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21 (Adele album)

April 08, 2024

21 is the second studio album by the English singer-songwriter Adele. It was released on 24 January 2011[1] in Europe by XL Recordings and on 22 February 2011 in North America by Columbia Records. The album was named after the age of the singer during its production. 21 shares the Motown and soul influences of her 2008 debut album 19, but also draws influence from the American country and Southern blues music that Adele started listening to during the North American leg of her tour An Evening with Adele. Composed in the aftermath of the singer's separation from her then partner, the album explores themes of heartbreak, healing, introspection, and forgiveness.

21
Studio album by
Adele
Released24 January 2011 (2011-01-24)
RecordedMay 2009 – October 2010
Studio
Genre
Length48:01
Label
Producer
Adele chronology
19
(2008) 		21
(2011) 		Live at the Royal Albert Hall
(2011)
Singles from 21
  1. "Rolling in the Deep"
    Released: 29 November 2010
  2. "Someone like You"
    Released: 24 January 2011
  3. "Set Fire to the Rain"
    Released: 4 July 2011
  4. "Rumour Has It"
    Released: 5 November 2011
  5. "Turning Tables"
    Released: 5 November 2011

Adele began writing 21 in April 2009, while still involved in the relationship that subsequently inspired the record. Looking to deviate from the brooding sound of her first album, she had intended to compose a more upbeat and contemporary follow-up. However, studio sessions ended prematurely due to a lack of inspiration. She resumed production immediately after the breakdown of her relationship, channelling her heartbreak and depression into her songs. Adele collaborated with various songwriters and producers, including Columbia Records co-president at the time Rick Rubin, Paul Epworth, Ryan Tedder, Jim Abbiss, and Dan Wilson.

A sleeper hit, 21 defied the modest commercial expectations of Adele's independent record label, XL. It topped record charts in more than 30 countries and became the world's best-selling album of the year for both 2011 and 2012, helping to revitalise the lagging sales of the global music industry. In the United Kingdom, it is the best-selling album of the 21st century, the fourth best-selling album in the UK, and one of the best-selling albums of all time, while its 23-week tenure atop the UK Albums Chart is the longest by a female solo artist. In the United States, it is the best-performing Billboard 200 album of all time,[2] holding the top position for 24 weeks, longer than any other album since 1985 and the longest by a female solo artist in Billboard 200 history.[3] It was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting sales of over 10 million copies in the US. In addition, three of the five singles released in its promotion – "Rolling in the Deep", "Someone like You", and "Set Fire to the Rain" – became international number-one songs, while "Rumour Has It" charted in the top 20 in countries across Europe and North America. With sales of over 31 million copies worldwide, 21 is the best-selling album of the 21st century, and one of the best-selling albums of all time.[4][5]

Praised for its understated production, vintage aesthetic, and Adele's vocal performance, 21 was shortlisted for the 2011 Mercury Prize, and won the 2012 Grammy Award for Album of the Year and the Brit Award for British Album of the Year. It has since been ranked amongst Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Writing and production edit

Early writing sessions edit

In April 2009, 20-year-old Adele, who had recently embarked on her first serious relationship with a man 10 years her senior,[6] began composing the follow-up to her 2008 debut album 19.[7] In response to the media's typecasting her as an "old soul" due to the vintage production and sentimental nature of her songs,[8] Adele decided on a more upbeat and contemporary second album.[7] However, studio sessions were generally unproductive, and after two weeks, yielded only one song recorded to the singer's satisfaction—the Jim Abbiss-produced "Take It All," a lovelorn piano ballad not unlike the songs on 19.[7][9] Disillusioned with lack of inspiration and the slow progress of the studio sessions, she cancelled the remaining recording session dates.[10]

Adele had written "Take It All" during a difficult moment in her 18-month relationship, which ended shortly after she first played this song for her boyfriend.[11] Heartbroken but musically stimulated, Adele channelled her rush of emotions into her music, crafting songs that examined her failed relationship from the perspectives of a vengeful ex-lover, a heartbroken victim, and a nostalgic old flame.[12][13]

Sessions with Epworth, Smith, and Tedder edit

Writing for the album began shortly after Adele separated from her lover. Within a day of her break-up, she contacted producer Paul Epworth, intent on capturing her emotion in a song: "We'd had a fuming argument the night before, I'd been bubbling. Then I went into the studio and screamed."[7] Although she had initially planned on completing a ballad that she had begun writing with Epworth more than a year ago, the producer suggested that she aim for a more aggressive sound.[14][15] Together, they restructured the song and rewrote lyrics to reflect Adele's recent experience, deciding on the title "Rolling in the Deep."[14] The instrumentation evolved organically—after trying out various jazz riffs, Adele attempted the first verse a cappella, inspiring Epworth to improvise a melody on his acoustic guitar. A thumping drum beat was set to mimic her racing heartbeat.[14] In two days, a demo was recorded to be produced by Columbia Records co-president Rick Rubin later that year. However, Adele re-approached Epworth months later to complete production of the song.[16]

British producer Fraser T Smith recalled following a similar trajectory when he teamed up with Adele to compose the subsequent third single "Set Fire to the Rain" at his MyAudiotonic Studios in London.[16] After the two had created the demo, Adele revisited her co-writer to record the song with him, instead of the intended producer Rick Rubin. Smith thought Adele's first attempt superior to subsequent takes and used the demo as the final production of the song, complete with live drum sounds and an elaborate strings section (arranged by British musician Rosie Danvers).[16][17]

With the demos of two songs recorded, Adele approached American musician and OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder, who was in London at the time for a radio show. Tedder had expressed interest in collaborating with the singer after they met at the 2009 Grammy Awards ceremony in February.[18] He arrived four hours early to their first studio session, buying time to better familiarise himself with some of her previous work.[16] Although unaware of Adele's personal predicament, he composed the opening piano sequence and the first few lines of what became the lovelorn ballad "Turning Tables": "Close enough to start a war/All that I have is on the floor."[16] Coincidentally, it perfectly captured the experience of the singer, who arrived at the studio moments after another altercation with her former lover. Angry and unfocused, she denounced her ex-lover's tendency to "turn the tables" on her during their arguments, an expression that Tedder decided to reference in the song's lyrics.[18] Adele recorded the demo with Jim Abbiss the following day.

Adele and Tedder arranged a second meeting and reconvened at Serenity West Studios in Los Angeles weeks later to write and record "Rumour Has It". In an interview, Tedder recalled his astonishment at the singer's musicality and vocal prowess after she completed the main vocals to the song in 10 minutes: "She sang it once top to bottom, pitch perfect, she didn't miss a note. I looked at the engineer then at her and said, 'Adele, I don't know what to tell you but I have never had anyone do that in ten years'."[16]

Sessions with Rubin, Wells, and Wilson edit

 
Columbia Records co-president Rick Rubin, known for his "stripped-down" sound and unorthodox approach in the studio, was one of the major producers for the album.

After working with Smith, Tedder, and Epworth, Adele travelled to the United States for the remainder of the album's production. At the suggestion of Columbia Records group president Ashley Newton, she met with songwriter Greg Wells at his studio in Culver City, Los Angeles, where they co-wrote the gospel-tinged ballad "One and Only".[19] The song evolved from a four-chord piano progression in a 6/8-metre, which Wells had conceived before meeting with the singer.[16] The lyrics, aimed at the singer's new love interest, came together quickly and were later completed with Dan Wilson, with whom she also composed "Someone like You".[19] In 2008, Adele's appearance on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live caught the attention of producer Rick Rubin. In the initial stage of the album's production, Rubin had signed on as its sole producer and was scheduled to produce all of its songs.[20] The demos she had recorded with Epworth, Smith, and Tedder (including "Rolling in the Deep" and "Set Fire to the Rain") were subsequently rerecorded by Rubin when she met with him in his Shangri-La Studio in Malibu, California, in April 2010.[9][14][21]

Rubin, notorious for his unorthodox production style, pushed the singer beyond her comfort zone, and despite being drawn to his unconventional methods, Adele described working with the producer as daunting.[22] Rubin had attended many of her shows throughout 2008–2009, and after a Hollywood Bowl performance, approached her to compliment her live sound. When they met in Malibu, he attempted to "capture her live show across on [her] record,"[14] assembling a team of musicians—including drummer Chris Dave, guitarist Matt Sweeney, James Poyser on piano, and Pino Palladino on bass—to contribute live instrumentation to the recording sessions.[7][23] He also decided against the use of music samples and electronic instruments.[22] An advocate of a more free-form approach to music-making, Rubin relied on the moods and feelings behind the music itself to guide the instrumental and melodic arrangement of the songs.[24] He isolated the singer in the studio and encouraged her, as well as his team of musicians, to approach the production process with more spontaneity and less restraint.[22] The singer even recalled moving the musicians and production team to tears while recording some of the songs.[25] In an interview, he commented on the nature of the recording sessions:

Her singing was so strong and heartbreaking in the studio, it was clear something very special was happening ... The musicians were inspired as they rarely get to play with the artist present, much less singing ... Today, most things are recorded as overdubs on track. This was truly an interactive moment where none of the musicians knew exactly what they were going to play and all were listening so, so, deeply and completely to figure out where they fitted in ... all of the playing was keying off the emotion on Adele's outrageous vocal performance.[16]

After recording the album with Rubin, Adele was dissatisfied with many of the songs.[21] Ultimately, she decided to scrap most of the work done in favour of the early takes she did with other producers, including Epworth and Tedder, in order for the music to reflect the raw emotion felt immediately after her break-up.[26] From her collaboration with Rubin, only five songs appeared on the album: "Don't You Remember," "He Won't Go," "I'll Be Waiting," "One and Only," as well as the U.S.-only track "I Found a Boy." Weeks after her stint with Rubin, Adele learned of her ex-lover's recent engagement, inspiring the composition of the album's final track "Someone like You." Adele's record label was initially dissatisfied with the song's sparse production, which comprised Adele's voice alongside a sole piano, and requested that it be re-recorded with Rubin's band. However, the singer opted to keep the arrangement, stating that the song was personal to her and that she wrote it to "free herself."[27]

Titling edit

[21]'s different from 19, it's about the same things but in a different light. I deal with things differently now. I'm more patient ... more forgiving and more aware of my own flaws ... Something that comes with age I think. So fittingly this record is called 21 ... Like a photo album you see [my] progression and change ... throughout the years. I tried to think of other album titles but couldn't come up with anything that represented the album properly.

— Adele, on the meaning behind the title.[28]

Adele first intended to title the album Rolling in the Deep,[29] her adaptation of the slang phrase "roll deep," which summarises how she felt about her relationship; in her loose translation, the phrase refers to having someone "that has your back" and always supports you.[30] However, the singer later deemed the title too confusing for some of her audiences.[29] Although she had wanted to avoid the number motif of her debut, Adele considered "21" the most fitting title as it represented her age at the time of the album's composition, serving as an autobiographical period piece and symbolising the personal maturity and artistic evolution since her debut.[28][29]

Music and influence edit

21 bears influences of Adele's extended exposure to the music of the Southern United States during the North American leg of her 2008–2009 tour An Evening with Adele.[23][31][32] Frequent smoke breaks with her tour bus driver,[20] a Nashville, Tennessee native, resulted in her introduction to bluegrass and rockabilly,[20] and the music of Garth Brooks,[20] Wanda Jackson, Alison Krauss,[23] Lady Antebellum, Dolly Parton, and Rascal Flatts.[33] Adele developed an appreciation for the country genre, praising what she described as the immediacy of the themes and the straightforward narrative structure of many of the songs she listened to.[32]

She also expressed her enthusiasm at simply learning a new style of music. Although influenced by Adele's interest in country music at the time, 21 remains faithful to the Motown influences of 19 and exhibits both gospel and soul music inflections.[33][34][35] Instruments such as the saxophone, harp, banjo, and the accordion contributed to its exploration of blues and soul.[31][35][failed verification] The singer drew from the music of Mary J. Blige, Kanye West, Elbow, Mos Def, Alanis Morissette, Tom Waits, and Sinéad O'Connor in the cultivation of the album's sound and credited Yvonne Fair, Andrew Bird, Neko Case, and The Steel Drivers with its musical direction.[28]

Adele's style on 21 is generally characterised by critics as soul,[8] although some suggest that the album eschews any distinct stylistic epithet.[36] John Murphy of musicOMH characterises the album as British soul.[37] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times wrote that the album's music is a part of a recent British soul revival that "summoned styles dating back to Motown girl groups and Dusty Springfield".[38] Ryan Reed of Paste calls Adele a "British alt-soul prodigy" and the album's music "the stuff of sensual modern pop-noir landscape, heavy on retro textures and relationship drama".[39] Danyel Smith of Billboard views that Adele's music exhibits influences from Northern soul, Aretha Franklin, Sade, and Bette Midler.[8][40]

Larry Flick of SiriusXM called 21 "a pop record with soul leanings", while The Washington Post's Allion Stewart commented on the album's eclectic nature: "Everything on [21] is precisely calibrated to transcend genres, to withstand trends ... It's slightly angled toward country, even more toward R&B", and "informed, but never overwhelmed, by roots music".[36] Mike Spies of Slate argues that soul music is inextricably linked to the political, historical, and cultural experience of African Americans, and that Adele and her contemporaries, far removed from this socio-cultural milieu, can offer only a mere duplicate of actual "soul", despite a capacity to convincingly channel the sound.[41] Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times wrote that 21 is an "ode to, American soul, rhythm and blues, jazz, country and the myriad combinations thereof".[42]

Songs edit

The sequence of the tracks on the deeply autobiographical album correlates with the range of emotions Adele experienced after the break-up, progressing from themes of anger and bitterness to feelings of loneliness, heartbreak, and regret, and finally, acceptance.[12][13] The revenge song "Rolling in the Deep," a "dark, bluesy, gospel, disco tune" in the singer's own words, was written as a "fuck you" to her ex-lover after his disparaging remarks that she was weak and that her life without him would be "boring and lonely and rubbish."[43][44] Opening with an understated acoustic guitar strum, the song's first lines set the foreboding tone of the album.[45] Pounding martial beats, shuffling percussion, and piano[34] coalesce into a dramatic, multilayered chorus[45] over which "Adele's voice ranges, dramatizing her search for just the right tone and words to express her dismay that a man would dare break her heart."[35] The first single from 21, "Rolling in the Deep," is one of the more apparent influences of the bluesy Americana music that framed the album's sound.[46]

"Rumour Has It," the singer's tongue-in-cheek retort to the hurtful gossip that surrounded her break-up, was aimed at her own friends for their part in spreading these rumours.[47][48] Fusing elements of doo-wop and Tin Pan Alley blues,[49] the percussion-driven song is built on girl-group harmonies, piano chords, pounding kick drum, and handclaps,[47][50] and finds the singer "channeling a '40s, piano-vixen lounge singer."[51] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times pointed out the song's "hollow counterpoint vocals" and slow, "daringly morbid" bridge that veers from the pounding rhythm before once again acceding to it.[52] In the studio, Tedder experimented with a riff inspired by Radiohead's "I Might Be Wrong," crediting the song's drop D tuning and American blues vibe as impetus for "Rumour Has It."[16] In "Turning Tables," a song of domestic dispute,[53] its narrator assumes a defensive stance against a manipulative ex-lover. Reconciling herself with the termination of a contentious relationship, she vows emotional distance to shield herself from future heartbreak. Bryan Boyd of The Irish Times likened the singer to 1980s Welsh rocker Bonnie Tyler in delivering the vocals with a mixture of anger, pain, and pathos.[39][54] According to Paste magazine, cinematic strings "serve as fitting counterpoint to [the song's] heartbroken, hollowed-out lyrics."[39]

 
'Rolling in the Deep'
The revenge song "Rolling in the Deep" was conceived only hours after Adele's separation from her ex-lover. A "dark, bluesy, gospel, disco tune" in the singer's own words, it was written in response to disparaging comments he made towards her during an argument.[43][44]
"Someone Like You"
A 27-second sample of "Someone Like You" which features spare and understated production. In the song, Adele wishes her former lover happiness in his new relationship and begs him never to forget her.
"Don't You Remember"
On "Don't You Remember," the singer implores her ex-lover to overlook her past mistakes and to remember her at her best. With bluesy guitar riffs and instrumental backing from the banjo and the accordion, the Rick Rubin-produced song is one of the more potent examples of the country music influences that permeate the album.
Problems playing these files? See media help.

