ADELE, 30

Adele's fourth album, 30, finds her reflecting on divorce, motherhood, and self-discovery with a mix of intimacy and grandeur. Built around her unmistakable voice, the record shifts from the stark balladry of “Easy on Me” to the playful bounce of “Oh My God” and the lush, jazz-inflected “All Night Parking.” The production is wide-ranging yet cohesive, balancing stripped-back piano songs with fuller arrangements that draw on soul, pop, and gospel. It is Adele at her most personal, an album that frames heartbreak and change not only as endings but as the start of something new, and I think it is her best album to date.