Pitchfork: 30

[COOOK 76,406]

"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."

Spoiler

"Here, she’s telling a more unexpected story about love: What it means to inflict that pain on your family, to rebuild yourself from scratch, and—*big exhale*—to try to love again. The task necessitated a more nuanced writing style and looser structures to some of the songs, resulting in Adele’s most ambitious album to date. "

"Without much context or arc, the polished songs on 2015’s 25 didn’t land in quite the same way as the overwhelming hits of 21. (Though Adele, like Jennifer Coolidge, did wonderful things to redefine greetings.) On 30, Adele makes her story legible—it’s about “divorce, babe, divorce,” going through your Saturn Return, all the things of Nancy Meyers movies but happening 20 years earlier—and shows that it is both complicated and undeniably her own."

"Unfortunately, little can help “Can I Get It,” an out-of-place appearance from pop pros Max Martin and Shellback that retreads corny ’10s pop trends (cue the whistling). Adele has talked about how the song’s titular chorus is in reference to a relationship, not just hooking up, but it’s also bound to be misunderstood. Which is fine! Lots of big pop songs are. On an album so close to feeling like a holistic statement, this just comes across like the single inserted with pop (and maybe even country) radio in mind."

"As much as the prayer-like “Hold On” seems intended as 30’s emotional climax, that honor belongs to “To Be Loved,” with a vocal performance that will go down in Adele lore, right next to 25’s “All I Ask.” She has said she won’t perform it live and only sang it front to back a few times, including a video recording where the power of her voice distorts the audio. The subject matter is too devastating to revisit: the sparse piano ballad, a co-write with Tobias Jesso Jr., is sung to an adult Angelo as an explanation for why her marriage didn’t work. "

"In “To Be Loved,” Adele offers the listener a thesis statement for her music: “To be loved and love at the highest count/Means to lose all the things I can’t live without.” Oftentimes she has made us feel the carnage of that risk or captured the yearning side of romance for maximum effect, but 30 shows what happens when you willingly walk off the cliff and live to tell about it. This requires patience, honesty, therapy, constantly taking two steps forward and one step back. Knowing what you want is largely gleaned through finding out what you don’t want. Life is messy and not always built for three-minute pop songs with perfect hooks. Adele was always more complicated than that, and now she has an album that ups the stakes and nuance of her artistry. Not just in telling a story over the course of 12 songs, or by making a record that interacts with more modern musical ideas, or in how she’s using her voice with newfound multitudes, but by being bold enough to share it all so vulnerably, with the entire world listening. "

Full review here.

Previous scores:

[BLACKOUTbritney 22,359]

Totally deserved 

Let me stream My Little One again and again 

[FFXIV WhiteMage 5,969]

For some reason I thought pitchfork rated HOG with 30/100 

[badfaith 5,716]

I'm not as in love with the album as I was with 25

[Bling 31,470]

7 minutes ago, badfaith said:

I'm not as in love with the album as I was with 25

I feel the same. 

However, the album feels much more mature somehow than her previous work. It sounds like she's taken ownership of her side of why things didn't work out. Whereas many of her other songs, and still my favorites, are more that of a scorned love. 

I think that just comes with time and getting older. Instead of blaming other people for messing up relationships, you're able to see your own missteps.

[memomemome 1,478]

I feel like if Adele album is steak, 30 is rare. 

It's more raw than her previous works

[Luna Lovegood 24,424]

I feel like if Gaga album is steak, Chromatica is stale.

[badfaith 5,716]

1 hour ago, Luna Lovegood said:

I feel like if Gaga album is steak, Chromatica is stale.

[LadyxGaGa 2,261]

gosh i was hoping they would have liked it. ig u can please all the critics. i rly hope she is able to sell records and come back with this album. i rly hope this album doesn’t make her file for bankruptcy 

[DoremonLove 8,147]

5 hours ago, FFXIV WhiteMage said:

For some reason I thought pitchfork rated HOG with 30/100 

Same 

[COOOK 76,406]

1 hour ago, LadyxGaGa said:

gosh i was hoping they would have liked it. ig u can please all the critics. i rly hope she is able to sell records and come back with this album. i rly hope this album doesn’t make her file for bankruptcy 

I-

[QUEENH 711]

Adele's music is increasingly  mediocre. This shows the bias the critics have. Even questlove was tweeting about how overpraised Adele is the other day and so many agreed with him. But bc most people praise her as if she is this untouchable goddess those that think she's overrated and not meriting the praise stay quiet. 

[Hyoha 1,613]

I’m having a hard time connecting with the melodies in this album. The lyrics are great, the melodic lines not so much.

Doesn’t help that the richest songs in 30 (I Drink Wine, To Be Loved) have very simple arrangements and could’ve gained a lot from orchestral instrumentation. Even the piano takes such a backseat to her voice that it becomes a bit overwhelming.

I’m a bit disappointed with production on this one.

[LadyxGaGa 2,261]

16 hours ago, COOOK said:

I-

what’s up girlie girl? want me to help u with ur math hw?

[gypsy101 5,453]

16 hours ago, QUEENH said:

Adele's music is increasingly  mediocre. This shows the bias the critics have. Even questlove was tweeting about how overpraised Adele is the other day and so many agreed with him. But bc most people praise her as if she is this untouchable goddess those that think she's overrated and not meriting the praise stay quiet. 

seems like many more people would disagree and think she is a very good songwriter and a stunning vocalist

which is accurate