Is Adele teasing her comeback with mysterious “30” billboards?

Like the Bat-Signal shining in the night, a series of billboards appeared on October 1 with a single number, “30,” which could perhaps mean that Adele is finally back. At least we hope.

Although no official word has yet come from the singer, Adele fan accounts spotted at least two “30” billboards to date and seem confident about the message they contain. There had also been rumors that Adele’s new music would drop on Friday, but nothing has materialized so far.

Call his record 30 would follow Adele’s previous model of naming albums after her age, and 30 was a pivotal year for the singer: she split from ex-husband Simon Konecki when she was that age.

New record would mark Adele’s fourth album and first in six years, after 2015 25. This record, which followed its breakthrough in 2011 21, was an instant crash that shattered – and still holds – the record for US album sales in a week, that ‘NSync’s No strings attached had previously held since 2000 (Adèle notably decided at the time not to 25 immediately available on streaming platforms, potentially increasing the number of actual sales). 25 also won two Grammys: Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album.

After a tour in support of 25, Adele kept a characteristic low profile as she worked on her new record. Last October, she made a surprise comeback on Saturday Night Live, not as a musical guest, but as a host, where she joked during her monologue, “I know there’s been a lot of talk about just being the host. Like ‘Why isn’t she the musical guest?’ and stuff like that. And there are several reasons. My album isn’t finished, and I’m also too scared to do both… I’d rather just put on wigs… have a glass of wine or six and see what happens.

The possibility that new music is coming couldn’t have come at a better time either: Rolling stone reported earlier this week, fans are clearly craving Adele’s tunes as a singer 25 Deep cut, “Love in the Dark,” has seen a recent surge in popularity mainly due to people on TikTok making videos about the song’s underrating.