c/o pitchfork.com
Id like to think that 95% of the countrys population would define themselves as Adele fans. While I am far from superfan or stan status (as I opt for more mainstream hits like Someone Like You, or When We Were Young), I can confidently say that there is perhaps no better recent case of an artist unveiling their vulnerability and emotion than Adeles 30. From the devastating opening line of Strangers by Nature to the cinematic conclusion of Love Is A Game (a title eerily similar to one of my favorite Amy Winehouse songs, Love Is A Losing Game), Adele has proven that despite genre, subject matter, or experimentation, she is still a public and musical powerhouse in 2021.
30 comes after Adeles divorce from her husband, Simon Konecki, and was credited as her most personal album even before its release. While the sound of Can I Get It and Cry Your Heart Out beg to differ, the album is incredibly introspective, documenting the singers deepest emotions, mental illness, support systems, and coping mechanisms. The conclusion of Love is a Game wraps up the work, signifying that although the issues and themes are still prevalent in Adeles life, she has entered a new stage where she centers herself and her emotional well-being. The growth that that singer undergoes and shares throughout the album is one of its most powerful components.
Beyond the albums emotional weight, Adele incorporates a number of genres within her music. For instance, Can I Get It explores traditional and classic rock sounds, while I Drink Wine is inspired by musicians such as Elton John and other artists of the 1970s. This makes the album that much more engaging and nuanced, underscoring Adeles versatility and experimentation.
I first took a deeper look into Adeles album after hearing My Little Love, a song that entwines beautiful lyrics and instrumentation with an intimate conversation the singer has with her son, Angelo. The song itself is relatively tough to listen to, but not because it was bad. Instead, I was surprised by Adeles willingness and ability to break down her personal walls. By doing so, the singer contrasts childlike wonder and adulthood sadness. As such, Adele breaks away from the nuclear family ideal that she has pursued throughout a significant portion of her adult life. Instead, she communicates that she is unable to compare to this ideal.As someone who grew up when Adele was the only thing on the radio, listening to this vulnerability was saddening and unexpected.
Coming after My Little Love is Cry Your Heart Out, a song that is unexpected in completely different ways, and is actually my favorite of the album. While coupling lyrics of feeling distant and depressed with an upbeat sound is uncommon in mainstream music, nor is it standard for Adele as an artist, it actually works. The decision symbolizes Adeles disconnect between being a mother, artist, and public figure, all while navigating her divorce. Despite this complexity, Adele has found some solace in crying and being vulnerable, an effective coping mechanism if I do say so myself.
When I first listened to Cry Your Heart Out, I was drawn to the line, I created this storm, its only fair I have to sit in its rain, primarily because of the imagery of water and weather, an element repeated throughout the album, during To Be Loved and the ending of I Drink Wine. If I, a basic Adele fan, were to read closely, I could also draw a connection to one of her most popular songs, I Set Fire to the Rain. In each of these songs, Adele uses rain and storms to symbolize both a deep emotional state and the notion of rebirth and renewal.
Oh My God also communicates the singers catharsis after Cry Your Heart Out, where Adele attains a newfound sense of individuality. In many ways, Adele expresses that she is a new person after the emotional weight of My Little Love and Cry Your Heart Out. Oh My God is Adeles realization that she can operate in the world after divorce, setting her on a path to a newfound way of life.
The albums interlude, All Night Parking, serves as a continuation of this self-empowerment by documenting her first relationship after the divorce. While this relationship is mostly to fill a hole (evident in the line dont leave me on this stretch alone), it cements the notion that the purpose of the album itself is to look inwards, prioritizing Adeles path to emotional stability over anger or disdain. Although Adele eventually refers to Konecki as lazy in Woman Like Me, the song, again, addresses self-empowerment and self-reliance. In other words, 30 is a story of Adele learning new things about herself.
Despite this growth, Adele maintains that nothing is static. This is most true on Hold On, where the singer refers to herself as small. This is also seen in Adeles characterization of herself as her own worst enemy. Despite these sentiments, the chorus includes a choir of her friends, underscoring the value of emotional support. Asis the case with most Adele songs, the song is ultimately depressing, but also forward-looking. To Adele, progress comes from vulnerability. Of course, that belted note at the 4:30 mark is more than worth a listen. In many ways, Hold On is the perfect segue to the albums final two songs.
