(s): Adele Adkins, Ludwig Goransson

Producers(s): L. Goransson

Whimsical. That is one word that I’d use to describe this track. It’s an orchestra-packed piece backed by Adele’s haunting vocals and chilling harmonies laying the foundation for the “strange” first note of the chorus. I love the overall jazzy foundation of the track and its unpredictable chord progressions, most especially that ‘weird’ chord or melodic shift as she sings the title line. This is probably my favourite Adele opening track on par with Rolling in the Deep from 21.

Favourite Lyric: “I’ll be taking flowers to the cemetery of my heart / For all of my lovers in the present and in the dark”

Explanation – What a striking opening line! It projects a dark imagery of failed past romantically relationships and an almost pessimistic perception on present romance, specifically with the choosing ‘cemetery’ as the setting of the track. At the same time, it shows maturity in a way that it’s not about accusing others of their mistakes but holding yourself just as accountable in the failure of a relationship; hence, the use of ‘flower’ as the main symbolism.

Track 2 – “Easy on Me” (Score: 8.0/10)

Writer(s): Adele Adkins, Greg Kurstin

Producers(s): G. Kurstin

This track is simple yet effective. The intro piano riff is pure musical ingenuity. It’s another signature Adele ballad which is a kind of music that the general public has been missing in the charts and radio right now. It’s sonically similar to Hello from 25 given that Adele worked with the same producer for this track. The ‘river and gold’ metaphor is pretty straightforward but is lacking in poetic nuance.

Favourite Lyric: “There ain’t no room for things to change / When we are both so deeply stuck in our ways”

Explanation – These words are pure facts. It’s pretty self-explanatory: the impossibility of changing or moving forward when one is stubborn.

Track 3 – “My Little Love” (Score: 8.8/10)

Writer(s): Adele Adkins, Greg Kurstin

Producers(s): G. Kurstin

This track was a heavy listen. Those voice notes had me bawling my eyes out, especially the outro where she opens up about the feeling of loneliness since the breakup of her marriage. I was not able to finish this song fully on the first listen. It took me a couple more repeats before I could embody the emotional stability I had to have to listen to this track in its entirety. The track in itself has distinct R&B elements and incorporates some savoury harmonies in the chorus. There’s an interesting play in the song structure as well which is something new from Adele.

Favourite Lyric: “I wanted you to have everything I never had / I’m so sorry if what I’ve done makes you feel sad”

Explanation – These words, and the song in its entirety, is addressed to her (Adele’s) son. The first line, “I wanted you to have everything I never had”, is something parents often tell their children. Expanding more on this line, there are even times where parents live out their dreams through their children. These words overall perfectly describe a complicated parent-child emotional dynamic.

Track 4 – “Cry Your Heart Out” (Score: 7.2/10)

Writer(s): Adele Adkins, Greg Kurstin

Producers(s): G. Kurstin

The instrumentals, harmonies, and reggae-tinged rhythm in this track are reminiscent of her debut album 19, released back in 2008. Its upbeat production masks the depressing lyrics which should not go unnoticed for this review. On the first listen, I was just vibing to the rhythm and dancing along with the beats. That’s when you begin to read through the lyrics where it starts to hit home.

Favourite Lyric: “When you’re in doubt, go at your own pace”

Explanation – Life is not a race. Do things your own way in times of utmost uncertainty. Do not let anybody tell you how to live your own life. A simple yet effective message.

Track 5 – “Oh my God” (Score: 8.9/10)

Writer(s): Adele Adkins, Greg Kurstin

Producers(s): G. Kurstin

This track is by far the poppiest and radio-friendly sounding. It highlights some vocal sampling and layering which gives it a refreshing and crisp vocal production—at least from Adele. I don’t really have much to say about this track other than it shows off how Adele is able to experiment on her sound.

