My review of ’30’, and why it DIDN’T flop!
I keep seeing people online saying that ’30’ flopped, or calling it a disappointing album. Honestly? I think people are just missing what this record actually is…
It was never meant to be an album packed with easy bangers. Songs like ‘Rolling in the Deep’ or ‘Send My Love’ are absolute vibes indeed! They get you moving and don't force you to deal with heavy emotions. But ’30’ is completely different. It’s a niche album about divorce, grief, and the messy process of rebuilding yourself. It’s brutal, it’s uncomfortably honest, and if you aren't in the headspace for that, well, yeah, of course it feels heavy. But calling it a flop just because it doesn't sound like generic pop radio is completely unfair. It's an absolute masterpiece when you listen to it for what it actually is: a story of emotional survival.
If you look closely at the tracklist, it plays out like an emotional rollercoaster… Spiralling down, picking herself back up, crashing again, and eventually finding a bit of peace.
Here’s my opinion for every song, unfolding the emotional story that she sings. It’s quite long indeed, but I bet you’d love the read, if you truly are an Adele fan… LOL :))
1. Strangers by Nature:
It feels like walking through a graveyard, mourning a love that just died. She’s literally visiting the ‘dead’ versions of herself and her past relationship. It’s her acknowledging that a massive chapter of her life is buried. That final line ‘Alright then, I’m ready…’ is monumental! It’s like she’s bracing herself for the storm ahead.
2. Easy on Me:
The emotional spiral hits proper rock bottom straight away. This is her bargaining, asking for grace from her son, her ex, and herself. It’s essentially an open letter to Angelo, trying to explain why she had to dismantle his whole world. She stayed, she tried, but she realised that sometimes love isn't enough to make a relationship work.
3. My Little Love:
It goes way moooore darker here. Incorporating the voice notes to her son is heartbreaking. Adele mentioned writing this after Angelo told her that he couldn't ‘see’ her anymore… meaning she was physically there, but completely checked out and paralysed by depression. You can feel her world shattering in real time.
4. Cry Your Heart Out:
Now finally, a shift upward! This one’s like ‘crying on the dancefloor’. The beat tricks you into thinking it's a light vibe, but the lyrics are purely about sitting in your depression. The real lesson here is about self-love… you have to turn that compassion inward, before you can fix anything else around you.
5. Oh My God:
This one is a proper high point on the emotional scale. She’s finally going out with mates, lightening up, and having a laugh. It’s about reclaiming her independence and choosing happiness over sitting at home mourning her old life.
6. Can I Get It:
Riding that same optimistic energy, almost. It’s about optimism and desire for real and substantive love. ‘Can I get a real, heavy, vulnerable love right now?’
7. I Drink Wine:
Back down we go!!! She’s admitting she has no clue what she’s doing and is terrified of what's coming next. The massive turning point here is her admitting she wanted her partner to change, but realising you can't force someone to grow at your pace. You can't save a relationship just by wishing it was different.
8. All Night Parking:
A quick lift, up again. Here we get a glimpse of her falling in love with someone new after everything crumbled. After all the heavy heartbreak, this track feels like a warm cuppa on a rainy day. It's the first time on the record you hear her actually smile.
9. Woman Like Me:
Right back down to the floor, but with a lot of bite this time. It’s a dead-honest and passive-aggressive callout. Her ex was stuck in his own head, paralysed by insecurity. Adele was ready to build an empire and grow, whilst he was content just being lazy and wallowing. She didn't leave because she stopped loving him. She left because his total lack of effort was dragging her down. She brought maturity and stability to the table, and instead of stepping up, he got intimidated and checked out. She is genuinely baffled by his lack of ambition or desire to improve!
10. Hold On:
A massive turning point, up again. She once spoke in an interview about how overwhelming the daily grind of single parenting and anxiety was here, at her lowest, when even trying to ‘hold on’ felt completely exhausting. But then that backing choir kicks in. Which, mind you, literally represents ‘Adele's crazy friends’. Open the song’s credits on Spotify if you don’t believe me! It truly says ‘Adele's crazy friends - Choir’. LOL! Her friends are the actual support system pulling her out of the dark. When you can't convince yourself things will be alright, you need your mates to yell it at you until you believe them.
11. To Be Loved:
This brings us back to the absolute rock bottom! DOWN! I’d say this is easily the most devastating track on the album. If you haven't seen the unedited live recording on YT yet, please go watch it immediately! Look it up: ‘Adele To Be Loved Live on her Sofa’. But even in the studio version, there are no studio tricks here, just Adele and a piano tearing her soul open. Also, unlike her older break-up anthems, ‘Someone Like You’ for example, there’s no villain here. She’s not angry, she’s just grieving the reality of growing apart. By the end, she's practically crying through her belting. It’s pure, unfiltered heartbreak.
12. Love Is a Game:
This is the ultimate resolution. The ultimate peak of positivity in the album. She starts by admitting her own mind is a dangerous place and that she self-sabotages. She’s exhausted by the thought of playing the dating game again. But the best bit is the ending: despite all the pain, she admits she’d probably do it all over again. She hasn't fixed every flaw, but she's finally ready to accept herself and risk getting hurt one more time.
It’s indeed NOT an album built for quick streams or TikToks… It’s a story you have to listen to whole. That doesn't make it a flop! It makes it one of the most honest records she's ever put out……
Thank you for reading all the way through! 🤗