Adele’s music, especially songs such as “Rolling In The Deep” and “Set Fire To The Rain,” were always a staple throughout my childhood. Along with my siblings, I would loudly sing the lyrics during long road trips, oblivious to the raw emotions and messages Adele shared in her music. In recent years, however, I have seen her name less and less; she seemed to have disappeared from the mainstream. As a result, when I discovered that Adele was releasing 30, her first album in six years, I was eager to listen to and write about it.

30 focuses on Adele’s journey and her range of emotions after her divorce from her ex-husband Simon Konecki. When I listened to it, I was truly taken on a journey. Song to song, Adele borrows inspiration from a variety of music genres, going from pop to soul to jazz. The discord of her emotions can also be felt, from happier, upbeat pieces such as “Oh My God” to sadder songs such as “Easy On Me” and “My Little Love,” where she bares all of her weaknesses and broken emotions from her divorce. “My Little Love” strikes especially hard, detailing her conversation with her son Angelo about the divorce and featuring a part where she can no longer sing about her feelings and only voice them with stuttering speech. Throughout all of this, however, the power within her voice is constant, something I remember even from my childhood listening to her music on the radio.

If I had not seen the prompt to write this article, I must admit I would never have discovered this album. From my interviews of several students on campus, I believe the sentiment is the same. Among the PDS community, Adele is a forgotten name for many, and her latest albums are not kept up with. Although this is the case, those who have heard Adele’s album are impressed. Senior Grant Wells, a student I found who recently discovered her album like me, stated, “This album has reignited my love for Adele’s music, and I think everyone should give it a listen.” I totally agree as this newest album has given me a new appreciation for Adele, one I never truly could develop as a child. The power in her lyrics and the story she tells through the course of the album is amazing, and I think everyone should give it a chance. She has truly outdone herself with this newest album, and I think it may just bring her back into the mainstream.