The Rick Rubin-produced fourth track "Don't You Remember," co-written by Adele and Dan Wilson, marks a shift in the album's theme, from anger and defensiveness to reflection and heartbreak. A downtempo country music-styled ballad,[43] the song was added late to the production of the album after the singer grew ashamed of her continued negative portrayal of her ex-lover throughout the album.[32][55] Its lyrics entreat a past lover to remember the happier moments at the beginning of a now broken relationship.[32] "Don't You Remember" was the most challenging song on 21 for Adele to record.[56] In "Set Fire to the Rain," the singer delineates the conflicting stages of a troubled union and wrestles with her inability to fully let go.[57] Accentuated by ornate orchestral flourishes, swirling strings, crescendos,[34] and dramatic vocal effects towards its climactic end,[31] the song stands in stark contrast to the otherwise understated production of the album and, in reviews, was characterised by critics as a pop rock power ballad.[34] To achieve a fuller sound, producer Fraser T Smith incorporated the popular "wall of sound" reverberative technique in framing the song's dense instrumentation.[31][58]

"Take It All," the seventh track, written and recorded with Francis "Eg" White and Jim Abbiss before the breakdown of Adele's relationship, is a piano and vocal ballad that borrows heavily from pop, soul, and gospel.[9][59][60] In his review of 21, Allmusic's Matt Collar called the song the album's centrepiece, "an instant classic" in the same vein as "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" and "All by Myself," a "cathartic moment for fans who identify with their idol's Pyrrhic lovelorn persona."[59] The track precedes "I'll Be Waiting," the second of two songs produced by Epworth, which diverges from the scathing "Rolling in the Deep" in its optimistic tone and brisk, lilted melody.[50] A protagonist's mea culpa for a relationship gone wrong, she declares to wait patiently for her lover's inevitable return.[61][62] The song was compared to the work of Aretha Franklin for its "huge vocal sound on the chorus, rolling piano, and boxy snare,"[63] while Tom Townshend of MSN Music described its brass section as a Rolling Stones-esque "barroom gospel."[64]

Although the album predominantly explores the singer's failed relationship, not all songs were geared towards her ex-lover. "He Won't Go," a nod to hip-hop and contemporary R&B,[49] was a tribute to a friend who battled heroin addiction. The ninth track "One and Only," noted for its gospel-tinged vocals, organ, and choir,[63] was directed at a close friend for whom Adele shared romantic feelings.[65] And "Lovesong" (a cover of a song by The Cure) was dedicated to Adele's mother and friends, in whom she found solace when she grew homesick and lonely while recording in Malibu.[25]

The album closes with the "heartbreak Adagio"[66] "Someone like You," a soft piano ballad that pairs Adele's vocals with a piano playing mostly an arpeggiated ostinato. In interviews, the singer described it as the summation of her attitude towards her ex-lover by the end of the album's production.[67] The song's lyrics describe a protagonist's attempt at dealing with her heartbreak after she learns of her ex-lover's recent marriage and happy new life.[67] Sean Fennessey of The Village Voice praised the singer's nuanced vocal performance in the song, which ascends "into a near-shrieked whisper" during parts of the chorus, after which she once again regains composure.[68] One of the more commended songs on the album, "Someone like You" was praised for its lyrical depth and understated simplicity.[43][66]

Release and promotion edit

 
Adele performing "Someone like You" in 2011 during a concert in Seattle, Washington.

For the North American release of 21 on 22 February, Columbia Records executives employed the "'long tail' sales theory"[69] to shape its marketing campaign, which, according to Columbia Senior VP of Marketing Scott Greer, involved "building a critical mass throughout February to reach all those people who bought 19."[69] A key part of this strategy was the record company approaching internet and media partners Vevo, AOL, and VH1 to commence the promotion of Adele's old and new songs.[69] In the months leading up to the European release of 21, Adele embarked on a promotional tour across Europe, performing on the UK's Royal Variety Performance on 9 December 2010, the finale of the reality singing competition The Voice of Holland on 21 January 2011, and on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge six days later. On 24 January 2011, during the week of the album's UK release, she performed an acoustic set of selected songs from 21 at London's Tabernacle music hall, which was screened live on her personal website. Adele performed "Someone like You" at the 2011 BRIT Awards ceremony, which was well received and resulted in a sales increase for both 19 and 21.[69]

From September to October 2010, Adele embarked on a mini-promotional tour of the US, which included stops in New York and Minneapolis, as well as an exclusive appearance at the famous Club Largo in Los Angeles.[70] Although she did not use Twitter at the time, Columbia created an account that redirected followers to the singer's personal blog.[69] Throughout February, Adele's personal site hosted a "21 Days of Adele"[69] promotion, which featured exclusive daily content, including a live chat and a video of the singer explaining the inspiration for each album track.[69] The week of release was also accompanied by a spate of television appearances on many American daytime and late-night talk shows, such as the Today Show on 18 February, Late Show with David Letterman on 21 February,[71] and The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live! on 24 February.[32][69] Adele performed "Someone like You" at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards ceremony.

Adele embarked on her second concert tour, Adele: Live, in support of 21, scheduling more than 60 shows across Europe and North America. The shows received positive reviews, with many noting the show's understated nature, the singer's vocal performance, and her accessible persona.[72] However, recurring health and vocal problems led to numerous alterations to the tour itinerary. The cancellation of the North American leg of the tour was due to a vocal haemorrhage on her vocal cords.[73] The singer underwent corrective vocal surgery in November 2011 and cancelled all public appearances until February 2012. Adele performed "Rolling in the Deep" at the 2011 ECHO Awards, 2012 Grammy Awards, and 2012 BRIT Awards ceremonies.

21 yielded five singles in total, including four worldwide releases. The lead single "Rolling in the Deep" was released in November 2010 and peaked on the charts in the Netherlands,[74] Germany,[75] Belgium,[76] Italy, and Switzerland.[77] It became a top-ten hit in Austria, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand,[78] and Norway. Released in the UK on 16 January 2011, it peaked at number two.[79] In the US, the song became "the most widely crossed-over song of the past twenty-five years,"[80][81] appearing on a record 12 different Billboard charts (including the Rock Songs chart, R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and Hot Latin Songs charts).[80][82] The song spent seven consecutive weeks at the top of the Hot 100,[82][83] and was ranked as the top song and the best-selling song of the year.[84][85][86]

"Someone like You" debuted at number 36 on the UK Singles Chart due to strong digital sales, and after falling to number 47, it ascended to number one when the singer performed it at the 2011 BRIT Awards.[87][88] It peaked at number one in Australia,[89] New Zealand,[78] Italy, Finland, France, Switzerland,[77] and the US. "Set Fire to the Rain," the third single, topped the singles chart in the US,[90] the Netherlands[91] and Belgium (Flanders),[92] and reached the top five in Switzerland,[77] Italy[93] and Austria.

"Rumour Has It" was confirmed as the fourth and final official US single from the album by Ryan Tedder at the Grammy Awards in 2012, and was released on 1 March 2012.[94] In some countries, "Turning Tables" was released as the fourth single. It was the fifth single to be released to US mainstream stations, although it received limited airplay due to an unofficial release. Even though "I'll Be Waiting" was never released as a single, it charted at No. 29 on the US Triple A chart.[95]

Critical reception edit

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.1/10[96]
Metacritic76/100[97]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [59]
The Daily Telegraph     [98]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[99]
The Guardian     [100]
The Independent     [101]
NME6/10[102]
Pitchfork8.2/10[103]
Rolling Stone     [104]
Spin8/10[105]
USA Today    [106]

21 received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 76, based on 34 reviews.[97] In the Chicago Tribune, Greg Kot deemed the music an improvement over 19, writing that "21 beefs up the rhythmic drive and the drama of the arrangements."[107] Simon Harper of Clash wrote, "[In] two years ... she's clearly seen the world. Where 19 marked the turbulent swan song to a teenage life, 21 introduces the realities of adult life, where grown-up responsibilities collide with heartache and emotional scars run deep."[108] John Murphy of MusicOMH said that it shared the themes of "pain, sadness and anger" explored on Amy Winehouse's Back to Black (2006), while hailing 21 as "one of the great 'break-up' albums, and the first truly impressive record of 2011."[37] Sputnikmusic's Joseph Viney stated that 21 combined the "best bits of Aretha Franklin's old-school soul with Lauryn Hill's sass and sense of cynical modern femininity."[109]

Sean Fennessey from The Village Voice wrote that the album "has a diva's stride and a diva's purpose. With a touch of sass and lots of grandeur, it's an often magical thing that insists on its importance ... the line here between melodrama and pathos is wafer-thin, and Adele toes it deftly. It's what separates her from her contemporaries in the mid-'00s wave of British white-girl r&b-dom."[68] Q commented that, despite a "slightly scattershot quality ... greatness is tantalizingly within reach."[110] In The New York Times, Jon Pareles applauded the singer's emotive timbre, comparing her to Dusty Springfield, Petula Clark, and Annie Lennox: "[Adele] can seethe, sob, rasp, swoop, lilt and belt, in ways that draw more attention to the song than to the singer."[111] Ryan Reed of Paste regarded her voice as "a raspy, aged-beyond-its-years thing of full-blooded beauty",[39] while MSN Music's Tom Townshend declared her "the finest singer of [our] generation".[64]

Matthew Cole from Slant Magazine was less impressed, believing Adele's vocals masked the "blandness" of many of the songs, a fault that he said would have been more apparent had they been performed by a lesser talent.[49] Allison Stewart of The Washington Post claimed that many tracks were remarkable "only because Adele is singing them."[36] Robert Christgau gave the album a two-star honourable mention in his consumer guide for MSN Music, writing that "part of me likes how many albums this proud white-soul normal has sold, but the part that likes fast ones wins".[112][113]

Commercial performance edit

See also: Album era

Globally, 21 is the best-selling album of the past decade according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry,[114] and topped the charts in more than 30 countries.[115][116] Sales of 21 helped increase XL Recordings', Adele's record label, bank balance from £3 million to £32 million in the space of 12 months.[117] 21 was the best-selling worldwide release in 2011 with 18 million units sold, and it remained the best-selling release with an additional 8.3 million units sold the following year.[118]

Europe edit

 
Adele became the first UK female to have three number one songs from the same album and have 3 top 10 songs in the same week on Billboard Hot 100.

21 debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart on 30 January 2011 with first-week sales of 208,000 copies.[119] 21 achieved separate consecutive number-one spells during its 2011 chart run, amassing 23 weeks at number one to date.[120] Midway through 2012, 21 was the best-selling album of the year despite being released in early 2011.[121] 21 sold over 5.08 million copies as of May 2018, making it the biggest-selling album since 2000 in the UK.[122] As of October 2018, the album sold 5.11 million copies, making it the second biggest-selling studio album in the UK, and fourth best-selling album of all time.[123] The success of 21 brought attention to Adele's previous work. 19 climbed to number four on the UK Albums Chart, making Adele the first living act since The Beatles in 1964 to have two UK top five albums and singles simultaneously.[124] A week later, 19 rose to number 2 in its 102nd week of release, making Adele the first act to occupy the chart's top two spots since The Corrs in 1999.[125][126]

Adele claimed the Guinness World Records for becoming the first female artist to have two singles and two albums in the UK top five simultaneously. 21 also became the first album in UK chart history to reach sales of three million copies in a calendar year, and set records for the most consecutive weeks with a UK number-one album (solo female) with 11 weeks,[115] and the most cumulative weeks at number one (solo female) in the UK.[127][128] 21 has been certified 16-times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry for shipments of 4,500,000 units.[129] It is also the most downloaded album in UK history,[130] the biggest-selling album of the 21st century in the UK,[131] and the 4th best-selling album in the UK of all time.[132][133] In December 2019, 21 was unveiled by the Official Charts Company as the decade's best-seller, with 5.17 million chart sales.[134]

In July 2012, the album was certified decuple platinum by the IFPI, denoting sales of ten million copies across Europe, making it the highest-certified album in Europe since the IFPI Platinum Europe award was launched in 1996.[135] The album lodged 35 weeks atop the Irish Albums Chart,[136] the longest in the chart's history,[137] and sold over 270,000 copies.[136] Charting 124 weeks in Finland from early 2011 to summer of 2013 (with 11 weeks atop) and re-entering in early 2014, 21 became the second-longest-charting album of all time in the country.[138][139][140]

Americas edit

Released on 22 February in the US, 21 debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 352,000 copies.[141][142] The album remained in the top three for its first 24 weeks,[143] the top five for a record 39 consecutive weeks, and the top 10 for a total of 84 weeks. The album is tied with Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. for the second-most weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard 200.[144][145][146] 21 became the best-selling digital album of all time in the US, selling 1.879 million copies by January 2012.[147][148][149] On 17 May 2012, 21 became the 29th album since 1991 to sell over 9 million copies in the United States and became the first album in the United States to sell that amount since Usher's Confessions reached sales of 9 million in 2005.[150] By November 2012, it had sold 10 million copies, a feat achieved in 92 weeks, making it the fastest album to sell 10 million since 'N Sync's No Strings Attached in 2000.[151][152] In February 2015, the album reached 208 straight weeks, or four years, on the Billboard 200 chart, spending only 24 of those weeks outside the Top 100.[153]