To Be Loved is easily one of the albums saddest tracks (and Adeles entire canon). The song documents the effort and passion she put into her previous marriage, only to have it come crumbling down. Adele does this through the symbolism of a house for love to grow, which sadly resulted in her painting walls with all my secret tears / filling rooms with all my hopes and fears. The song nevertheless continues by portraying how she has learned to be her own support system but leaves the relationship with no regrets. Despite the pain of building and ending a relationship, she is willing to try it all again. This is the perfect encapsulation of the album: despite the devastation of her relationship, Adele is continuing to look forward.
Adele concludes with Love Is A Game, a jazzy and theatrical end to the album. The song sounds like the outro of a film emphasizing the riskiness of love, particularly considering the amount of pain that it caused her. Love Is A Game contains impressive vocals and perfectly wraps up the album. The song epitomizes how 30 is an album of triumph and sadness.
If you were unaware by now, I am very much a fan of this album. While the tracklist canfeel repetitive at times, I, perhaps controversially, see it as Adeles best one so far. The album is experimental, introspective, and bold, especially considering its hype. Suffice to say, I am a 30 fan, and you should be too.
Oliver Cope can be reached at ocope@wesleyan.edu
Originally posted here:
The Power, Emotion, and Captivation of Adele's 30 - Wesleyan Argus
- MB Shuffle: X1N0 Places Self-Empowerment in the center of Superstar - More Branches - March 20th, 2024 [March 20th, 2024]
- Oops! I called my boss 'dude.' Career coaches weigh in on tricky ... - NPR - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Servant leadership and AI: Agility and empowerment for the CLO - Chief Learning Officer - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- New Book You Were Born for More Offers a Transformative ... - Digital Journal - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- New academic year, new faces on campus - Central Michigan University - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Vanilla perfumes: the 8 best and long-lasting - Marie Claire UK - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Now, CCTV cams must at coaching centres - Times of India - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- What would have happened if Billie Jean King had lost to Bobby ... - The Boston Globe - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Discover the synergy between biotech and medtech in Ghent - Labiotech.eu - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Offtrack: The Long Road to Asylum for LGBTQ Refugees in Greece - Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- The rise of solo dates: Why Gen Zs are embracing 'Me Time' - Nairobi News - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Libra to Pisces: 4 Nurturing Zodiac Signs Who Prioritize the Needs ... - PINKVILLA - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- 2023 Northwest Indiana Women's Leadership & Innovation Summit ... - Purdue University Northwest - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- How Hinewehi Mohi uses te reo and music to bring Aotearoa together - New Zealand Herald - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- The 20 Most Anticipated Sequel and Reboot Movies Coming in ... - MovieWeb - June 22nd, 2023 [June 22nd, 2023]
- What Taylor Swift teaches girls about taking control of their lives and ... - Morningstar - June 22nd, 2023 [June 22nd, 2023]
- Report Points To Growth Of Asian-American Businesses In ... - iHeart - June 22nd, 2023 [June 22nd, 2023]
- Empowering Women: A Day of Firearms and Firearm Safety | P ... - NewsBreak Original - June 22nd, 2023 [June 22nd, 2023]
- EMBRACING THE SPIRIT OF AFRICAPITALISM: CATALYSING ... - The Tony Elumelu Foundation - June 22nd, 2023 [June 22nd, 2023]
- The best albums of the year so far (2023) - The Vinyl Factory - June 22nd, 2023 [June 22nd, 2023]
- Benton County Sheriff's deputies train to help kids avoid bad situations - Westside Eagle Observer - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Too Much Seduction: How to stay pure in a culture that glorifies sex, lust, lewdness - EEW Magazine - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng review tragedy in the tropics - The Guardian - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- More Than Just A Game How Dungeons And Dragons Is Making ... - IFLScience - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- GoodHeart | 25-y-o Leneka Rhoden is a beacon of service and ... - Jamaica Gleaner - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- FemTech: technology empowering women's health and well-being - Lexology - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- NBA Foundation: Uplifting Memphis youth through music - NBA.com - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Greek film 'Behind The Haystacks' to be featured at Sydney Film ... - Neos Kosmos - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Grants approved for groups in Wellington North exceed budget - Wellington Advertiser - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Self-Empowerment: 7 Ways to Empower Yourself | Maryville Online - March 4th, 2023 [March 4th, 2023]
- When you take all that we encompass and the drive that we have, it's ... - March 4th, 2023 [March 4th, 2023]
