Adele's Back… But What Are We Expecting? And Will Blackstone X Hipgnosis Change The Face Of The Music Business?

Welcome to the latest episode of Talking Trends, the weekly podcast from Music Business Worldwide – where we delve behind the headlines of two major news stories affecting the entertainment industry. This week, host Louise Porter and MBW founder Tim Ingham discuss the return of Adele with her new album 30, now confirmed for release on Friday, November 19. In Ingham’s words, we’re already seeing strong evidence of the British superstar “doing things her way” when it comes to the record, and the strategy around it. This evidence includes Adele’s decision to enlist on-the-rise British producer Inflo (Michael Kiwanuka, Little Simz) to work on her new record alongside the likes of Max Martin – in addition to Tobias Jesso Jr, of whom she’s long been a fan. Our verdict: It’s to be celebrated that Adele, a superstar artist by any measure, “continues to give a leg up” to talent working outside of the mainstream US pop world, and doesn’t “simply turn to the most in-demand songwriters and producers working in Los Angeles at any given time”.