Adore is the fourth studio album by the American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, released on June 2, 1998, by Virgin Records. After the multi-platinum success of their previous album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, the band intended for Adore to feature a drastic change in sonic direction. As the main songwriter and frontman Billy Corgan had experienced a series of personal tragedies and losses, the album's content is heavily shadowed by themes of mortality, love, and loss.
Adore saw a departure from the band's earlier, guitar-heavy sound and instead featured a more subdued aesthetic, with heavy use of electronics and programmed beat and loop elements. It features various guest musicians, including drummers Matt Walker and Joey Waronker. The recording sessions also marked the first time since the band’s formation that a session drummer was used on an album, following the dismissal of the band’s original drummer, Jimmy Chamberlin, in 1996.
Although commercially less successful than its predecessors, Adore received positive reviews from music critics and was nominated for the Best Alternative Performance at the Grammy Awards. The album introduced a newer and larger audience to The Smashing Pumpkins’ music, particularly due to the hit singles "Ava Adore" and "Perfect". However, despite its innovative production and mature thematic content, the album sold less than expected.