Favourite Lyric: “I am a grown woman and I do want I want to do”

Explanation – These words have a fairly similar message to the previously-mentioned lyrics but this time there is a tinge of aggressiveness to it. It can also be related to how much media scrutiny Adele has faced during her well-publicized divorce. Notably, with how she changed her appearance and suddenly people had a lot to say with how she is not relatable anymore, she’s gone too “Hollywood”, and all those sort of things people say to a celebrity they don’t even know personally. This statement is a slap to the media’s face—”I am an adult and let me be in control of my own life!”

Track 6 – “Can I Get It” (Score: 6.9/10)

Writer(s): Adele Adkins, Max Martin, Shellback

Producers(s): M. Martin, Shellback

This was my least favourite track from the album. Its reminiscent of Send My Love (To Your Are Lover) from 25 It also sounds radio-friendly and poppy but the production feels outdated and there are bunch of lyrical clichés. But then again, it’s Adele’s voice that makes even the worst song listenable.

Favourite Lyric: “Pave me a path to follow / And I’ll tread any dangerous road”

Explanation – When someone guides you to the right direction, the destination will be reached no matter how much hindrances are there along the way. That is the main message these lyrics project. It is so much easier when we have someone guiding us as we walk the difficult and dangerous journey of life.

Track 7 – “I Drink Wine” (Score: 10/10)

Writer(s): Adele Adkins, Greg Kurstin

Producers(s): G. Kurstin

This track is a personal favourite. It has gotten me hooked from the first listen. Everything about it is just perfect. The lyrics are brutally honest and a total tear-jerker. Lyric-wise, the overall theme of the song is finding out how your life did not turn out the way you envisioned it to be. Melody-wise, I love how the chorus is sung differently three times and the intro piano riff is quite enchanting.

Favourite Lyric: “They say to play hard, you work hard / Find balance in the sacrifice / Yet I don’t know anybody who’s truly satisfied”

Explanation – These words are just pure facts. As a child, you’ve always wanted to grow up right away and you looked at adults as people who have life all figured out; but once you reach adulthood yourself, you realize that life is a never-ending and pointless race. There are times we seek advice from others who seem to know-it-all only to find out the are just as clueless as you. So it’s true, nobody knows what they’re doing after all.

Track 8 – “All Night Parking” (with Erroll Garner) [Interlude] (Score: 8.5/10)

Writer(s): Adele Adkins, Erroll Garner

Producers(s): Joey Pecoraro, Greg Kurstin

Adele + lo-fi vibes is a chef’s kiss. This might be my new study background music. It’s totally refreshing to hear Adele sing over a trap beat and low fidelity music. Once again, the jazzy elements and vibes are evident in this track with the piano interpolation from Erroll Garner, a late infamous jazz pianist. Dreamy is the word to describe this track.

Favourite Lyric: “When I’m out at a party / I’m just excited to get home“

Explanation – As an introvert, I relate heavily to these lyrics. Being out at a party (although I’ve rarely ever been to one) drains so much energy that you can’t wait to get home and recharge by taking a nap. Who knows? Adele might be an introvert like me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Track 9 – “Woman Like Me” (Score: 8.8/10)

Writer(s): Adele Adkins, Inflo

Producers(s): Inflo

This track encapsulates a classy and Adele-ish way of dissing an ex-lover. While other artists love to plainly nag about their ex’s lack of effort and stubborn ways throughout their relationship, Adele takes it to another level. A lot of feminist undertones in the lyrics capturing raw emotions.

Favourite Lyric: “Complacency is the worst trait to have, are you crazy? / Consistency is the gift to givе for free and it is key / To ever keep, to ever keep a woman like me”

Explanation – Complacency is not a good attribute because it is simply the unwillingness to improve oneself. It’s basically just settling for what’s “okay” and not strive to be better or be the best. It is not an ideal trait to have in a relationship because it is what keeps it stagnant. Consistency, however, is something that we should value in a serious relationship because it branches out into a myriad of exemplary qualities such as desire, dependability, predictability, and most importantly, trust.

