It's been more than a decade since Adele released her epic breakup album, 21. That album went on to become one of the most overwhelmingly successful records in history, and it transformed her from promising talent to indelible superstar. Since then, she has released another beloved album, 25, written a James Bond theme song and sold out tours around the world. (She also performed a pretty great Tiny Desk concert, too).
Now, she’s back with 30, which NPR Music critic Ann Powers calls “a chronicle of divorce and soul-searching recovery that is, more crucially, a thrilling redefinition of Adele's artistry.” Adele’s lyrics here, Ann writes, “make more room for both self-criticism and a sense of perspective.” There’s a marked change in the way she uses her voice, too; she has become “more intuitive, conversational and in touch with the grooves and dancebeats her producers craft for her.”
That’s something Adele noted in her conversation with NPR’s Morning Edition. “I definitely think that my voice has matured,” she told host Rachel Martin. “I also think that my delivery on the album is because of the lyrics and what I'm singing about. I don't feel the need to wail all the time anymore.” In that conversation, she also discussed the self-interrogation that led to 30. “It's definitely my most personal and most vulnerable record yet,” she says.
Thinking about buying 30 — or basically any other new release— on vinyl? You might be waiting a while. The Indicator from Planet Money took a look at whether superstars like Adele are clogging the vinyl supply chain.
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New Music
In addition to the Adele album, there were lots of other great records out this week. Hear a discussion about new releases by Snoop Dogg, Makaya McCraven and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss on New Music Friday from All Songs Considered.
The Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina likes to grapple with life's big questions as filtered through her deep faith in God and in the transformational power of music. A new album marking her 90th birthday is packed with probing works for huge symphonic forces.
Big Thief has an imaginative double album coming out in February. Hear about the new release, plus the song "Time Escaping," on this week’s New Mix from All Songs Considered, plus new music by FACESOUL, Maia Friedman and more.
Featuring
At this year’s Latin Grammys, audiences were treated to elaborate performances that featured unique collaborations between artists across genres. Camilo, Juan Luis Guerra, and Rubén Blades were the night’s biggest winners at a night that felt like a massive family reunion.
In the new performance At War with Ourselves – 400 Years of You, the Kronos Quartet reflects on four centuries of Black American history. It’s a collaboration with Nikky Finney, a National Book Award-winning poet and professor.
Terms like “sapphic anthem" have emerged to describe a lot of contemporary lesbian music. But the way those labels are applied — particularly to up-and-coming Gen-Z artists — fails to showcase the diverse sound and identities of lesbian artists working today, writes Emma Madden.
Mustafa is a nationally recognized poet in Canada, a member of the hip-hop collective Halal Gang and a co-writer of songs for artists like The Jonas Brothers and The Weeknd. His debut album, When Smoke Rises, is a tribute to the Toronto community he came from.
This week, our friends at WXPN shared a studio session of Saleka performing “The Sky Cries.”
Tiny Desk
NPR
There were only nine preview performances of Company in 2020 before all the theaters in New York went dark during the pandemic. The show is finally back on Broadway this week after a 20-month hiatus, and the cast performed a Tiny Desk (home) concert to celebrate. Also this week: Sloppy Jane crammed an 11-piece band into a coffee shop in Queens to play three songs from the band’s album Madison.
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