Adele released 30 on Friday, and it is already the best-selling album of 2021 in the U.S., Billboard reports. More than 500,000 copies have sold between Nov. 19 and Nov. 21.
Adele’s fourth studio album bests the Taylor Swift’s previous reining top-selling record of the year, Evermore, which moved 462,000 copies through the week ending Nov. 18. Adele’s new LP has also had the biggest individual sales week of the year, eclipsing Red (Taylor’s Version), which sold 369,000 copies its debut week.
Should 30 debut at No. 1 on Dec. 4 when tracking for its debut week is reported, it will mark Adele’s third No. 1 following 2015’s 25 and her sophomore record 21 from 2011.
Adele’s “best album yet” is available in a variety of formats and exclusive editions. The artist recently requested Spotify to remove its shuffle function so that her album could be heard in the sequence that she had intended, and the streaming platform acquiesced.
In Adele’s cover story with Rolling Stone, she discussed the events — including her divorce and aftermath — that informed the album, which unfurls almost chronologically. During the interview, she revealed that “I Drink Wine” was originally 15 minutes long and discussed the bonus version of “Easy on Me” featuring Chris Stapleton.
Sharleen Spiteri joined BBC Radio 2’s The Sara Cox Breakfast Show ahead of Texas taking the stage to launch the main live music programme at Radio 2 in the Park in Stirling.
Checking in from rehearsals, the Texas frontwoman spoke about getting ready for the band’s opening performance at City Park. Radio 2’s annual flagship festival takes place there from 11 to 13 September 2026. "I’m match fit because I’ve had a couple of days’ rehearsals," Spiteri said. "We’re kicking the whole weekend off, which we’re very much looking forward to, so everybody’s got to get ready to party."
Before the live acts take over, Friday’s DJ Pre-Party gets the weekend started with Radio 2 favourites Sara Cox, DJ Spoony, Gary Davies, Michelle Visage, and Rylan behind the decks.
Jo Whiley helped set the mood with a special programme from Stirling’s Tolbooth venue. Working with BBC Introducing Scotland, the broadcast put the spotlight on Scotland’s emerging music scene through performances and conversations with Fright Years, Alice Faye, and James Emmanuel.
Fright Years, a four member band from Edinburgh, played "Never Been Wrong" and offered their take on Simple Minds’ "Waterfront." Glasgow singer and songwriter Alice Faye, the BBC Introducing in Scotland 2026 winner, paired "Some Brief Encounter" with a rendition of Lulu’s arrangement of "I Started a Joke." James Emmanuel, who was born in Nigeria and now lives in Edinburgh, sang "Brothers & Sisters" before taking on Chaka Khan’s "I’m Every Woman."
"We’re all about celebrating BBC Introducing and all the music that’s come out of Scotland," Whiley told listeners. "It's about celebrating the local music scene and the incredibly important work that BBC Introducing does to support independent, up-and-coming artists."
Joining the conversation were Stephanie Cheape, presenter of BBC Introducing in Scotland, Tara McLoughlin, venue manager for Stirling Council, and student radio presenters representing the University of Stirling’s Air3 Radio.
Listeners can catch the complete interviews and live performances from the weekend’s programmes on BBC Sounds.
