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Critic Reviews
100
She’s never sounded more ferocious than she does on 30—more alive to her own feelings, more virtuosic at shaping them into songs in the key of her own damn life.
4y
100
The british star grapples with feelings about her recent divorce, but 30 is also full of positivity - and big, magnificently sung tunes.
4y
91
Adele has never been as soul-stirring, vulnerable, or captivating as she is on 30.
4y
91
With her latest, the singer goes far beyond wallowing in heartache, instead showing the entire spectrum of feelings that come with having one's life completely altered.
4y
90
A three-act tale covering every possible emotion one can feel as a relationship ends, 30 might just be the greatest break-up album of all time.
6mo
90
The real masterstroke of ‘30’ ... comes with how these lyrics - the pain, the self-flagellation (sometimes cruel, often mocking), the hope, the acceptance - are expertly matched musically.
4y
90
Six years after the release of her record-breaking success 25, British pop chart-topper Adele has returned with 30, taking bigger risks and revealing enough hard truths to make this her most powerful album yet.
4y
90
30 is not only her best album to date, it’s the first to live up to the potential that her powerhouse vocals have always portended.
4y
82
Once again, Adele transforms her heartbreak into a searching, graceful, and incredibly moving album. But the complexity of her emotions and the nuanced production make this her most ambitious work to date.
4y
80
Across a more diverse fourth record, the returning singer braids in glimmering moments of self-affirmation amid the typical tirades against herself.
4y
80
Six years on from her last record, Adele explores new sounds and examines the pain of her divorce with stunning results.
2y
80
As she sings, the biggest musician in the world frequently sounds extraordinarily vulnerable.
4y
80
There isn’t a single shock over these 12 tracks, all of which sound, essentially, like Adele songs, but the nods to Hollywood scores, 1960s soul and even her own back catalogue inject the melodrama needed to pull off the more languished ballads.
4y
80
For those of you who didn’t think it was possible for Adele to up her stakes in the game of soul-baring, think again. Her first album in six years is here and it is as raw as it is rowdy, as searing as it is silk, as relatable as it is enjoyably escapist.
4y
80
Adele delivers yet again on the sound and style she’s best known for and offers moments of extra enticement for where she could go next.
4y
80
This is a classy album, if not quite a stone-cold classic.
4y
80
An album with novelistic depth, when ‘30’ turns once more for its London-rooted conclusion, Adele seems to reach a new level in her stratospheric career.
4y
80
15 years into her illustrious career, Adele’s attention has shifted to her creative pursuits, and on 30, she displays the confidence to share her boldest vocal, stylistic, and thematic interests.
4y
80
It is a well-considered progression for her, and while there are some missteps along the way, it is so good to see her moving forward.
4y
80
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.
4y
74
30 might not be a true divorce album, lacking the fire and blame game attitudes that we could assume from a modern pop record—it is however a frank, candid unloading from a person experiencing some real feelings. Something to which we can relate to, at least in part. 30 might not have been the cleanest of breakups, but it more than translates in lyrical form.
4y
70
On her fourth album, Adele has pushed the boundaries, at least a little further than she has before. Not that it’s a radical change, but a noticeable one nonetheless.
4y
70
Apart from a few ill-conceived stylistic switch-ups, 30 is a classy and moving pop record.
4y
70
Though it doesn't move firmly into a new area of reinvention, 30 does begin a journey towards one, and in the end, it delivers in its simple promise of being a big, belting Adele Album.
4y
70
Adele Adkins’ fourth album might be her rawest yet.
4y
70
Adele harnesses her otherwordly vocals to delve into experiences of guilt, self-doubt, depression and an eventually hopeful look to the future on 30.
4y
70
30 isn’t a groundbreaking album, nor is it particularly experimental. But it’s supremely satisfying and great as a listening experience. There are no glaring missteps, and it’s generally a very good effort from a singer who could have crumbled under the pressure of heightened expectations, but instead continues on the path she forged for herself.
4y
65
It’s warm and mature, fun and relatable, and just as masterfully produced and performed as ever before. It’s just very Adele.
4y
60
While the topic of her divorce is all-consuming, the singer seems to be pushing gently at the boundaries of what people expect of her.
4y
60
Previously accused of playing it safe, Adele enters a new decade by experimenting with bolder sounds. It gives intriguing but mixed results.
4y
60
Ultimately, while some intriguing risks have been taken, 30 is probably the weakest, as well as conversely the most intimate and in many ways bravest, Adele album to date.
4y
"30" is beyond my expectations, it's a varied, coherent, poignant album that won't let you get bored. Adele tries new directions, without losing her heartbreaking music that makes her who she is, which is : Adele.
When I think of Adele, I think back 10 years, it's like a time capsule that makes me live thousands of thou-sands of memories. On a less personal note, I remember very well the popular impact of her album "21" and the phenomenal hype of her songs on TV, on the ... read more
If Adele had a million fans, I am one of them. If Adele had one fan, that fan is me. If Adele had no fans, I would no longer be on Earth. If the world is against Adele, I am against the world 🌎💚🍷
Oh boy. I expected this album coming but even still I feel out of my depth to write about a powerhouse like Adele. Alright, biggest album of the year. Here goes nothing, I guess.
In 2011, mainstream pop music was mostly filled by club music with artists like Pitbull, LMFAO, and Black Eyed Peas ruling the charts. Regardless of how you feel about that era of music, it was undeniable that the music was mostly fixated on how it would sound on the dance floor with emotion not playing too much of a ... read more
last we met adele, she was twenty-five, with a diamond record under her belt and plenty of living to do. she’s built a career spinning gold from heartbreak, but on '30,' her soul is heavier than ever before - the years in-between have born the weight of motherhood and divorce. age has given the singer’s voice increased agility and dynamic ability, and it’s never sounded better than it does here. it’s also strengthened her pen; the songs on '30' are ... read more
This is her most excellent album, with songs placing greater emphasis on personal emotional expression
![태연 [TAEYEON] - Purpose](https://cdn2.albumoftheyear.org/200x0/album/182735-purpose.jpg)
![태연 [TAEYEON] - Purpose](https://cdn2.albumoftheyear.org/200x0/album/205882-purpose.jpg)
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Track List
| 1 | Strangers By Nature 3:02 | 80 |
| 2 | Easy On Me 3:44 | 81 |
| 3 | My Little Love 6:29 | 84 |
| 4 | Cry Your Heart Out 4:15 | 74 |
| 5 | Oh My God 3:45 | 80 |
| 6 | Can I Get It 3:30 | 72 |
| 7 | I Drink Wine 6:16 | 82 |
| 8 | All Night Parking (Interlude) 2:41 with Erroll Garner | 76 |
| 9 | Woman Like Me 5:00 | 73 |
| 10 | Hold On 6:06 | 80 |
| 11 | To Be Loved 6:43 | 85 |
| 12 | Love Is A Game 6:43 | 84 |
Total Length: 58 minutes
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