30 (Vinyl)

世界の歌姫、アデルの約6年ぶりとなる待望のニュー・アルバム『30』

今世紀を代表するイギリス出身のシンガー・ソングライター、アデル。現在33歳。ハスキーで存在感のある歌声と自身の恋愛経験などを基にした率直な歌詞、楽曲に対する真摯な姿勢が人気を集めている。2008年のデビュー・アルバム『19』でグラミー賞＜最優秀新人賞＞と＜最優秀ポップ女性歌手＞の2部門を受賞。続くセカンド・アルバム『21』は19カ国で1位を獲得し全世界で2,500万枚を販売、今世紀最大のセールスを記録。全米アルバムチャートでは発売以来39週連続でトップ5位以内を記録し歴代1位になるという記録を樹立、ギネス記録に認定された。また2012年第54回グラミー賞に主要3部門を含む6部門でノミネートされ、すべての賞を受賞。2015年アルバム『25』でもグラミー賞でも計5部門を受賞し、史上初めて主要4部門のうち3部門を2度も制覇した世界最高峰のアーティストとなった。約6年ぶりとなるアルバム『30』をリリースすることが決定!ファンの間でもアルバム制作の噂が流れていたものの、遂に発売が正式発表され世界中が興奮と熱狂に包まれている。間違いなく2021年の音楽界において最重要作品になるであろうこの一枚、チェックせずに2021年は終われません!

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, shes 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, Mummys been having a lot of big feelings lately, its a prelude to the heartbreak that closes the song, where a crying Adele admits shes lonely and scared. Hearing the superstar in such an unguarded human state might be jarring, but its oddly reassuring to witness these levels of vulnerability and candor: Adele feels the same pain and shes 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 dont 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 Adeles most cohesive statement to date, pairing her inimitable voice with a dozen engrossing vignettes, reminding us that all we can do is keep trying. ~ Neil Z. Yeung