21 is credited with saving the first quarter album sales of 2012 in the United States. Without 21, the first quarter of 2012 would have been down 3.4% compared to the first quarter of 2011. 21 sold more copies in the first quarter of 2012 than any album since 2005 and is the oldest album to be the best-selling album in the first quarter of the year since No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom in 1997. On 28 November 2012, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it Diamond after having sold more than 10 million copies in the United States alone, made it the first album released in the 2010s to achieve Diamond certification.[154] In December 2012, it was announced that 21 was the best-selling album on iTunes for two years in a row.[155]21 was the best-selling album of both 2011 and 2012 in the United States and Canada despite being over a year old.[156][157] It is the first album to be the best-selling album two years in a row since Michael Jackson's Thriller was the best-selling album of 1983 and 1984. Despite being over a year old, 21 sold more copies in 2012 than the best-selling albums of 2006 through 2010 sold in their respective years. It is also one of only four albums in the Nielsen SoundScan era to sell over 4 million copies in each of two calendar years. Due to these successes, Billboard declared Adele the Artist of the Year for the second year in a row, making her the first solo female artist to receive the honor twice.[158][159][160]

In February 2013, 21 reached two full years on the Billboard 200, never charting lower than number 35 on the chart. This makes 21 the best-selling album of the past 10 years and the fifth best-selling album released since January 2000.[161] In March 2013, after Adele won an Academy Award for "Skyfall", the album reentered the top 10 of the Billboard 200. This marked the album's 81st week in the top 10. Only two other albums have spent as much time in the top 10: Born in the U.S.A. and The Sound of Music.[162] In November 2013, it was announced that 21 had become the first album to sell three million digital copies in the United States and that the album is the 13th best-selling overall in the United States since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991.[163]

In November 2019, Billboard named 21 the best selling album of the 2010s.[164] As of January 2020, 21 has sold 12 million copies in the United States, becoming the ninth largest-selling album since Nielsen Music started tracking sales in 1991 and best selling album of the 2010s decade.[165][166] The album's performance on the Billboard 200 chart earned 21 the distinction of all-time number one album on the chart, according to a summary performed by Billboard in November 2015.[3] In spring of 2017, the album broke the record for the longest-charting album by a female artist on the Billboard 200, surpassing Tapestry by Carole King.[167] In February 2019, 21 has been listed on the Billboard 200 album chart for 400 non-consecutive weeks.[168] 21 also became the first album by a woman to reach 450 weeks on the Billboard 200 in February 2020.[169] In February 2021, 21 made history as the first album by a woman to reach 500 weeks on the Billboard 200.[170] In December 2021, it was announced that 21 was the first album by a woman to spend an entire decade on the Billboard 200 chart.[171]

In Canada, 21 spent 35 weeks at number one and was certified diamond in January 2012 by Music Canada for the shipment of 800,000 copies of the album.[172][173] 21 had sold over 1.489 million copies by January 2013, making it the third best-selling album in Canada since Nielsen SoundScan started tracking sales.[174]

Asia–Pacific edit

 
"Set Fire to the Rain" (2011)
A 23-second sample of "Set Fire to the Rain," which is written in the key of D minor with a tempo of 108 beats per minute.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

21 spent 32 weeks at number one on the Australian ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart, 10 of which were consecutive. Adele also replicated her UK chart record when she achieved two titles in the top five of the ARIA Album and Singles chart simultaneously.[175] In December 2012, it was announced that 21 was nearing sales of one million in Australia. This makes 21 only the seventh album to ever achieve this feat in Australia and the first to do so since Delta Goodrem's Innocent Eyes.[176] In January 2020, 21 was announced as the biggest album of the 2010s in Australia.[177] On the New Zealand RIANZ Albums Chart, 21 debuted at number one in January 2011 and spent 28 weeks at the summit in 2011.[178][179] Its 38 accumulated weeks at the top are the longest in New Zealand chart history.[78]

Accolades edit

Rankings edit

21 was ranked as the number one album of all time on the Billboard Top 200 Albums of All Time.[180] 21 appeared on many year-end best-of lists. Metacritic ranked 21 at number two on their list of 2011's most well-received records, based on inclusions in publications' year-end lists.[181] The album was ranked the best album of the year by the Associated Press,[182] The Austin Chronicle, Entertainment Weekly,[183] Star Tribune,[184] Digital Spy,[185] MSN Music,[186] New York Daily News,[187] Rolling Stone,[188] TIME magazine,[189] and editors of USA Today.[190] Critics at Billboard voted the album number-one of the year,[191] while Scottish newspaper the Daily Record,[192] editors of Amazon[193] and the editors at Rhapsody[194] also ranked the album at number one. The album appeared in the runner-up spot on MTV's list of the Best Albums of 2011[195] as well as lists produced by The Boston Globe,[196] The Hollywood Reporter[197] and Toronto Sun.[198] It placed within the top 10 on lists produced by American Songwriter,[199] Q,[200] Los Angeles Times,[201] Clash,[202] and The Washington Post.[203] "Rolling in the Deep" consistently placed high on various year-end critics' list, and was ranked the best song of the year in The Village Voice's Pazz and Jop mass critics' poll.[204]

In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked the album number six on its list of Women Who Rock: The 50 Greatest Albums of All Time.[205] As of January 2015, Billboard named 21 as the third-best album of the 2010s (so far).[206] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[207] In 2019, Rolling Stone,[208] Consequence of Sound,[209] Cleveland.com,[210] Paste,[211] and The Sydney Morning Herald[212] named it the 8th, 19th, 47th, 55th, and 1st best album of the 2010s, respectively. Consequence of Sound also named it the fifth-best pop album of the 2010s.[213] In 2020, the album was ranked at 137 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.[214] Consequence of Sound ranked the album at number seven on their list of "The 10 Greatest Second Albums of All Time".[215] 21's commercial success effectively transformed Adele's image from a blue-eyed soul singer-songwriter to a global pop phenomenon. Entertainment Weekly considered it the record representing the year of 2011 on their 2020 list of the "30 essential albums from the last 30 years".[216]

Industry awards edit

The album was nominated for the 2011 Barclaycard Mercury Prize[217] but lost to Let England Shake by PJ Harvey.[218] In November 2011, Adele won three American Music Awards including Favorite Pop/Rock Album for 21 at the American Music Awards of 2011.[219] At the 2012 Billboard Music Awards, the singer was nominated for twenty categories, winning a record-breaking twelve, including Top Billboard 200 Album and Top Pop Album for 21, and Top Streaming Song (Audio) for "Rolling in the Deep".[220][221] In May 2013, Adele received five nominations at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards, including Top Billboard 200 Album and Top Pop Album for 21 two years in a row; she won the latter award.[222]

The album earned Adele seven Grammys. In February 2012, she won the Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for 21, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Short Form Music Video for "Rolling in the Deep," and Best Pop Solo Performance for "Someone like You" at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards.[223] Additionally, her producer Paul Epworth won Producer of the Year, Non-Classical.[224] Adele, who was named Best New Artist in 2009, is only the second artist and the first female in history to win all four major Grammy categories. Christopher Cross achieved the same feat in 1981 with a four-award sweep.[225] She is only the eighth artist in Grammy history to win six or more awards in one night, matching the record set among female artists by Beyoncé in 2010.[226]

With her wins, Adele became only the sixth artist to win "Grammy's Triple Crown" in one night. She was only the second female solo artist to achieve this feat, following Carole King in 1972, and only the second British artist, after Eric Clapton in 1993.[227] At the age of 23, Adele was the youngest artist at the time to achieve this feat.[227] That record was later broken by Billie Eilish, who was 18 years old when she won all "big four" Grammys in one night in 2020.[228] In February 2013, a live rendition of the album's third single "Set Fire to the Rain," included on Live at the Royal Albert Hall, won the Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, making her the first artist to win consecutively in this category.[229] On 21 February 2012, 21 won the British Album of the Year at the 2012 BRIT Awards.[230] It also won the International Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2012.[231]

Year Ceremony Category Result Ref.
2011 American Music Awards Favorite Pop/Rock Album Won [232]
AIM Independent Music Awards Best "Difficult" Second Album Won [233]
Danish Music Awards International Album of the Year Won [234]
GAFFA Awards Best Foreign Album Won [235]
Independent Music Companies Association European Independent Album of the Year Won [236]
Mercury Prize Album of the Year Nominated [237]
MOBO Awards Best Album Nominated [238]
Soul Train Music Awards Album of the Year Nominated [239]
Urban Music Awards Best Album Nominated [240]
2012 Billboard Music Awards Top Billboard 200 Album Won [241]
Top Pop Album Won
Brit Awards British Album of the Year Won [242]
ECHO Music Awards Album of the Year Won [243]
Fryderyk Best International Album Won [244]
Grammis Awards Best International Album Won [245]
Grammy Awards Album of the Year Won [246]
Best Pop Vocal Album Won
Ivor Novello Awards Album of the Year Nominated [247]
Juno Awards International Album of the Year Won [248]
People's Choice Awards Favourite Album of the Year Nominated [249]
Premios Oye! Best English Album Won [250]
2013 Billboard Music Awards Top Billboard 200 Album Nominated [251]
Top Pop Album Won
2014 World Music Awards World's Best Album Nominated [252]

Legacy edit

[21] appealed to Baby Boomers nostalgic for Etta James, Carole King and 'Dusty in Memphis.' It also appealed to teens struggling with the first sting of heartbreak, hipsters who missed Amy Winehouse, traditionalists weary of synthesizers and vocal effects, and non-pop fans who simply found it refreshing to hear a singer belt out her blues with conviction. By singing almost exclusively about a relationship gone wrong, Adele made songs that anyone could identify with ... 21 wasn't niche-marketed. It was made for everyone and ... everyone listened.

—Tris McCall of The Star-Ledger[253]

The album's success has been attributed to its cross-cultural appeal,[145][254] which has catered to fans of various genres of pop, adult contemporary, and R&B,[145] as well as various generations and musical timelines.[255][256] According to Sasha Frere-Jones of The New Yorker, the album's success in the US can be attributed to its target audience—that is, "middle-aged moms ... the demographic that decides American elections."[257] Critics also suggest that the album's understated musical production and relative lack of artifice are striking deviations from the "bombastic theatrics" of the mainstream music industry.[256][258] Ethan Smith of The Wall Street Journal found that Adele's "deliberately unflashy" nature, full figure, and "everywoman" appeal gave her a lucrative niche in the market,[33][259] while her tendency to emphasize "substance over style" made her the "Anti-Lady Gaga".[33] Guy Adams of The Independent argued that 21's success signals the re-emergence of the more traditional approach to commercial success:

There are two approaches to the business of being noticed by today's record-buying public. The first ... revolves around oodles of hype and ever-more preposterous wardrobe selections. The second ... requires ... the confidence to let your music do the talking... Amazingly, given preconceived notions about America's supposed preference for style over substance, it is the second of these two sales techniques which appear to be working better.[259]

With the release of 21, critics began to tout Adele as the new torchbearer for the British soul music that ascended to the American mainstream via Duffy, Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen. Although the initial popularity of these artists in the early 2000s incited the media to declare a "new wave of British invasion",[260] Joseph Viney of Sputnikmusic saw their subsequent absence as an opportunity for Adele to "stake her claim as the UK's leading solo female artist".[109] John Murphy of MusicOMH declared the album "a timely reminder that British soul hasn't lost its mojo".[37] Indie label XL Recordings founder Richard Russell discussed what he believed to be the quasi-subversiveness of 21's chart dominance. Characterising the success of 21 as "almost political and sort of radical",[261] Russell stated that the lack of gimmicks in Adele's music undermined the widespread perception that female performers have to conform to specific body types, or imbue their music with gratuitous sexual imagery, in order to attain success.[261]

Retrospectively, the album received widespread critical praise. Stereogum wrote that 21 established Adele as "pop royalty" and called the album "one of history's great, resilient breakup albums",[262] while Pitchfork praised the album for "cementing her legacy as an artist who could make once-in-a-generation milestones out of her music".[263] Atwood Magazine compared the album to Frank Ocean's Blonde, as they are both sophomore albums, and commented that both albums "could slide into the catalogues of greats like Amy Winehouse and Aretha Franklin and no one would be the wiser" and called Adele "one of the most captivating songwriters of the 21st century".[264] NME described 21 as a "heartbreak pop classic" and further emphasized that it is "so classic in a way that stands the test of time".[265] In an article explaining Adele's record-breaking achievements and impact, The Recording Academy wrote that "Plenty of albums have tapped into emotional truths; few have endured like 21", and further commented that 21 "continues to resonate with audiences in 2021 as much as it did in 2011".[266] Both Junkee and Consequence of Sound credited the album for revitalizing pop music, heralding "a new era of relatable pop", and inspiring a new generation of artists.[267][268]

Track listing edit

Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Rolling in the Deep"
Epworth3:49
2."Rumour Has It"
Tedder3:43
3."Turning Tables"
  • Adkins
  • Tedder
Jim Abbiss4:10
4."Don't You Remember"
Rick Rubin4:03
5."Set Fire to the Rain"
Smith4:01
6."He Won't Go"
  • Adkins
  • Epworth
Rubin4:37
7."Take It All"
Abbiss3:48
8."I'll Be Waiting"
  • Adkins
  • Epworth
Epworth4:01
9."One and Only"
Rubin5:48
10."Lovesong"
Rubin5:16
11."Someone like You"
  • Adkins
  • Wilson
  • Wilson
  • Adkins
4:47
Total length:48:01
iTunes Store bonus track[269]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
12."I Found a Boy"AdkinsRubin3:37
Total length:51:40
iTunes pre-order edition bonus track[270]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Rolling in the Deep" (live acoustic)
  • Adkins
  • Epworth
Epworth4:07
Total length:52:10
United Kingdom, Taiwan, Poland and Bulgaria limited edition bonus tracks[271]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
12."If It Hadn't Been for Love"
Rodaidh McDonald3:08
13."Hiding My Heart"Tim HanserothMcDonald3:28
Total length:54:39
Japan edition bonus tracks[272]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
12."I Found a Boy"AdkinsRubin3:37
13."Turning Tables" (live acoustic)
  • Adkins
  • Tedder
Abbiss4:20
14."Don't You Remember" (live acoustic)
  • Adkins
  • Wilson
Rubin4:18
15."Someone like You" (live acoustic)
  • Adkins
  • Wilson
  • Wilson
  • Adkins
5:14
Total length:65:32
Deluxe edition bonus disc[69]
No.TitleLyricsProducer(s)Length
12."Need You Now" (featuring Darius Rucker) (live at CMT Artists of the Year Awards)
 3:55
13."Someone like You" (live acoustic)
  • Adkins
  • Wilson
  • Wilson
  • Adkins
5:14
14."Turning Tables" (live acoustic)
  • Adkins
  • Tedder
Abbiss4:20
15."Don't You Remember" (live acoustic)
  • Adkins
  • Wilson
Rubin4:18
Total length:65:50
Notes