Track 10 – “Hold On” (Score: 9.1/10)

Writer(s): Adele Adkins, Inflo

Producers(s): Inflo

This track will be a mental health anthem. It is this big prayer-like, gospel, and choral song that starts off calm, continuously builds up, and then abruptly shoots up climactic final chorus where Adele belts a meaty note in the fifth octave. Once again, this song reflects the vulnerability Adele is not afraid to share to her audience. One key detail I notice from this song is how she sings the word “hold” while also holding the note which is quite a nice touch.

Favourite Lyric: “Let time be patient / Let pain be gracious”

Explanation – In this fast-paced world, time has become our enemy. Many of us realize that we do not have much time to do what we want to do and achieve what we want to achieve as we grow older. These lyrics look at time in an optimistic way. It’s giving a message of hope where it tells us to “let time be patient” or to not rush things over because there is always a right time for things in life. The process after pain is healing and time is the greatest healer of all.

Track 11 – “To Be Loved” (Score: 10/10)

Writer(s): Adele Adkins, Tobias Jesso Jr.

Producers(s): T. Jesso Jr., Shawn Everett

This track is the standout of the album for me. The best vocal performance I’ve ever heard in 2021. The lyrics cut deep without appearing pretentious in doing so. The ‘home’ analogy or metaphor recurring throughout the lyrics is a genius element tying the album altogether. Nothing else to say about this song. It’s a masterpiece. This is Adele at her rawest and most vulnerable state.

Favourite Lyric: “To be loved and love at the highest count / Means to lose all the things I can’t live without”

Explanation – To feel love at the fullest and give your whole self to somebody means to sacrifice or lose something in you. Love is all about sacrifices. Once again, these lyrics are straightforward and self-explanatory. The message is some thing we can all relate to at one point or another.

Track 12 – “Love is a Game” (Score: 9.2/10)

Writer(s): Adele Adkins, Inflo

Producers(s): Inflo

The perfect choice of album closer. It has this grandiose production that is rich in orchestral elements. The string arrangement is insane. I read from Adele’s Vogue cover that she made this track as a reminiscent of old Hollywood soundtracks. That’s exactly how this song feels. It captures the old Hollywood romance movies’ grand and cinematic vibe, especially the end of a movie.

Favourite Lyric: “I can love me / I can love again / I love me now like I loved him

Explanation – I love how this album closes in a positive way, realizing how self-love is the greatest form of love. You can’t love someone or give yourself full to them without loving and accepting yourself first. The best love is the love that comes from within.

To wrap it all up…

As I’ve said, I am a fan of Adele for almost a decade now. To see her grow as an artist and as a person through her music is one of the best experiences I had in life. The whole album is very cohesive and flows like a book. I also love how it has the feel of being able to catch up with a friend you haven’t seen in a while.

I have never experienced a single romantic relationship at all yet I was able to get a good grip of what it’s like just by listening to her music. I am by no means an expert in music or a critic, I simply love me some good albums. It certainly is one of the strongest releases this year. One key takeaway I have for her music is that she is becoming a master (or is already one) at writing about or expressing her emotions. There’s just so much self-awareness and introspection in her songwriting. A major downside is that I am honestly not a fan of the artwork and from this point forward, I really want to see her step it up when it comes to her album covers.

OVERALL: 8.6/10

Disclaimer: I just realized my personal score for this album is almost the same as how critics scored it. Does this mean I can be a professional music critic now? If so, then watch out Anthony Fantano!

Also, I was finishing this write-up as I was listening to Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, a totally different record with an entirely different vibe. Can you imagine how much of a struggle this was? You tell me.

Another disclaimer, the 30 vinyl I ordered from Adele’s site arrived slightly damaged which will probably haunt me forever. The good thing is that the records themselves are of excellent quality and sounded great.

More music reviews coming up! This might be something that I will do weekly, so be sure to send me some music recommendations down in the comments below!