- Code of Ethics: English - National Association of Social Workers - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- All children deserve arts and music programs in schools, thats why Prop. 28 should be approved - San Bernardino County Sun - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- The Body Positive Sex Talk Empowering Women On TikTok - Women's Health - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- TCL Announces Exciting Collaboration with TCL Brand Ambassador Shyla Heal to Elevate #TCLForHer Platform and Inspire Women to Redefine Greatness -... - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- The good employer: Creating and living-out a culture of empathy, empowerment and understanding - Digital Journal - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- International Day of The Girl: Rotary District 9125 Empowers 850 School Girls In Kano THE AUTHORITY NEWS - THE AUTHORITY NEWS - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- MEET THE CANDIDATES: Charleswood-Westwood-Tuxedo - Winnipeg Sun - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Ruth Radelet (ex Chromatics) discusses the inspirations behind her debut solo EP - Brooklyn Vegan - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Here to stay! How this OG Tagaytay wellness spa survived the pandemic, is stronger than ever - Rappler - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners Set to Consider $3.2M in Awards to Local Organizations as Part of the Community Priority Fund -... - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- FEMALE INCLUSION AND EMPOWERMENT CONFERENCE SPEAKERS - News - htafc.com - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Graphic designer works his way to the top - The Herald - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Foundation coaches in Tanzania attend in-person training sessions - Real Madrid - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Jade Helliwell releases first EP since 2018 in upbeat celebration of women - Music Talkers - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Competing interests: protection of transgender rights and freedom of religious beliefs - the Australian perspective - Kennedys - Kennedys Law - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Adam Levine and The Try Guys: Cheating scandals hit different right now - Vox.com - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Championing the value of time and a future-proof healthcare plan for women - Malaysiakini - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Seattle Rep Announces October Programming Featuring WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME & More - Broadway World - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Who are the actors playing Martin Luther King and Malcolm X? - New York Daily News - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- "One Of A Million" by Softcult - Northern Transmissions - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- Aesthetic Gynaecology and Regenerative Medicine Training held in Delhi by IASRM (International Association of Stemcell and Regenerative Medicine) -... - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- 6 Teens Who Make The World A Better Place - Forbes - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- Earn Your Leisure Partners with Steve Harvey to Assemble an All-Star Financial Lineup for Innovative Festival at London's Historic Royal Albert Hall -... - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- KNUST-Obuasi campus honours Dr. Love Konadu and 25 others - BusinessGhana - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- Back-to-the-office moves leave tech uneasy - Axios - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- FEMALE INCLUSION AND EMPOWERMENT CONFERENCE - News - htafc.com - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Neustar and LiveVox Join Forces to Improve Outbound Customer Contactability - Business Wire - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- 5 Organisations We've Teamed Up With to Empower Africa's Young People - Global Citizen - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- What is Witchcore? The Aesthetic Gaining Popularity on Social Media, Explained - The Mary Sue - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- After 10 years of swiping right, what have we gained from Tinder? - Sydney Morning Herald - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Sisters of the revolution: the women of the Black Panther party - The Guardian - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- ANALYSIS | Only SAs elite benefits from black economic empowerment and Covid-19 proved it - News24 - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- 'We need to be aware of the power of touch' - Nursing Times - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Students reminded of University resources to support mental health and wellness - Pennsylvania State University - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Boudoir photographer Amanda Robb helps 'terrified' women love their bodies - Stuff - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Super Girl Surf Pro returning to Oceanside with global surf stars like Bethany Hamilton and a music festival - The San Diego Union-Tribune - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- 5 Business Experts to Learn from in 2022 - The Australian Business Journal - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Stealthy state crimes during times of disaster - Mail and Guardian - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Neha Mujawdiyas Personal Journey In Accessing Basic Education Inspired Her Startup - SheThePeople - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- The Experience of Pregnant Women in the Health Management Model of Int | IJWH - Dove Medical Press - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Men are more prone to suicide than women, reveals NCRB data - The New Indian Express - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- 25 Empowerment Anthems: Songs for an Extra Boost of Confidence - Billboard - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- 40 years later, business of healthcare changed in very personal ways PharmaLive - PharmaLive - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- Setting boundaries in your daily life can protect you from 'harmful experiences': Here are 3 tips to get you started - CNBC - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- I Tested PUMA's New Frida Kahlo Collection Honoring the Iconic's Legacy - mit - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- The Activist Offering: Lessons from Kansas - Progressive.org - Progressive.org - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- 'The Majnu Ka Tilla Diaries' Reveals Tibetan Empowerment in India - The Wire - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- Kentwood Players announces open auditions for 9 TO 5 the Musical - Culver City Observer - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- 'They/Them' Review: A Slasher That Isn't as Scary or Subversive as Real Life - CNET - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]