Personnel edit

Adapted from AllMusic and 21's liner notes.[273][274]

Production

Music

  • Adele Adkins – lead vocals
  • Jo Allen – violin (5)
  • Stephanie Bennett – harp (4, 6, 9, 10)
  • Jerrod Bettis – drums and acoustic guitar (2)
  • Rachel Stephanie Bolt – strings (3)
  • Natalie Bonner – violin (5)
  • Harry Brown – horn arrangements and trombone (8)
  • David Campbell – string arrangements (4, 6, 9, 10)
  • Ray Carless – tenor saxophone (1, 8)
  • Carmen Carter – choir (4, 6, 9, 10)
  • Lenny Castro – percussion (4, 6, 9, 10)
  • Stephanie Cavey - violin (5)
  • Neil Cowley – piano (1, 3, 7, 8)
  • Caroline Dale – strings (3)
  • David Daniels – strings (3)
  • Rosie Danvers – string arrangements and violin (5)
  • Chris Dave – drums (4, 6, 9, 10)
  • Chris Elliot – string arrangements (3)
  • Paul Epworth – bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, percussion, and background vocals (1, 8)
  • Jimmy Gilstrap – choir (4, 6, 9, 10)
  • David Hidalgo – accordion and banjo (4, 6, 9, 10)
  • Smokey Hormel – guitar (4, 6, 9, 10)
  • Patrick Kiernan – strings (3)
  • Boguslaw Kostecki – strings (3)
  • Peter Lale – strings (3)
  • Noel Langley – trumpet (1, 8)
  • Chris Laurence – strings (3)
  • Julian Leaper – strings (3)
  • Rita Manning – strings (3)
  • Eleanor Mathieson – violin (5)
  • Stephen Morris – strings (3)
  • Jane Oliver - strings (5)
  • Emma Owens - strings (5)
  • Pino Palladino – bass (4, 6, 9, 10)
  • Tom Pigott-Smith – strings (3)
  • Ruston Pomeroy – violin (5)
  • Hayley Pomfrett – violin (5)
  • Josef Powell – choir (4, 6, 9, 10)
  • James Poyser – piano (4, 6, 9, 10)
  • Jenny Sacha – violin (5)
  • Kotono Sato – violin (5)
  • Jackie Shave – strings (3)
  • Lucy Shaw - strings (5)
  • Emlyn Singleton – strings (3)
  • Ash Soan – drums (5)
  • Fraser T Smith – bass guitar and piano (5)
  • Amy Stanford - strings (5)
  • Matt Sweeney – guitar (4, 6, 9, 10)
  • Leo Taylor – drums (1, 8)
  • Ryan Tedder – electric guitar, bass, piano, Hammond B3, drums, and string arrangement (2)
  • Ben Thomas – acoustic and electric guitar (8)
  • Cathy Thompson – strings (3)
  • Julia Tillman Waters – choir (4, 6, 9, 10)
  • Carmen Twillie – choir (4, 6, 9, 10)
  • Lorna Maxine Waters – choir (4, 6, 9, 10)
  • Oren Waters – choir director (4, 6, 9, 10)
  • Bruce White – strings (3)
  • Dan Wilson – piano (11)
  • The Wired Strings – strings (5)
  • Chris Worsey – strings (3)
  • Terry Young – choir (4, 6, 9, 10)
  • Warren Zielinski – strings (3)

Charts edit

Year-end charts edit

Certifications and sales edit

Certifications for 21, with pure sales where available
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[459] 4× Platinum  
Australia (ARIA)[460] 17× Platinum 1,190,000‡
Austria (IFPI Austria)[461] Platinum 20,000*
Belgium (BEA)[462] 6× Platinum 180,000*
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[463] 3× Diamond 480,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[464] 2× Diamond 1,600,000‡
Chile[465] 2× Platinum 40,000[466]
Colombia[467] Gold  
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[468] 10× Platinum 200,000‡
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[469] 2× Platinum 83,234[469]
France — 1,740,000[470]
Germany (BVMI)[471] 8× Platinum 1,600,000^
Greece (IFPI Greece)[288] Platinum 6,000^
Hungary (MAHASZ)[472] Platinum 6,000^
Iceland (FHF)[473] Gold 2,500‡[474]
Ireland (IRMA)[136] 18× Platinum 270,000[136]
Israel[475] Platinum 40,000[475]
Italy (FIMI)[476] 9× Platinum 450,000‡
Japan (RIAJ)[477] Gold 100,000^
Mexico (AMPROFON)[478] Diamond+3× Platinum 480,000‡
Netherlands (NVPI)[480] 4× Platinum 500,000[479]
New Zealand (RMNZ)[481] 13× Platinum 195,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[483] Platinum 100,000[482]
Poland (ZPAV)[484] 2× Diamond 200,000*
Portugal (AFP)[485] 2× Platinum 30,000^
Russia (NFPF)[486] Platinum 10,000*
South Africa — 30,000[487]
South Korea — 11,583[488]
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[489] 5× Platinum 300,000^
Sweden (GLF)[491] 3× Platinum 140,000[490]
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[492] 7× Platinum 210,000^
Taiwan — 12,000[493]
United Kingdom (BPI)[129] 18× Platinum 5,400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[494] 14× Platinum 12,009,000[166]
Venezuela — 10,000[495]
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[496] 10× Platinum 10,000,000*
Worldwide — 31,000,000[5]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history edit

Region Release date Format Label
Japan[272] 5 January 2011

19 January 2011

Hostess
Germany[497] 21 January 2011 XL
Ireland[498]
Australia[499] 24 January 2011
Austria[500]
Finland[501]
Netherlands[91]
Switzerland[77]
United Kingdom[502]
  • CD
  • Limited edition
Poland[503]
France[504]
  • CD
  • digital download
  • LP
United States[269][505] 22 February 2011 Columbia
Canada[506]
Mexico[507] 5 April 2011
  • CD
  • digital download
 Sony Mexico
China[508] 7 March 2013 CD Starsing

