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With '30,' Adele unleashes another blockbuster

Adele's fourth studio album 30 finds the singer reflecting on her divorce. Columbia Records hide caption

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Columbia Records

Pop Culture Happy Hour

With '30,' Adele unleashes another blockbuster

Adele is one of the most successful artists of her generation. Her last two records combined sold more than 25 million copies and both won Album Of The Year at the Grammys. Now, the U.K. pop star has put out her fourth studio album 30, which finds Adele reflecting on her divorce with songs that don't shy away from emotional vulnerability or deep melancholy.

With '30,' Adele unleashes another blockbuster

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Adele asked Spotify to remove the default shuffle button for albums, and they obliged

"We don't create albums with so much care and thought into our track listing for no reason," Adele tweeted on Saturday. CBS Photo Archive/CBS via Getty Images hide caption

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CBS Photo Archive/CBS via Getty Images

Music News

Adele asked Spotify to remove the default shuffle button for albums, and they obliged

The singer believes "our stories should be listened to as we intended." She requested the change for the release of her new album, 30, and Spotify replied with a tweet reading, "Anything for you."

Adele talks coming back to Earth at '30'

NPR Music critic Ann Powers writes that Adele's new album, 30, "engages with the world — through lyrics that trade adolescent romanticism for genuine self-examination." Her new album, 30, is out now. Simon Emmett/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Simon Emmett/Courtesy of the artist

Music Features

Adele talks coming back to Earth at '30'

Morning Edition's Rachel Martin talks to Adele about her latest album and the growing pains of growing older.

Adele talks coming back to Earth at '30'

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New Music Friday: The top 7 albums out on Nov. 19

Adele's long-awaited 30 tops NPR Music's picks for the best albums out on Nov. 19. Simon Emmett/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Simon Emmett/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: The top 7 albums out on Nov. 19

Adele's long-awaited 30 tops NPR Music's picks for the best new albums out this week, along with new ones from Snoop Dogg, Makaya McCraven, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and more.

New Music Friday: The top 7 albums out on Nov. 19

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Rumor has it Adele broke the vinyl supply chain
Paul Kane/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Rumor has it Adele broke the vinyl supply chain

We're in the midst of a vinyl boom and chains like Walmart have been cashing in. But so have stars like Adele, who reportedly pressed over 500,000 records for her new album, "30." Today on the show, has Adele really clogged the fragile vinyl supply chain, or should we go easy on her?

Rumor has it Adele broke the vinyl supply chain

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On '30,' Adele walks among us

Adele sings in front of Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles during a televised concert to promote her fourth album, 30, which chronicles the aftermath of her divorce in ways that take subtle chances with the star's signature cathartic style. Cliff Lipson/Getty Images hide caption

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Cliff Lipson/Getty Images

Review

Editors' Picks

On '30,' Adele walks among us

The star who commands a planetary position in the galaxy of pop chronicles divorce and soul-searching recovery on an album that thrillingly redefines her artistry by bringing her gently down to earth.

Turning the Tables: Your List Of The 21st Century's Most Influential Women Musicians

Beyoncé performs onstage during Coachella on April 14, 2018. Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Coachella hide caption

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Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Coachella

The 200 Greatest Songs By 21st Century Women+

Turning the Tables: Your List Of The 21st Century's Most Influential Women Musicians

The results are in for our reader poll of the most influential women and non-binary musicians of this century. Your picks help us consider and question what "influence" can mean in new ways.

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