ADELE – 30 (2LP, Japanese edition)
Rarity - Sealed
Vocals – Adele (Adele Adkins)
Piano, bass, rhodes, mellotron, synth programming - Ludwig Göransson
Strings - David Campbell, Serena Göransson
Bass, piano, kick drum , mellotron , steel guitar , handclaps , guitar , hammond organ , drum programming, keyboards (5); percussion , orchestron, rhodes - Greg Kurstin
Voice notes - Angelo Adkins
Drums, percussion, bongos, vibraslap - Chris Dave
Piano, programming, keyboards, background vocals - Max Martin
Drums, bass, guitar, percussion, programming, whistle, keyboards, stomps, handclaps - Shellback
Drums, additional piano, trumpet, violin - Joey Pecoraro
Piano - Erroll Garner
Bass, guitar, electric guitar, drums, piano, organ, percussion, wurlitzer, handclaps - Inflo
Piano - Tobias Jesso Jr.
Vocals - Chris Stapleton
Written by Adele
2LP, standard sleeve with insert
Limited edition
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : Black
Speed : 33 RPM
Size : 12'’
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : unspecified
Label : Sony Music
Original Label : Columbia Records
Recorded 2018 – February 2020 at Studio Eastcote (London), Elbo (California), Henson (California), House Mouse Källbacken (Stockholm, Sweden), Metropolis (London), MixStar (Virginia Beach), House Mouse MXM (Los Angeles), No Expectations (Los Angeles), Serenity West The EastWood Scoring Stage (California), Will's Grandma's House (California)
Produced by Adele Adkins, Greg Kurstin, Inflo, Tobias Jesso Jr., Ludwig Göransson, Max Martin Shawn Everett, Shellback
Mastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sounds
Design by Phil Lee
Photography by Raven B. Varona, Simon Emmett
Originally released in November 2021
Tracks :
Side A:
1. Strangers By Nature
2. Easy On Me
3. My Little Love
Side B:
1. Cry Your Heart Out
2. Oh My God
3. Can I Get It
Side C
1. I Drink Wine
2. All Night Parking Interlude
3. Woman Like Me
Side D:
1. Hold On
2. To Be Loved
3. Love Is A Game
Awards:
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2021 – Ranked #32
Rolling Stone 50 Best Albums of 2021 – Ranked #2
Variety Chris Willman's Top 10 Albums of 2021 – Ranked #5
Reviews :
"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." AllMusic review by Neil Z. Yeun
Ratings :
AllMusic : 4 / 5 ; Discogs : 3.99 / 5 ; The Daily Telegraph : 5 / 5 ; The Guardian : 4 / 5 ; The Independent : 4 / 5 ; NME : 3 / 5 ; Pitchfork : 8.2 / 10 ; Rolling Stone : 5 / 5 ; The Times : 4 / 5