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ . 7digital. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  2. ^ "Greatest of All Time Billboard 200 Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  3. ^ a b Caulfield, Keith (12 November 2015). "Greatest Billboard 200 Albums & Artists of All Time: Adele's '21' & The Beatles Are Tops". Billboard. from the original on 10 December 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  4. ^ "BBC Radio 2 - Pick of the Pops - The Top 40 Best Selling Albums of the 21st Century so far..." BBC. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  5. ^ a b Serjeant, Jill (31 October 2016). Osterman, Cynthia (ed.). "Adele says she battled depression, before and after son's birth". Vanity Fair. Reuters. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  6. ^ Still, Jennifer (23 February 2011). "Adele: 'Writing album broke my heart'". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi. from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  7. ^ a b c d e Verrico, Lisa (9 January 2011). "Ready to join the A list. Interview: Feisty, fashionable and feted by the stars, Adele could be set for Amy-style success with her second album". The Sunday Times. London. p. 22.
  8. ^ a b c Hare, Breeanna (24 February 2011). "Cover Story: Adele keeps old soul fresh". CNN. Turner Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on 31 January 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  9. ^ a b c Collins, Leah (12 March 2011). "Another broken heart pays off: English singer Adele uses second breakup for equally emotional followup to debut album". Edmonton Journal. John Connolly. Archived from the original on 7 March 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  10. ^ McCormick, Neil (6 April 2011). "Adele: she's stopped us in her tracks". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  11. ^ Krajewski, Jill (19 May 2011). . CanCulture. Archived from the original on 31 May 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  12. ^ a b Harmsworth, Andrei (23 February 2011). "Adele: Bitter break-up drove me to drink". Metro. London. Archived from the original on 31 January 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  13. ^ a b Mpubani, Raymond (23 April 2011). "This is what 21 years sound like". Daily Monitor. Kampala: Monitor Publications. from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  14. ^ a b c d e Stevenson, Jane (13 March 2011). . Calgary Sun. Archived from the original on 19 December 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
  15. ^ Levine, Nick (17 January 2011). "Adele: 'Rolling in the Deep'". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi. from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i "The Adele Experience". M Magazine. PRS for Music. 22 December 2011. from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  17. ^ "Adele–21". Discogs. Zink Media. 20 January 2011. from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  18. ^ a b Adkins 2011, Interview: "Turning Tables"
  19. ^ a b Inman, Davis (21 November 2011). "Adele, "One And Only"". American Songwriter. from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  20. ^ a b c d Mark McInnis (Creator and Executive Producer) (16 March 2011). (Television production). Toronto, Canada: MTV Live, MTV Canada. Bell Media. Archived from the original on 13 September 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
  21. ^ a b . Hits Daily Double. HITS Digital Ventures. 23 September 2011. Archived from the original on 5 October 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  22. ^ a b c Hurley, James (12 January 2011). . MSN Music. Microsoft. Archived from the original on 5 November 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  23. ^ a b c Eliscu, Jenny (23 July 2010). "In the Studio: Adele Goes Country on Fall Disc". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  24. ^ Maines, Natalie (3 May 2007). . Time. Archived from the original on 29 August 2008. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  25. ^ a b Adkins 2011, Interview: "Lovesong"
  26. ^ . Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012.
  27. ^ Montgomery, James (18 February 2011). "Adele Says 21 Has People Thinking 'I'm Sort of a Manic-Depressive'". MTV. from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  28. ^ a b c Adkins, Adele (1 November 2010). . Adele.tv. XL Recordings. Archived from the original on 24 April 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  29. ^ a b c Jewell, Stephen (31 January 2011). . BlackBook. Brett Wagner. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
  30. ^ Staff (17 February 2011). "Adele on '21': 'The Songs on Here are the Most Articulate I've Ever Written'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
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April 08, 2024
adele, album, second, studio, album, english, singer, songwriter, adele, released, january, 2011, europe, recordings, february, 2011, north, america, columbia, records, album, named, after, singer, during, production, shares, motown, soul, influences, 2008, de. 21 is the second studio album by the English singer songwriter Adele It was released on 24 January 2011 1 in Europe by XL Recordings and on 22 February 2011 in North America by Columbia Records The album was named after the age of the singer during its production 21 shares the Motown and soul influences of her 2008 debut album 19 but also draws influence from the American country and Southern blues music that Adele started listening to during the North American leg of her tour An Evening with Adele Composed in the aftermath of the singer s separation from her then partner the album explores themes of heartbreak healing introspection and forgiveness 21Studio album by AdeleReleased24 January 2011 2011 01 24 RecordedMay 2009 October 2010StudioAIR Angel Eastcote Metropolis Myaudiotonic Sphere and Wendyhouse in London Harmony and Serenity Sound in Hollywood California Patriot in Denver Colorado Shangri La in Malibu CaliforniaGenreSoul popLength48 01LabelXL ColumbiaProducerAdele Adkins Jim Abbiss Paul Epworth Rick Rubin Fraser T Smith Ryan Tedder Dan WilsonAdele chronology19 2008 21 2011 Live at the Royal Albert Hall 2011 Singles from 21 Rolling in the Deep Released 29 November 2010 Someone like You Released 24 January 2011 Set Fire to the Rain Released 4 July 2011 Rumour Has It Released 5 November 2011 Turning Tables Released 5 November 2011Adele began writing 21 in April 2009 while still involved in the relationship that subsequently inspired the record Looking to deviate from the brooding sound of her first album she had intended to compose a more upbeat and contemporary follow up However studio sessions ended prematurely due to a lack of inspiration She resumed production immediately after the breakdown of her relationship channelling her heartbreak and depression into her songs Adele collaborated with various songwriters and producers including Columbia Records co president at the time Rick Rubin Paul Epworth Ryan Tedder Jim Abbiss and Dan Wilson A sleeper hit 21 defied the modest commercial expectations of Adele s independent record label XL It topped record charts in more than 30 countries and became the world s best selling album of the year for both 2011 and 2012 helping to revitalise the lagging sales of the global music industry In the United Kingdom it is the best selling album of the 21st century the fourth best selling album in the UK and one of the best selling albums of all time while its 23 week tenure atop the UK Albums Chart is the longest by a female solo artist In the United States it is the best performing Billboard 200 album of all time 2 holding the top position for 24 weeks longer than any other album since 1985 and the longest by a female solo artist in Billboard 200 history 3 It was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America RIAA denoting sales of over 10 million copies in the US In addition three of the five singles released in its promotion Rolling in the Deep Someone like You and Set Fire to the Rain became international number one songs while Rumour Has It charted in the top 20 in countries across Europe and North America With sales of over 31 million copies worldwide 21 is the best selling album of the 21st century and one of the best selling albums of all time 4 5 Praised for its understated production vintage aesthetic and Adele s vocal performance 21 was shortlisted for the 2011 Mercury Prize and won the 2012 Grammy Award for Album of the Year and the Brit Award for British Album of the Year It has since been ranked amongst Rolling Stone s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die Contents 1 Writing and production 1 1 Early writing sessions 1 2 Sessions with Epworth Smith and Tedder 1 3 Sessions with Rubin Wells and Wilson 1 4 Titling 2 Music and influence 3 Songs 4 Release and promotion 5 Critical reception 6 Commercial performance 6 1 Europe 6 2 Americas 6 3 Asia Pacific 7 Accolades 7 1 Rankings 7 2 Industry awards 8 Legacy 9 Track listing 10 Personnel 11 Charts 11 1 Weekly charts 11 2 All time charts 11 3 Decade end charts 11 4 Year end charts 12 Certifications and sales 13 Release history 14 See also 15 Notes 16 References 17 External linksWriting and production editEarly writing sessions edit In April 2009 20 year old Adele who had recently embarked on her first serious relationship with a man 10 years her senior 6 began composing the follow up to her 2008 debut album 19 7 In response to the media s typecasting her as an old soul due to the vintage production and sentimental nature of her songs 8 Adele decided on a more upbeat and contemporary second album 7 However studio sessions were generally unproductive and after two weeks yielded only one song recorded to the singer s satisfaction the Jim Abbiss produced Take It All a lovelorn piano ballad not unlike the songs on 19 7 9 Disillusioned with lack of inspiration and the slow progress of the studio sessions she cancelled the remaining recording session dates 10 Adele had written Take It All during a difficult moment in her 18 month relationship which ended shortly after she first played this song for her boyfriend 11 Heartbroken but musically stimulated Adele channelled her rush of emotions into her music crafting songs that examined her failed relationship from the perspectives of a vengeful ex lover a heartbroken victim and a nostalgic old flame 12 13 Sessions with Epworth Smith and Tedder edit Writing for the album began shortly after Adele separated from her lover Within a day of her break up she contacted producer Paul Epworth intent on capturing her emotion in a song We d had a fuming argument the night before I d been bubbling Then I went into the studio and screamed 7 Although she had initially planned on completing a ballad that she had begun writing with Epworth more than a year ago the producer suggested that she aim for a more aggressive sound 14 15 Together they restructured the song and rewrote lyrics to reflect Adele s recent experience deciding on the title Rolling in the Deep 14 The instrumentation evolved organically after trying out various jazz riffs Adele attempted the first verse a cappella inspiring Epworth to improvise a melody on his acoustic guitar A thumping drum beat was set to mimic her racing heartbeat 14 In two days a demo was recorded to be produced by Columbia Records co president Rick Rubin later that year However Adele re approached Epworth months later to complete production of the song 16 British producer Fraser T Smith recalled following a similar trajectory when he teamed up with Adele to compose the subsequent third single Set Fire to the Rain at his MyAudiotonic Studios in London 16 After the two had created the demo Adele revisited her co writer to record the song with him instead of the intended producer Rick Rubin Smith thought Adele s first attempt superior to subsequent takes and used the demo as the final production of the song complete with live drum sounds and an elaborate strings section arranged by British musician Rosie Danvers 16 17 With the demos of two songs recorded Adele approached American musician and OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder who was in London at the time for a radio show Tedder had expressed interest in collaborating with the singer after they met at the 2009 Grammy Awards ceremony in February 18 He arrived four hours early to their first studio session buying time to better familiarise himself with some of her previous work 16 Although unaware of Adele s personal predicament he composed the opening piano sequence and the first few lines of what became the lovelorn ballad Turning Tables Close enough to start a war All that I have is on the floor 16 Coincidentally it perfectly captured the experience of the singer who arrived at the studio moments after another altercation with her former lover Angry and unfocused she denounced her ex lover s tendency to turn the tables on her during their arguments an expression that Tedder decided to reference in the song s lyrics 18 Adele recorded the demo with Jim Abbiss the following day Adele and Tedder arranged a second meeting and reconvened at Serenity West Studios in Los Angeles weeks later to write and record Rumour Has It In an interview Tedder recalled his astonishment at the singer s musicality and vocal prowess after she completed the main vocals to the song in 10 minutes She sang it once top to bottom pitch perfect she didn t miss a note I looked at the engineer then at her and said Adele I don t know what to tell you but I have never had anyone do that in ten years 16 Sessions with Rubin Wells and Wilson edit nbsp Columbia Records co president Rick Rubin known for his stripped down sound and unorthodox approach in the studio was one of the major producers for the album After working with Smith Tedder and Epworth Adele travelled to the United States for the remainder of the album s production At the suggestion of Columbia Records group president Ashley Newton she met with songwriter Greg Wells at his studio in Culver City Los Angeles where they co wrote the gospel tinged ballad One and Only 19 The song evolved from a four chord piano progression in a 6 8 metre which Wells had conceived before meeting with the singer 16 The lyrics aimed at the singer s new love interest came together quickly and were later completed with Dan Wilson with whom she also composed Someone like You 19 In 2008 Adele s appearance on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live caught the attention of producer Rick Rubin In the initial stage of the album s production Rubin had signed on as its sole producer and was scheduled to produce all of its songs 20 The demos she had recorded with Epworth Smith and Tedder including Rolling in the Deep and Set Fire to the Rain were subsequently rerecorded by Rubin when she met with him in his Shangri La Studio in Malibu California in April 2010 9 14 21 Rubin notorious for his unorthodox production style pushed the singer beyond her comfort zone and despite being drawn to his unconventional methods Adele described working with the producer as daunting 22 Rubin had attended many of her shows throughout 2008 2009 and after a Hollywood Bowl performance approached her to compliment her live sound When they met in Malibu he attempted to capture her live show across on her record 14 assembling a team of musicians including drummer Chris Dave guitarist Matt Sweeney James Poyser on piano and Pino Palladino on bass to contribute live instrumentation to the recording sessions 7 23 He also decided against the use of music samples and electronic instruments 22 An advocate of a more free form approach to music making Rubin relied on the moods and feelings behind the music itself to guide the instrumental and melodic arrangement of the songs 24 He isolated the singer in the studio and encouraged her as well as his team of musicians to approach the production process with more spontaneity and less restraint 22 The singer even recalled moving the musicians and production team to tears while recording some of the songs 25 In an interview he commented on the nature of the recording sessions Her singing was so strong and heartbreaking in the studio it was clear something very special was happening The musicians were inspired as they rarely get to play with the artist present much less singing Today most things are recorded as overdubs on track This was truly an interactive moment where none of the musicians knew exactly what they were going to play and all were listening so so deeply and completely to figure out where they fitted in all of the playing was keying off the emotion on Adele s outrageous vocal performance 16 After recording the album with Rubin Adele was dissatisfied with many of the songs 21 Ultimately she decided to scrap most of the work done in favour of the early takes she did with other producers including Epworth and Tedder in order for the music to reflect the raw emotion felt immediately after her break up 26 From her collaboration with Rubin only five songs appeared on the album Don t You Remember He Won t Go I ll Be Waiting One and Only as well as the U S only track I Found a Boy Weeks after her stint with Rubin Adele learned of her ex lover s recent engagement inspiring the composition of the album s final track Someone like You Adele s record label was initially dissatisfied with the song s sparse production which comprised Adele s voice alongside a sole piano and requested that it be re recorded with Rubin s band However the singer opted to keep the arrangement stating that the song was personal to her and that she wrote it to free herself 27 Titling edit 21 s different from 19 it s about the same things but in a different light I deal with things differently now I m more patient more forgiving and more aware of my own flaws Something that comes with age I think So fittingly this record is called 21 Like a photo album you see my progression and change throughout the years I tried to think of other album titles but couldn t come up with anything that represented the album properly Adele on the meaning behind the title 28 Adele first intended to title the album Rolling in the Deep 29 her adaptation of the slang phrase roll deep which summarises how she felt about her relationship in her loose translation the phrase refers to