Adele has put a date on it.
After much anticipation, the singer has announced that her fourth studio album 30 will arrive on Friday, Nov. 19. Along with the date, she revealed the cover art and penned a lengthy note to her fans in which she opened up about the “most turbulent period” of her life following the release of her 2015 album 25.
“I was certainly nowhere near where I’d hoped to be when I first started it 3 years ago,” said Adele, who got married and divorced from Simon Konecki in the years since 25. “Quite the opposite actually. I rely on routine and consistency to feel safe, I always have. And yet there I was knowingly–willingly even, throwing myself into a maze of absolute mess and inner turmoil!”
She continued, “I’ve learned a lot of blistering truths about myself along the way. I’ve shed many layers but also wrapped myself in new ones. Discovered genuinely useful and wholesome mentalities to lead with, and I feel like I’ve finally found my feeling again. I’d go as far as to say that I’ve never felt more peaceful in my life.”
“And so, I’m ready to finally put this album out,” she declared.
Adele went on to call the album her “ride or die throughout the most turbulent period of my life” and likened it to a “friend who came over with a bottle of wine and a takeaway to cheer me up.”
The album represents a new chapter. “I’ve painstakingly rebuilt my house and my heart since then and this album narrates it. Home is where the heart is,” she concluded.
In her interview with Vogue, Adele said that Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On served as a “very big reference” on the album, and credited Tyler, the Creator and Skepta for inspiring her to incorporate voice notes.
“It’s sensitive for me, this record, just in how much I love it,” she said. “I always say that 21 doesn’t belong to me anymore. Everyone else took it into their hearts so much. I’m not letting go of this one. This is my album. I want to share myself with everyone, but I don’t think I’ll ever let this one go.”
Adele has been teasing the lead single, “Easy on Me,” which will premiere Thursday at midnight in the U.K. and 7 p.m. ET in the U.S.