ADELE has released her first album in six years with some of the tracks dedicated to the difficulties she faced following her divorce.

The popstar, who lived in Hove, released 30, a follow-up to 2015’s 25, on Thursday evening.

Critics are already describing the 12-track album as one of the “most significant” music releases in recent years.

Earlier this week, the singer discussed a range of topics such as her son Angelo, her father’s death and her dramatic weight loss, during a sit down with American chat show host Oprah Winfrey to launch her new album.

The two-hour special, broadcast on Sunday night in the US, included the exclusive interview as well as a pre-recorded live performance featuring never before heard tracks from 30.

The 33-year-old explored the stories behind some of the tracks including the breakdown of her marriage in her conversation with Oprah.

Speaking in the same rose garden where Winfrey conducted her headline-grabbing interview with Harry and Meghan, Adele said she had worried that the album would be too personal.

“I think the reason I’m so brave to do it in my career so far is because music helped me in any situation and I would like to do the same for people who are so alone … to be reminded that they’re not alone,” she said.

“There were moments where I was writing the record and I thought that might be a bit too private, too about myself to put out.

“But nothing is as scary as what I’ve been through over the past few years behind closed doors.

“So I’m not frightened about what people might or might not do.”

The Brit Award and Grammy winner said that she and ex-husband Simon Konecki did not talk about the upcoming album, but added that they remained friends.

Adele married Simon in 2019 and the pair bought a country estate in East Grinstead, which the singer sold following their divorce.

She said that 30 was dedicated to her son Angelo and is a way of showing him “who I am”.

“The whole album is not about him, it’s about me and I just wanted him to hear me talking madly deeply about who I am and how I feel,” she said.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to have that conversation with him in real life, so he can go and listen to it.”

The interview was interspersed with footage of an exclusive concert which was pre-recorded at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.

Ahead of the special’s broadcast Adele said she had never been so nervous for a performance in her life due to Angelo being in the audience alongside celebrity guests including Drake, Lizzo and James Corden.

Midway through the live show, the singer engineered a surprise proposal for a couple of fans, who successfully got engaged onstage in front of the audience.

She described the observatory as “the most beautiful venue I’ve ever played” and posted pictures of the event on Twitter.

Among the tracks performed were earlier hits Hello, Someone Like You and Rolling in the Deep.

The four new songs were I Drink Wine, Hold On and Love is a Game, as well as her comeback single Easy On Me, which has remained at the top of the UK charts for four consecutive weeks.

A primetime special concert filmed at the London Palladium, An Audience With Adele, will be broadcast on ITV on November 21.

Both specials are being produced by British company Fulwell 73 Productions.

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