having someone that has your back and always supports you 30 However the singer later deemed the title too confusing for some of her audiences 29 Although she had wanted to avoid the number motif of her debut Adele considered 21 the most fitting title as it represented her age at the time of the album s composition serving as an autobiographical period piece and symbolising the personal maturity and artistic evolution since her debut 28 29 Music and influence edit21 bears influences of Adele s extended exposure to the music of the Southern United States during the North American leg of her 2008 2009 tour An Evening with Adele 23 31 32 Frequent smoke breaks with her tour bus driver 20 a Nashville Tennessee native resulted in her introduction to bluegrass and rockabilly 20 and the music of Garth Brooks 20 Wanda Jackson Alison Krauss 23 Lady Antebellum Dolly Parton and Rascal Flatts 33 Adele developed an appreciation for the country genre praising what she described as the immediacy of the themes and the straightforward narrative structure of many of the songs she listened to 32 She also expressed her enthusiasm at simply learning a new style of music Although influenced by Adele s interest in country music at the time 21 remains faithful to the Motown influences of 19 and exhibits both gospel and soul music inflections 33 34 35 Instruments such as the saxophone harp banjo and the accordion contributed to its exploration of blues and soul 31 35 failed verification The singer drew from the music of Mary J Blige Kanye West Elbow Mos Def Alanis Morissette Tom Waits and Sinead O Connor in the cultivation of the album s sound and credited Yvonne Fair Andrew Bird Neko Case and The Steel Drivers with its musical direction 28 Adele s style on 21 is generally characterised by critics as soul 8 although some suggest that the album eschews any distinct stylistic epithet 36 John Murphy of musicOMH characterises the album as British soul 37 Jon Caramanica of The New York Times wrote that the album s music is a part of a recent British soul revival that summoned styles dating back to Motown girl groups and Dusty Springfield 38 Ryan Reed of Paste calls Adele a British alt soul prodigy and the album s music the stuff of sensual modern pop noir landscape heavy on retro textures and relationship drama 39 Danyel Smith of Billboard views that Adele s music exhibits influences from Northern soul Aretha Franklin Sade and Bette Midler 8 40 Larry Flick of SiriusXM called 21 a pop record with soul leanings while The Washington Post s Allion Stewart commented on the album s eclectic nature Everything on 21 is precisely calibrated to transcend genres to withstand trends It s slightly angled toward country even more toward R amp B and informed but never overwhelmed by roots music 36 Mike Spies of Slate argues that soul music is inextricably linked to the political historical and cultural experience of African Americans and that Adele and her contemporaries far removed from this socio cultural milieu can offer only a mere duplicate of actual soul despite a capacity to convincingly channel the sound 41 Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times wrote that 21 is an ode to American soul rhythm and blues jazz country and the myriad combinations thereof 42 Songs editThe sequence of the tracks on the deeply autobiographical album correlates with the range of emotions Adele experienced after the break up progressing from themes of anger and bitterness to feelings of loneliness heartbreak and regret and finally acceptance 12 13 The revenge song Rolling in the Deep a dark bluesy gospel disco tune in the singer s own words was written as a fuck you to her ex lover after his disparaging remarks that she was weak and that her life without him would be boring and lonely and rubbish 43 44 Opening with an understated acoustic guitar strum the song s first lines set the foreboding tone of the album 45 Pounding martial beats shuffling percussion and piano 34 coalesce into a dramatic multilayered chorus 45 over which Adele s voice ranges dramatizing her search for just the right tone and words to express her dismay that a man would dare break her heart 35 The first single from 21 Rolling in the Deep is one of the more apparent influences of the bluesy Americana music that framed the album s sound 46 Rumour Has It the singer s tongue in cheek retort to the hurtful gossip that surrounded her break up was aimed at her own friends for their part in spreading these rumours 47 48 Fusing elements of doo wop and Tin Pan Alley blues 49 the percussion driven song is built on girl group harmonies piano chords pounding kick drum and handclaps 47 50 and finds the singer channeling a 40s piano vixen lounge singer 51 Jon Caramanica of The New York Times pointed out the song s hollow counterpoint vocals and slow daringly morbid bridge that veers from the pounding rhythm before once again acceding to it 52 In the studio Tedder experimented with a riff inspired by Radiohead s I Might Be Wrong crediting the song s drop D tuning and American blues vibe as impetus for Rumour Has It 16 In Turning Tables a song of domestic dispute 53 its narrator assumes a defensive stance against a manipulative ex lover Reconciling herself with the termination of a contentious relationship she vows emotional distance to shield herself from future heartbreak Bryan Boyd of The Irish Times likened the singer to 1980s Welsh rocker Bonnie Tyler in delivering the vocals with a mixture of anger pain and pathos 39 54 According to Paste magazine cinematic strings serve as fitting counterpoint to the song s heartbroken hollowed out lyrics 39 nbsp Rolling in the Deep source source track The revenge song Rolling in the Deep was conceived only hours after Adele s separation from her ex lover A dark bluesy gospel disco tune in the singer s own words it was written in response to disparaging comments he made towards her during an argument 43 44 Someone Like You source source track A 27 second sample of Someone Like You which features spare and understated production In the song Adele wishes her former lover happiness in his new relationship and begs him never to forget her Don t You Remember source source On Don t You Remember the singer implores her ex lover to overlook her past mistakes and to remember her at her best With bluesy guitar riffs and instrumental backing from the banjo and the accordion the Rick Rubin produced song is one of the more potent examples of the country music influences that permeate the album Problems playing these files See media help The Rick Rubin produced fourth track Don t You Remember co written by Adele and Dan Wilson marks a shift in the album s theme from anger and defensiveness to reflection and heartbreak A downtempo country music styled ballad 43 the song was added late to the production of the album after the singer grew ashamed of her continued negative portrayal of her ex lover throughout the album 32 55 Its lyrics entreat a past lover to remember the happier moments at the beginning of a now broken relationship 32 Don t You Remember was the most challenging song on 21 for Adele to record 56 In Set Fire to the Rain the singer delineates the conflicting stages of a troubled union and wrestles with her inability to fully let go 57 Accentuated by ornate orchestral flourishes swirling strings crescendos 34 and dramatic vocal effects towards its climactic end 31 the song stands in stark contrast to the otherwise understated production of the album and in reviews was characterised by critics as a pop rock power ballad 34 To achieve a fuller sound producer Fraser T Smith incorporated the popular wall of sound reverberative technique in framing the song s dense instrumentation 31 58 Take It All the seventh track written and recorded with Francis Eg White and Jim Abbiss before the breakdown of Adele s relationship is a piano and vocal ballad that borrows heavily from pop soul and gospel 9 59 60 In his review of 21 Allmusic s Matt Collar called the song the album s centrepiece an instant classic in the same vein as And I Am Telling You I m Not Going and All by Myself a cathartic moment for fans who identify with their idol s Pyrrhic lovelorn persona 59 The track precedes I ll Be Waiting the second of two songs produced by Epworth which diverges from the scathing Rolling in the Deep in its optimistic tone and brisk lilted melody 50 A protagonist s mea culpa for a relationship gone wrong she declares to wait patiently for her lover s inevitable return 61 62 The song was compared to the work of Aretha Franklin for its huge vocal sound on the chorus rolling piano and boxy snare 63 while Tom Townshend of MSN Music described its brass section as a Rolling Stones esque barroom gospel 64 Although the album predominantly explores the singer s failed relationship not all songs were geared towards her ex lover He Won t Go a nod to hip hop and contemporary R amp B 49 was a tribute to a friend who battled heroin addiction The ninth track One and Only noted for its gospel tinged vocals organ and choir 63 was directed at a close friend for whom Adele shared romantic feelings 65 And Lovesong a cover of a song by The Cure was dedicated to Adele s mother and friends in whom she found solace when she grew homesick and lonely while recording in Malibu 25 The album closes with the heartbreak Adagio 66 Someone like You a soft piano ballad that pairs Adele s vocals with a piano playing mostly an arpeggiated ostinato In interviews the singer described it as the summation of her attitude towards her ex lover by the end of the album s production 67 The song s lyrics describe a protagonist s attempt at dealing with her heartbreak after she learns of her ex lover s recent marriage and happy new life 67 Sean Fennessey of The Village Voice praised the singer s nuanced vocal performance in the song which ascends into a near shrieked whisper during parts of the chorus after which she once again regains composure 68 One of the more commended songs on the album Someone like You was praised for its lyrical depth and understated simplicity 43 66 Release and promotion edit nbsp Adele performing Someone like You in 2011 during a concert in Seattle Washington For the North American release of 21 on 22 February Columbia Records executives employed the long tail sales theory 69 to shape its marketing campaign which according to Columbia Senior VP of Marketing Scott Greer involved building a critical mass throughout February to reach all those people who bought 19 69 A key part of this strategy was the record company approaching internet and media partners Vevo AOL and VH1 to commence the promotion of Adele s old and new songs 69 In the months leading up to the European release of 21 Adele embarked on a promotional tour across Europe performing on the UK s Royal Variety Performance on 9 December 2010 the finale of the reality singing competition The Voice of Holland on 21 January 2011 and on BBC Radio 1 s Live Lounge six days later On 24 January 2011 during the week of the album s UK release she performed an acoustic set of selected songs from 21 at London s Tabernacle music hall which was screened live on her personal website Adele performed Someone like You at the 2011 BRIT Awards ceremony which was well received and resulted in a sales increase for both 19 and 21 69 From September to October 2010 Adele embarked on a mini promotional tour of the US which included stops in New York and Minneapolis as well as an exclusive appearance at the famous Club Largo in Los Angeles 70 Although she did not use Twitter at the time Columbia created an account that redirected followers to the singer s personal blog 69 Throughout February Adele s personal site hosted a 21 Days of Adele 69 promotion which featured exclusive daily content including a live chat and a video of the singer explaining the inspiration for each album track 69 The week of release was also accompanied by a spate of television appearances on many American daytime and late night talk shows such as the Today Show on 18 February Late Show with David Letterman on 21 February 71 and The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live on 24 February 32 69 Adele performed Someone like You at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards ceremony Adele embarked on her second concert tour Adele Live in support of 21 scheduling more than 60 shows across Europe and North America The shows received positive reviews with many noting the show s understated nature the singer s vocal performance and her accessible persona 72 However recurring health and vocal problems led to numerous alterations to the tour itinerary The cancellation of the North American leg of the tour was due to a vocal haemorrhage on her vocal cords 73 The singer underwent corrective vocal surgery in November 2011 and cancelled all public appearances until February 2012 Adele performed Rolling in the Deep at the 2011 ECHO Awards 2012 Grammy Awards and 2012 BRIT Awards ceremonies 21 yielded five singles in total including four worldwide releases The lead single Rolling in the Deep was released in November 2010 and peaked on the charts in the Netherlands 74 Germany 75 Belgium 76 Italy and Switzerland 77 It became a top ten hit in Austria Canada Denmark Ireland New Zealand 78 and Norway Released in the UK on 16 January 2011 it peaked at number two 79 In the US the song became the most widely crossed over song of the past twenty five years 80 81 appearing on a record 12 different Billboard charts including the Rock Songs chart R amp B Hip Hop Songs and Hot Latin Songs charts 80 82 The song spent seven consecutive weeks at the top of the Hot 100 82 83 and was ranked as the top song and the best selling song of the year 84 85 86 Someone like You debuted at number 36 on the UK Singles Chart due to strong digital sales and after falling to number 47 it ascended to number one when the singer performed it at the 2011 BRIT Awards 87 88 It peaked at number one in Australia 89 New Zealand 78 Italy Finland France Switzerland 77 and the US Set Fire to the Rain the third single topped the singles chart in the US 90 the Netherlands 91 and Belgium Flanders 92 and reached the top five in Switzerland 77 Italy 93 and Austria Rumour Has It was confirmed as the fourth and final official US single from the album by Ryan Tedder at the Grammy Awards in 2012 and was released on 1 March 2012 94 In some countries Turning Tables was released as the fourth single It was the fifth single to be released to US mainstream stations although it received limited airplay due to an unofficial release Even though I ll Be Waiting was never released as a single it charted at No 29 on the US Triple A chart 95 Critical reception editProfessional ratingsAggregate scoresSourceRatingAnyDecentMusic 7 1 10 96 Metacritic76 100 97 Review scoresSourceRatingAllMusic nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 59 The Daily Telegraph nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 98 Entertainment WeeklyA 99 The Guardian nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 100 The Independent nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 101 NME6 10 102 Pitchfork8 2 10 103 Rolling Stone nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 104 Spin8 10 105 USA Today nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 106 21 received generally positive reviews from music critics At Metacritic which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications the album received an average score of 76 based on 34 reviews 97 In the Chicago Tribune Greg Kot deemed the music an improvement over 19 writing that 21 beefs up the rhythmic drive and the drama of the arrangements 107 Simon Harper of Clash wrote In two years she s clearly seen the world Where 19 marked the turbulent swan song to a teenage life 21 introduces the realities of adult life where grown up responsibilities collide with heartache and emotional scars run deep 108 John Murphy of MusicOMH said that it shared the themes of pain sadness and anger explored on Amy Winehouse s Back to Black 2006 while hailing 21 as one of the great break up albums and the first truly impressive record of 2011 37 Sputnikmusic s Joseph Viney stated that 21 combined the best bits of Aretha Franklin s old school soul with Lauryn Hill s sass and sense of cynical modern femininity 109 Sean Fennessey from The Village Voice wrote that the album has a diva s stride and a diva s purpose With a touch of sass and lots of grandeur it s an often magical thing that insists on its importance the line here between melodrama and pathos is wafer thin and Adele toes it deftly It s what separates her from her contemporaries in the mid 00s wave of British white girl r amp b dom 68 Q commented that despite a slightly scattershot quality greatness is tantalizingly within reach 110 In The New York Times Jon Pareles applauded the singer s emotive timbre comparing her to Dusty Springfield Petula Clark and Annie Lennox Adele can seethe sob rasp swoop lilt and belt in ways that draw more attention to the song than to the singer 111 Ryan Reed of Paste regarded her voice as a raspy aged beyond its years thing of full blooded beauty 39 while MSN Music s Tom Townshend declared her the finest singer of our generation 64 Matthew Cole from Slant Magazine was less impressed believing Adele s vocals masked the blandness of many of the songs a fault that he said would have been more apparent had they been performed by a lesser talent 49 Allison Stewart of The Washington Post claimed that many tracks were remarkable only because Adele is singing them 36 Robert Christgau gave the album a two star honourable mention in his consumer guide for MSN Music writing that part of me likes how many albums this proud white soul normal has sold but the part that likes fast ones wins 112 113 Commercial performance editSee also Album era Globally 21 is the best selling album of the past decade according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry 114 and topped the charts in more than 30 countries 115 116 Sales of 21 helped increase XL Recordings Adele s record label bank balance from 3 million to 32 million in the space of 12 months 117 21 was the best selling worldwide release in 2011 with 18 million units sold and it remained the best selling release with an additional 8 3 million units sold the following year 118 Europe edit nbsp Adele became the first UK female to have three number one songs from the same album and have 3 top 10 songs in the same week on Billboard Hot 100 21 debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart on 30 January 2011 with first week sales of 208 000 copies 119 21 achieved separate consecutive number one spells during its 2011 chart run amassing 23 weeks at number one to date 120 Midway through 2012 21 was the best selling album of the year despite being released in early 2011 121 21 sold over 5 08 million copies as of May 2018 making it the biggest selling album since 2000 in the UK 122 As of October 2018 the album sold 5 11 million copies making it the second biggest selling studio album in the UK and fourth best selling album of all time 123 The success of 21 brought attention to Adele s previous work 19 climbed to number four on the UK Albums Chart making Adele the first living act since The Beatles in 1964 to have two UK top five albums and singles simultaneously 124 A week later 19 rose to number 2 in its 102nd week of release making Adele the first act to occupy the chart s top two spots since The Corrs in 1999 125 126 Adele claimed the Guinness World Records for becoming the first female artist to have two singles and two albums in the UK top five simultaneously 21 also became the first album in UK chart history to reach sales of three million copies in a calendar year and set records for the most consecutive weeks with a UK number one album solo female with 11 weeks 115 and the most cumulative weeks at number one solo female in the UK 127 128 21 has been certified 16 times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry for shipments of 4 500 000 units 129 It is also the most downloaded album in UK history 130 the biggest selling album of the 21st century in the UK 131 and the 4th best selling album in the UK of all time 132 133 In December 2019 21 was unveiled by the Official Charts Company as the decade s best seller with 5 17 million chart sales 134 In July 2012 the album was certified decuple platinum by the IFPI denoting sales of ten million copies across Europe making it the highest certified album in Europe since the IFPI Platinum Europe award was launched in 1996 135 The album lodged 35 weeks atop the Irish Albums Chart 136 the longest in the chart s history 137 and sold over 270 000 copies 136 Charting 124 weeks in Finland from early 2011 to summer of 2013 with 11 weeks atop and re entering in early 2014 21 became the second longest charting album of all time in the country 138 139 140 Americas edit Released on 22 February in the US 21 debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 352 000 copies 141 142 The album remained in the top three for its first 24 weeks 143 the top five for a record 39 consecutive weeks and the top 10 for a total of 84 weeks The album is tied with Bruce Springsteen s Born in the U S A for the second most weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 144 145 146 21 became the best selling digital album of all time in the US selling 1 879 million copies by January 2012 147 148 149 On 17 May 2012 21 became the 29th album since 1991 to sell over 9 million copies in the United States and became the first album in the United States to sell that amount since Usher s Confessions reached sales of 9 million in 2005 150 By November 2012 it had sold 10 million copies a feat achieved in 92 weeks making it the fastest album to sell 10 million since N Sync s No Strings Attached in 2000 151 152 In February 2015 the album reached 208 straight weeks or four years on the Billboard 200 chart spending only 24 of those weeks outside the Top 100 153 21 is credited with saving the first quarter album sales of 2012 in the United States Without 21 the first quarter of 2012 would have been down 3 4 compared to the first quarter of 2011 21 sold more copies in the first quarter of 2012 than any album since 2005 and is the oldest album to be the best selling album in the first quarter of the year since No Doubt s Tragic Kingdom in 1997 On 28 November 2012 the Recording Industry Association of America RIAA certified it Diamond after having sold more than 10 million copies in the United States alone made it the first album released in the 2010s to achieve Diamond certification 154 In December 2012 it was announced that 21 was the best selling album on iTunes for two years in a row 155 21 was the best selling album of both 2011 and 2012 in the United States and Canada despite being over a year old 156 157 It is the first album to be the best selling album two years in a row since Michael Jackson s Thriller was the best selling album of 1983 and 1984 Despite being over a year old 21 sold more copies in 2012 than the best selling albums of 2006 through 2010 sold in their respective years It is also one of only four albums in the Nielsen SoundScan era to sell over 4 million copies in each of two calendar years Due to these successes Billboard declared Adele the Artist of the Year for the second year in a row making her the first solo female artist to receive the honor twice 158 159 160 In February 2013 21 reached two full years on the Billboard 200 never charting lower than number 35 on the chart This makes 21 the best selling album of the past 10 years and the fifth best selling album released since January 2000 161 In March 2013 after Adele won an Academy Award for Skyfall the album reentered the top 10 of the Billboard 200 This marked the album s 81st week in the top 10 Only two other albums have spent as much time in the top 10 Born in the U S A and The Sound of Music 162 In November 2013 it was announced that 21 had become the first album to sell three million digital copies in the United States and that the album is the 13th best selling overall in the United States since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991 163 In November 2019 Billboard named 21 the best selling album of the 2010s 164 As of January 2020 21 has sold 12 million copies in the United States becoming the ninth largest selling album since Nielsen Music started tracking sales in 1991 and best selling album of the 2010s decade 165 166 The album s performance on the Billboard 200 chart earned 21 the distinction of all time number one album on the chart according to a summary performed by Billboard in November 2015 3 In spring of 2017 the album broke the record for the longest charting album by a female artist on the Billboard 200 surpassing Tapestry by Carole King 167 In February 2019 21 has been listed on the Billboard 200 album chart for 400 non consecutive weeks 168 21 also became the first album by a woman to reach 450 weeks on the Billboard 200 in February 2020 169 In February 2021 21 made history as the first album by a woman to reach 500 weeks on the Billboard 200 170 In December 2021 it was announced that 21 was the first album by a woman to spend an entire decade on the Billboard 200 chart 171 In Canada 21 spent 35 weeks at number one and was certified diamond in January 2012 by Music Canada for the shipment of 800 000 copies of the album 172 173 21 had sold over 1 489 million copies by January 2013 making it the third best selling album in Canada since Nielsen SoundScan started tracking sales 174 Asia Pacific edit nbsp Set Fire to the Rain 2011 source source A 23 second sample of Set Fire to the Rain which is written in the key of D minor with a tempo of 108 beats per minute Problems playing this file See media help 21 spent 32 weeks at number one on the Australian ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart 10 of which were consecutive Adele also replicated her UK chart record when she achieved two titles in the top five of the ARIA Album and Singles chart simultaneously 175 In December 2012 it was announced that 21 was nearing sales of one million in Australia This makes 21 only the seventh album to ever achieve this feat in Australia and the first to do so since Delta Goodrem s Innocent Eyes 176 In January 2020 21 was announced as the biggest album of the 2010s in Australia 177 On the New Zealand RIANZ Albums Chart 21 debuted at number one in January 2011 and spent 28 weeks at the summit in 2011 178 179 Its 38 accumulated weeks at the top are the longest in New Zealand chart history 78 Accolades editRankings edit 21 was ranked as the number one album of all time on the Billboard Top 200 Albums of All Time 180 21 appeared on many year end best of lists Metacritic ranked 21 at number two on their list of 2011 s most well received records based on inclusions in publications year end lists 181 The album was ranked the best album of the year by the Associated Press 182 The Austin Chronicle Entertainment Weekly 183 Star Tribune 184 Digital Spy 185 MSN Music 186 New York Daily News 187 Rolling Stone 188 TIME magazine 189 and editors of USA Today 190 Critics at Billboard voted the album number one of the year 191 while Scottish newspaper the Daily Record 192 editors of Amazon 193 and the editors at Rhapsody 194 also ranked the album at number one The album appeared in the runner up spot on MTV s list of the Best Albums of 2011 195 as well as lists produced by The Boston Globe 196 The Hollywood Reporter 197 and Toronto Sun 198 It placed within the top 10 on lists produced by American Songwriter 199 Q 200 Los Angeles Times 201 Clash 202 and The Washington Post 203 Rolling in the Deep consistently placed high on various year end critics list and was ranked the best song of the year in The Village Voice s Pazz and Jop mass critics poll 204 In 2012 Rolling Stone ranked the album number six on its list of Women Who Rock The 50 Greatest Albums of All Time 205 As of January 2015 Billboard named 21 as the third best album of the 2010s so far 206 The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 207 In 2019 Rolling Stone 208 Consequence of Sound 209 Cleveland com 210 Paste 211 and The Sydney Morning Herald 212 named it the 8th 19th 47th 55th and 1st best album of the 2010s respectively Consequence of Sound also named it the fifth best pop album of the 2010s 213 In 2020 the album was ranked at 137 on Rolling Stone s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list 214 Consequence of Sound ranked the album at number seven on their list of The 10 Greatest Second Albums of All Time 215 21 s commercial success effectively transformed Adele s image from a blue eyed soul singer songwriter to a global pop phenomenon Entertainment Weekly considered it the record representing the year of 2011 on their 2020 list of the 30 essential albums from the last 30 years 216 Industry awards edit The album was nominated for the 2011 Barclaycard Mercury Prize 217 but lost to Let England Shake by PJ Harvey 218 In November 2011 Adele won three American Music Awards including Favorite Pop Rock Album for 21 at the American Music Awards of 2011 219 At the 2012 Billboard Music Awards the singer was nominated for twenty categories winning a record breaking twelve including Top Billboard 200 Album and Top Pop Album for 21 and Top Streaming Song Audio for Rolling in the Deep 220 221 In May 2013 Adele received five nominations at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards including Top Billboard 200 Album and Top Pop Album for 21 two years in a row she won the latter award 222 The album earned Adele seven Grammys In February 2012 she won the Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for 21 Record of the Year Song of the Year and Best Short Form Music Video for Rolling in the Deep and Best Pop Solo Performance for Someone like You at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards 223 Additionally her producer Paul Epworth won Producer of the Year Non Classical 224 Adele who was named Best New Artist in 2009 is only the second artist and the first female in history to win all four major Grammy categories Christopher Cross achieved the same feat in 1981 with a four award sweep 225 She is only the eighth artist in Grammy history to win six or more awards in one night matching the record set among female artists by Beyonce in 2010 226 With her wins Adele became only the sixth artist to win Grammy s Triple Crown in one night She was only the second female solo artist to achieve this feat following Carole King in 1972 and only the second British artist after Eric Clapton in 1993 227 At the age of 23 Adele was the youngest artist at the time to achieve this feat 227 That record was later broken by Billie Eilish who was 18 years old when she won all big four Grammys in one night in 2020 228 In February 2013 a live rendition of the album s third single Set Fire to the Rain included on Live at the Royal Albert Hall won the Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards making her the first artist to win consecutively in this category 229 On 21 February 2012 21 won the British Album of the Year at the 2012 BRIT Awards 230 It also won the International Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2012 231 Year Ceremony Category Result Ref 2011 American Music Awards Favorite Pop Rock Album Won 232 AIM Independent Music Awards Best Difficult Second Album Won 233 Danish Music Awards International Album of the Year Won 234 GAFFA Awards Best Foreign Album Won 235 Independent Music Companies Association European Independent Album of the Year Won 236 Mercury Prize Album of the Year Nominated 237 MOBO Awards Best Album Nominated 238 Soul Train Music Awards Album of the Year Nominated 239 Urban Music Awards Best Album Nominated 240 2012 Billboard Music Awards Top Billboard 200 Album Won 241 Top Pop Album WonBrit Awards British Album of the Year Won 242 ECHO Music Awards Album of the Year Won 243 Fryderyk Best International Album Won 244 Grammis Awards Best International Album Won 245 Grammy Awards Album of the Year Won 246 Best Pop Vocal Album WonIvor Novello Awards Album of the Year Nominated 247 Juno Awards International Album of the Year Won 248 People s Choice Awards Favourite Album of the Year Nominated 249 Premios Oye Best English Album Won 250 2013 Billboard Music Awards Top Billboard 200 Album Nominated 251 Top Pop Album Won2014 World Music Awards World s Best Album Nominated 252 Legacy edit 21 appealed to Baby Boomers nostalgic for Etta James Carole King and Dusty in Memphis It also appealed to teens struggling with the first sting of heartbreak hipsters who missed Amy Winehouse traditionalists weary of synthesizers and vocal effects and non pop fans who simply found it refreshing to hear a singer belt out her blues with conviction By singing almost exclusively about a relationship gone wrong Adele made songs that anyone could identify with 21 wasn t niche marketed It was made for everyone and everyone listened Tris McCall of The Star Ledger 253 The album s success has been attributed to its cross cultural appeal 145 254 which has catered to fans of various genres of pop adult contemporary and R amp B 145 as well as various generations and musical timelines 255 256 According to Sasha Frere Jones of The New Yorker the album s success in the US can be attributed to its target audience that is middle aged moms the demographic that decides American elections 257 Critics also suggest that the album s understated musical production and relative lack of artifice are striking deviations from the bombastic theatrics of the mainstream music industry 256 258 Ethan Smith of The Wall Street Journal found that Adele s deliberately unflashy nature full figure and everywoman appeal gave her a lucrative niche in the market 33 259 while her tendency to emphasize substance over style made her the Anti Lady Gaga 33 Guy Adams of The Independent argued that 21 s success signals the re emergence of the more traditional approach to commercial success There are two approaches to the business of being noticed by today s record buying public The first revolves around oodles of hype and ever more preposterous wardrobe selections The second requires the confidence to let your music do the talking Amazingly given preconceived notions about America s supposed preference for style over substance it is the second of these two sales techniques which appear to be working better 259 With the release of 21 critics began to tout Adele as the new torchbearer for the British soul music that ascended to the American mainstream via Duffy Joss Stone Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen Although the initial popularity of these artists in the early 2000s incited the media to declare a new wave of British invasion 260 Joseph Viney of Sputnikmusic saw their subsequent absence as an opportunity for Adele to stake her claim as the UK s leading solo female artist 109 John Murphy of MusicOMH declared the album a timely reminder that British soul hasn t lost its mojo 37 Indie label XL Recordings founder Richard Russell discussed what he believed to be the quasi subversiveness of 21 s chart dominance Characterising the success of 21 as almost political and sort of radical 261 Russell stated that the lack of gimmicks in Adele s music undermined the widespread perception that female performers have to conform to specific body types or imbue their music with gratuitous sexual imagery in order to attain success 261 Retrospectively the album received widespread critical praise Stereogum wrote that 21 established Adele as pop royalty and called the album one of history s great resilient breakup albums 262 while Pitchfork praised the album for cementing her legacy as an artist who could make once in a generation milestones out of her music 263 Atwood Magazine compared the album to Frank Ocean s Blonde as they are both sophomore albums and commented that both albums could slide into the catalogues of greats like Amy Winehouse and Aretha Franklin and no one would be the wiser and called Adele one of the most captivating songwriters of the 21st century 264 NME described 21 as a heartbreak pop classic and further emphasized that it is so classic in a way that stands the test of time 265 In an article explaining Adele s record breaking achievements and impact The Recording Academy wrote that Plenty of albums have tapped into emotional truths few have endured like 21 and further commented that 21 continues to resonate with audiences in 2021 as much as it did in 2011 266 Both Junkee and Consequence of Sound credited the album for revitalizing pop music heralding a new era of relatable pop and inspiring a new generation of artists 267 268 Track listing editStandard editionNo TitleWriter s Producer s Length1 Rolling in the Deep Adele AdkinsPaul EpworthEpworth3 492 Rumour Has It AdkinsRyan TedderTedder3 433 Turning Tables AdkinsTedderJim Abbiss4 104 Don t You Remember AdkinsDan WilsonRick Rubin4 035 Set Fire to the Rain AdkinsFraser T SmithSmith4 016 He Won t Go AdkinsEpworthRubin4 377 Take It All AdkinsFrancis WhiteAbbiss3 488 I ll Be Waiting AdkinsEpworthEpworth4 019 One and Only AdkinsWilsonGreg WellsRubin5 4810 Lovesong Robert SmithLaurence TolhurstSimon GallupBoris WilliamsPearl ThompsonRoger O DonnellRubin5 1611 Someone like You AdkinsWilsonWilsonAdkins4 47Total length 48 01 iTunes Store bonus track 269 No TitleWriter s Producer s Length12 I Found a Boy AdkinsRubin3 37Total length 51 40 iTunes pre order edition bonus track 270 No TitleWriter s Producer s Length13 Rolling in the Deep live acoustic AdkinsEpworthEpworth4 07Total length 52 10 United Kingdom Taiwan Poland and Bulgaria limited edition bonus tracks 271 No TitleWriter s Producer s Length12 If It Hadn t Been for Love Mike HendersonChris StapletonRodaidh McDonald3 0813 Hiding My Heart Tim HanserothMcDonald3 28Total length 54 39 Japan edition bonus tracks 272 No TitleWriter s Producer s Length12 I Found a Boy AdkinsRubin3 3713 Turning Tables live acoustic AdkinsTedderAbbiss4 2014 Don t You Remember live acoustic AdkinsWilsonRubin4 1815 Someone like You live acoustic AdkinsWilsonWilsonAdkins5 14Total length 65 32 Deluxe edition bonus disc 69 No TitleLyricsProducer s Length12 Need You Now featuring Darius Rucker live at CMT Artists of the Year Awards Dave HaywoodCharles KelleyHillary ScottJosh Kear 3 5513 Someone like You live acoustic AdkinsWilsonWilsonAdkins5 1414 Turning Tables live acoustic AdkinsTedderAbbiss4 2015 Don t You Remember live acoustic AdkinsWilsonRubin4 18Total length 65 50 Notes Lovesong is a The Cure cover If It Hadn t Been for Love is a The SteelDrivers cover Hiding My Heart is a Brandi Carlile cover Need You Now is a Lady A cover Personnel editAdapted from AllMusic and 21 s liner notes 273 274 Production Jim Abbiss producer and mixing 3 7 Adele design producer 11 Philip Allen engineer 11 Beatriz Artola engineer 5 Phillip Broussard Jr assistant engineer 4 6 9 10 Lindsay Chase production co ordination 4 6 9 10 AJ Clark assistant engineer 2 Tom Coyne mastering Ian Dowling mixing 3 7 Lauren Dukoff photography Tom Elmhirst mixing 1 2 8 11 Paul Epworth producer 1 8 Greg Fidelman engineer 4 6 9 10 Sara Lyn Killion assistant engineer 4 6 9 10 Phil Lee design Dana Nielsen editing Pro Tools Dan Parry assistant mixing 1 2 8 11 vocal engineer 2 Steve Price strings engineer 5 Mark Rankin engineer 1 8 Rick Rubin producer 4 6 9 10 Andrew Scheps mixing 4 6 9 10 Isabel Seeliger Morley assistant engineer 5 Fraser T Smith producer and mixing 5 Ryan Tedder producer engineer programming and arranger 2 Dan Wilson producer 11 Music Adele Adkins lead vocals Jo Allen violin 5 Stephanie Bennett harp 4 6 9 10 Jerrod Bettis drums and acoustic guitar 2 Rachel Stephanie Bolt strings 3 Natalie Bonner violin 5 Harry Brown horn arrangements and trombone 8 David Campbell string arrangements 4 6 9 10 Ray Carless tenor saxophone 1 8 Carmen Carter choir 4 6 9 10 Lenny Castro percussion 4 6 9 10 Stephanie Cavey violin 5 Neil Cowley piano 1 3 7 8 Caroline Dale strings 3 David Daniels strings 3 Rosie Danvers string arrangements and violin 5 Chris Dave drums 4 6 9 10 Chris Elliot string arrangements 3 Paul Epworth bass acoustic guitar electric guitar percussion and background vocals 1 8 Jimmy Gilstrap choir 4 6 9 10 David Hidalgo accordion and banjo 4 6 9 10 Smokey Hormel guitar 4 6 9 10 Patrick Kiernan strings 3 Boguslaw Kostecki strings 3 Peter Lale strings 3 Noel Langley trumpet 1 8 Chris Laurence strings 3 Julian Leaper strings 3 Rita Manning strings 3 Eleanor Mathieson violin 5 Stephen Morris strings 3 Jane Oliver strings 5 Emma Owens strings 5 Pino Palladino bass 4 6 9 10 Tom Pigott Smith strings 3 Ruston Pomeroy violin 5 Hayley Pomfrett violin 5 Josef Powell choir 4 6 9 10 James Poyser piano 4 6 9 10 Jenny Sacha violin 5 Kotono Sato violin 5 Jackie Shave strings 3 Lucy Shaw strings 5 Emlyn Singleton strings 3 Ash Soan drums 5 Fraser T Smith bass guitar and piano 5 Amy Stanford strings 5 Matt Sweeney guitar 4 6 9 10 Leo Taylor drums 1 8 Ryan Tedder electric guitar bass piano Hammond B3 drums and string arrangement 2 Ben Thomas acoustic and electric guitar 8 Cathy Thompson strings 3 Julia Tillman Waters choir 4 6 9 10 Carmen Twillie choir 4 6 9 10 Lorna Maxine Waters choir 4 6 9 10 Oren Waters choir director 4 6 9 10 Bruce White strings 3 Dan Wilson piano 11 The Wired Strings strings 5 Chris Worsey strings 3 Terry Young choir 4 6 9 10 Warren Zielinski strings 3 Charts editWeekly charts edit Chart 2011 2012 PeakpositionArgentine Albums CAPIF 275 1Australian Albums ARIA 276 1Austrian Albums O3 Austria 277 1Belgian Albums Ultratop Flanders 278 1Belgian Albums Ultratop Wallonia 279 1Brazilian Albums ABPD 280 1Canadian Albums Billboard 281 1Croatian Albums HDU 282 1Czech Albums IFPI 283 1Danish Albums Hitlisten 284 1Dutch Albums Album Top 100 285 1Finnish Albums Suomen virallinen lista 140 1French Albums SNEP 286 1German Albums Offizielle Top 100 287 1Greek Albums IFPI 288 1Hungarian Albums MAHASZ 289 1Irish Albums IRMA 290 1Italian Albums FIMI 291 1Japanese Albums Oricon 292 4Mexican Albums Top 100 Mexico 293 1New Zealand Albums RMNZ 294 1Norwegian Albums VG lista 295 1Polish Albums ZPAV 296 1Portuguese Albums AFP 297 3Russian Albums TopHit 298 2Scottish Albums OCC 299 1Slovenian Albums Chart 300 1South African Albums RiSA 301 1Spanish Albums PROMUSICAE 302 2Swedish Albums Sverigetopplistan 303 1Swiss Albums Schweizer Hitparade 304 1UK Albums OCC 305 1UK Independent Albums OCC 306 1US Billboard 200 307 1Chart 2021 PeakpositionUS Independent Albums Billboard 308 3 All time charts edit Chart All time PositionIrish Female Albums IRMA 309 1UK Albums OCC 310 4US Billboard 200 311 1US Billboard 200 Women 312 1Decade end charts edit Chart 2010 2019 PositionAustralian Albums ARIA 313 1Canadian Albums Billboard 314 1Dutch Albums Album Top 100 315 1German Albums Offizielle Top 100 316 4Norwegian Albums VG lista 317 1UK Albums OCC 318 1US Billboard 200 319 1 Year end charts edit Chart 2011 PositionArgentine Albums CAPIF 320 10Australian Albums ARIA 321 1Austrian Albums O3 Austria 322 2Belgian Albums Ultratop Flanders 323 1Belgian Albums Ultratop Wallonia 324 1Brazilian Albums ABPD 325 8Canadian Albums Billboard 326 1Danish Albums Hitlisten 327 2Dutch Albums Album Top 100 328 1Finnish Albums Suomen virallinen lista 329 1French Albums SNEP 330 1German Albums Offizielle Top 100 331 1Hungarian Albums MAHASZ 332 33Irish Albums IRMA 333 1Italian Albums FIMI 334 4Mexican Albums Top 100 Mexico 293 5New Zealand Albums RMNZ 335 1Polish Albums ZPAV 336 1South African Albums RiSA 337 1Spanish Albums PROMUSICAE 338 5Swedish Albums Sverigetopplistan 339 2Swiss Albums Schweizer Hitparade 340 1UK Albums OCC 341 1US Billboard 200 156 1Worldwide Albums IFPI Global Music Report 342 1Chart 2012 PositionArgentine Albums CAPIF 343 1Australian Albums ARIA 344 3Austrian Albums O3 Austria 345 1Belgian Albums Ultratop Flanders 346 1Belgian Albums Ultratop Wallonia 347 1Brazilian Albums ABPD 348 6Canadian Albums Billboard 349 1Danish Albums Hitlisten 350 5Dutch Albums Album Top 100 351 1Finnish Albums Suomen virallinen lista 352 1French Albums SNEP 353 1German Albums Offizielle Top 100 354 3Hungarian Albums MAHASZ 355 6Irish Albums IRMA 356 7Italian Albums FIMI 357 2Japan Hot Albums Billboard Japan 358 78Japanese Albums Oricon 359 35Mexican Albums Top 100 Mexico 360 2New Zealand Albums RMNZ 361 1Polish Albums ZPAV 362 1Russian Albums 2M 363 4Spanish Albums PROMUSICAE 364 4Swedish Albums Sverigetopplistan 365 15Swiss Albums Schweizer Hitparade 366 1UK Albums OCC 367 2US Billboard 200 157 1Worldwide Albums IFPI Global Music Report 342 1Chart 2013 PositionArgentine Albums CAPIF 368 39Australian Albums ARIA 369 60Austrian Albums O3 Austria 370 63Belgian Albums Ultratop Flanders 371 8Belgian Albums Ultratop Wallonia 372 32Canadian Albums Billboard 373 21Danish Albums Hitlisten 374 48Dutch Albums Album Top 100 375 23German Albums Offizielle Top 100 376 100Hungarian Albums MAHASZ 377 35Italian Albums FIMI 378 51New Zealand Albums RMNZ 379 18Swedish Albums Sverigetopplistan 380 93Swiss Albums Schweizer Hitparade 381 15UK Albums OCC 382 72US Billboard 200 383 21 Chart 2014 PositionBelgian Albums Ultratop Flanders 384 33Belgian Albums Ultratop Wallonia 385 108Dutch Albums Album Top 100 386 98New Zealand Albums RMNZ 387 42US Billboard 200 388 76Chart 2015 PositionAustralian Albums ARIA 389 32Dutch Albums Album Top 100 390 26Italian Albums FIMI 391 89New Zealand Albums RMNZ 392 35South Korean Albums International Gaon 393 17Swedish Albums Sverigetopplistan 394 38UK Albums OCC 395 45US Billboard 200 396 74Chart 2016 PositionAustralian Albums ARIA 397 29Canadian Albums Billboard 398 25Danish Albums Hitlisten 399 43Dutch Albums Album Top 100 400 27New Zealand Albums RMNZ 401 31South Korean Albums International Gaon 402 10Swedish Albums Sverigetopplistan 403 32Swiss Albums Schweizer Hitparade 404 49UK Albums OCC 405 47US Billboard 200 406 24Chart 2017 PositionAustralian Albums ARIA 407 26Danish Albums Hitlisten 408 75Dutch Albums Album Top 100 409 55New Zealand Albums RMNZ 410 16South Korean International Albums Gaon 411 27Swedish Albums Sverigetopplistan 412 40US Billboard 200 413 107Chart 2018 PositionAustralian Albums ARIA 414 87Icelandic Albums Plotutidindi 415 69South Korean International Albums Gaon 416 55Swedish Albums Sverigetopplistan 417 59US Billboard 200 418 179Chart 2019 PositionAustralian Albums ARIA 419 90Belgian Albums Ultratop Flanders 420 75Icelandic Albums Plotutidindi 421 76Swedish Albums Sverigetopplistan 422 75US Billboard 200 423 158Chart 2020 PositionAustralian Albums ARIA 424 92Belgian Albums Ultratop Flanders 425 79Dutch Albums Album Top 100 426 58Icelandic Albums Plotutidindi 427 87Swedish Albums Sverigetopplistan 428 80UK Albums OCC 429 98US Billboard 200 430 132Chart 2021 PositionAustralian Albums ARIA 431 57Belgian Albums Ultratop Flanders 432 40Belgian Albums Ultratop Wallonia 433 141Danish Albums Hitlisten 434 54Dutch Albums Album Top 100 435 31Icelandic Albums Plotutidindi 436 44Swedish Albums Sverigetopplistan 437 38UK Albums OCC 438 49US Billboard 200 439 198Chart 2022 PositionAustralian Albums ARIA 440 76Belgian Albums Ultratop Flanders 441 37Belgian Albums Ultratop Wallonia 442 130Danish Albums Hitlisten 443 60Dutch Albums Album Top 100 444 23Icelandic Albums Plotutidindi 445 45Lithuanian Albums AGATA 446 68Swedish Albums Sverigetopplistan 447 51UK Albums OCC 448 79US Billboard 200 449 164Chart 2023 PositionAustralian Albums ARIA 450 62Belgian Albums Ultratop Flanders 451 41Belgian Albums Ultratop Wallonia 452 109Danish Albums Hitlisten 453 52Dutch Albums Album Top 100 454 14Icelandic Albums Plotutidindi 455 27Swedish Albums Sverigetopplistan 456 25UK Albums OCC 457 61US Billboard 200 458 163Certifications and sales editCertifications for 21 with pure sales where available Region Certification Certified units salesArgentina CAPIF 459 4 Platinum Australia ARIA 460 17 Platinum 1 190 000 Austria IFPI Austria 461 Platinum 20 000 Belgium BEA 462 6 Platinum 180 000 Brazil Pro Musica Brasil 463 3 Diamond 480 000 Canada Music Canada 464 2 Diamond 1 600 000 Chile 465 2 Platinum 40 000 466 Colombia 467 Gold Denmark IFPI Danmark 468 10 Platinum 200 000 Finland Musiikkituottajat 469 2 Platinum 83 234 469 France 1 740 000 470 Germany BVMI 471 8 Platinum 1 600 000 Greece IFPI Greece 288 Platinum 6 000 Hungary MAHASZ 472 Platinum 6 000 Iceland FHF 473 Gold 2 500 474 Ireland IRMA 136 18 Platinum 270 000 136 Israel 475 Platinum 40 000 475 Italy FIMI 476 9 Platinum 450 000 Japan RIAJ 477 Gold 100 000 Mexico AMPROFON 478 Diamond 3 Platinum 480 000 Netherlands NVPI 480 4 Platinum 500 000 479 New Zealand RMNZ 481 13 Platinum 195 000 Norway IFPI Norway 483 Platinum 100 000 482 Poland ZPAV 484 2 Diamond 200 000 Portugal AFP 485 2 Platinum 30 000 Russia NFPF 486 Platinum 10 000 South Africa 30 000 487 South Korea 11 583 488 Spain PROMUSICAE 489 5 Platinum 300 000 Sweden GLF 491 3 Platinum 140 000 490 Switzerland IFPI Switzerland 492 7 Platinum 210 000 Taiwan 12 000 493 United Kingdom BPI 129 18 Platinum 5 400 000 United States RIAA 494 14 Platinum 12 009 000 166 Venezuela 10 000 495 SummariesEurope IFPI 496 10 Platinum 10 000 000 Worldwide 31 000 000 5 Sales figures based on certification alone Shipments figures based on certification alone Sales streaming figures based on certification alone Release history editRegion Release date Format LabelJapan 272 5 January 2011 19 January 2011 CDdigital download HostessGermany 497 21 January 2011 XLIreland 498 Australia 499 24 January 2011Austria 500 Finland 501 Netherlands 91 Switzerland 77 United Kingdom 502 CDLimited editionPoland 503 France 504 CDdigital downloadLPUnited States 269 505 22 February 2011 ColumbiaCanada 506 Mexico 507 5 April 2011 CDdigital download Sony MexicoChina 508 7 March 2013 CD StarsingSee also editList of best selling albums List of best selling albums by women List of best selling albums in the United Kingdom List of best selling albums of the 21st century in the United Kingdom List of best selling albums of the 2010s in the United Kingdom List of best selling albums in Australia List of best selling albums in Canada List of diamond certified albums in Canada List of best selling albums in France List of best selling albums in Germany List of best selling albums in New Zealand List of best selling albums in the United States List of best selling albums by year in the United States List of best selling albums in the United States of the Nielsen SoundScan eraNotes edit Adele 21 MP3 Downloads 7digital Archived from the original on 2 April 2019 Retrieved 24 January 2011 Greatest of All Time Billboard 200 Albums Chart Billboard Retrieved 24 August 2021 a b Caulfield Keith 12 November 2015 Greatest Billboard 200 Albums amp Artists of All Time Adele s 21 amp The Beatles Are Tops Billboard Archived from the original on 10 December 2018 Retrieved 12 November 2015 BBC Radio 2 Pick of the Pops The Top 40 Best Selling Albums of the 21st Century so far BBC Retrieved 2 January 2023 a b Serjeant Jill 31 October 2016 Osterman Cynthia ed Adele says she battled depression before and after son s birth Vanity Fair Reuters Retrieved 14 February 2017 Still Jennifer 23 February 2011 Adele Writing album broke my heart Digital Spy Hachette Filipacchi Archived from the original on 4 April 2012 Retrieved 24 April 2011 a b c d e Verrico Lisa 9 January 2011 Ready to join the A list Interview Feisty fashionable and feted by the stars Adele could be set for Amy style success with her second album The Sunday Times London p 22 a b c Hare Breeanna 24 February 2011 Cover Story Adele keeps old soul fresh CNN Turner Broadcasting System Archived from the original on 31 January 2014 Retrieved 15 July 2011 a b c Collins Leah 12 March 2011 Another broken heart pays off English singer Adele uses second breakup for equally emotional followup to debut album Edmonton Journal John Connolly Archived from the original on 7 March 2013 Retrieved 2 November 2011 McCormick Neil 6 April 2011 Adele she s stopped us in her tracks The Daily Telegraph London Archived from the original on 11 January 2022 Retrieved 13 November 2011 Krajewski Jill 19 May 2011 Adele plays first arena gig at ACC CanCulture Archived from the original on 31 May 2011 Retrieved 15 July 2011 a b Harmsworth Andrei 23 February 2011 Adele Bitter break up drove me to drink Metro London Archived from the original on 31 January 2014 Retrieved 12 May 2011 a b Mpubani Raymond 23 April 2011 This is what 21 years sound like Daily Monitor Kampala Monitor Publications Archived from the original on 3 March 2016 Retrieved 29 April 2011 a b c d e Stevenson Jane 13 March 2011 Adele Rubin an oddly perfect pair Calgary Sun Archived from the original on 19 December 2011 Retrieved 14 May 2011 Levine Nick 17 January 2011 Adele Rolling in the Deep Digital Spy Hachette Filipacchi Archived from the original on 4 April 2012 Retrieved 15 July 2011 a b c d e f g h i The Adele Experience M Magazine PRS for Music 22 December 2011 Archived from the original on 21 January 2012 Retrieved 9 January 2012 Adele 21 Discogs Zink Media 20 January 2011 Archived from the original on 2 November 2013 Retrieved 16 January 2012 a b Adkins 2011 Interview Turning Tables a b Inman Davis 21 November 2011 Adele One And Only American Songwriter Archived from the original on 17 July 2012 Retrieved 9 January 2012 a b c d Mark McInnis Creator and Executive Producer 16 March 2011 Adele Plays with MTV News Television production Toronto Canada MTV Live MTV Canada Bell Media Archived from the original on 13 September 2011 Retrieved 21 May 2011 a b I B Bad Is a Ladies Man Lady Antebellum Shows Need You Now Was No Fluke While Adele Finds Humongous Success By Going with Her Gut Hits Daily Double HITS Digital Ventures 23 September 2011 Archived from the original on 5 October 2014 Retrieved 2 November 2011 a b c Hurley James 12 January 2011 Adele interview part two MSN Music Microsoft Archived from the original on 5 November 2011 Retrieved 16 May 2011 a b c Eliscu Jenny 23 July 2010 In the Studio Adele Goes Country on Fall Disc Rolling Stone Retrieved 24 April 2011 Maines Natalie 3 May 2007 The Time 100 Artists and Entertainers Rick Rubin Time Archived from the original on 29 August 2008 Retrieved 28 January 2012 a b Adkins 2011 Interview Lovesong The Triumph of Adele Rolling Stone Archived from the original on 30 September 2012 Montgomery James 18 February 2011 Adele Says 21 Has People Thinking I m Sort of a Manic Depressive MTV Archived from the original on 7 November 2012 Retrieved 23 July 2011 a b c Adkins Adele 1 November 2010 Adele I m very excited nervous eager anxious but chuffed to announce my new album Adele tv XL Recordings Archived from the original on 24 April 2011 Retrieved 24 April 2011 a b c Jewell Stephen 31 January 2011 Adele Opens Up About the Relationship that Inspired Her New Album BlackBook Brett Wagner Archived from the original on 3 June 2012 Retrieved 8 May 2011 Staff 17 February 2011 Adele on 21 The Songs on Here are the Most Articulate I ve Ever Written Rolling Stone Retrieved 30 April 2011 a b c d McGinley Gary 25 January 2011 Adele 21 No Ripcord Archived from the original on 11 April 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