Over the course of the album, that persona and the insistence of track after track of heartbreak can get a bit alienating. Ultimately, however, Adele does give us her all on 21, and for now that is enough.
There’s no let-up in quality over 21’s 12 tracks.
Adele Atkins has a voice that goes right to the heart.
The songs hold to simple instrumentation and simple structures that allow Adele’s raspy, expressive voice to develop the story in the verses before she delivers the hook.
At times, Adele’s precocious talent feels prematurely aged by her material, and moments of levity are hard to find. But at its best, 21 is that rarest pop commodity: timeless.
21 really is one of the great 'break-up' albums, and the first truly impressive record of 2011.
This album has already been compared elsewhere to Amy Winehouse's Back To Black, and rightly so, as a major leap forward that instantly sounds like a classic.
It's a step up as significant as Amy Winehouse's Back To Black.
On 21, Adele's heartbreak is a beautiful, palpable thing, full of the requisite pain and, more importantly, believable in its bitterness.
Adele and her team have crafted an album that’s both full of songs that have the potential to reach the upper reaches of the charts, and also a collection of songs that hang together as an album.
If you’re looking for a record that’ll make you wanna trash your beloved’s belongings and have make-up sex amid the ruins, 21‘s your jam.
21 is a good album that shows the world Adele’s talent, but one that is just a precursor to bigger and better things.
I was surprised by Adele's 21, which is equally modern-facing but more inclined to extend the debut's ideas and reveal some character depth.
Adele sings the hell out of the songs on 21, but much of the album plays as a cautionary tale as to what can go wrong when a set of songs is assembled by committee.
As the album progresses, maudlin tales of love-gone-wrong replace the sexiness and 21 loses steam, especially on a flaccid cover of the Cure’s Lovesong.
The Auto-Tune and teenage love stuff don’t entirely ruin a surprisingly weighty return.
21 instead feels simultaneously overcooked and nervously unsure of itself.
The rest of the album ... sinks into a mire of turgid, characterless piano balladry swamped in routine string arrangements, the sole respite from which comes in the deep soul number "One and Only", her best vocal performance here.
What you know about rollin' down in the deep?
When your brain goes numb, you can call that mental freeze
When these people talk too much, put that shit in slow motion, yeah
I feel like an astronaut in the ocean, ayy
Wait, this album is 10 years old?
Damn, I feel old now.
Fav Tracks: Rolling In the Deep, Rumour Has It, Set Fire to the Rain, Someone Like You
Least fav: Do You Remember
Congratulations for the 10 years of this album "21", the best-selling album of the century that brought a huge cultural impact to the music industry.
The album has a sound inspired by many genres such as pop, soul and R&B and elements of classical music, bringing an enchanting production that accompanies Adele's melancholic vocals. Lyrically, the tracks reflect the end of relationships, self-examination and forgiveness, topics well known to everyone who knows and falls in love ... read more
"21" is the second studio album by British singer-songwriter Adele, released in January 2011. The album marked a significant breakthrough for Adele, propelling her to international stardom and establishing her as one of the most successful and acclaimed artists of her generation.
"21" explores themes of heartbreak, loss, and resilience, drawing inspiration from Adele's own personal experiences with love and relationships. The album's sound is rooted in soul, pop, and blues, ... read more
1 | Rolling in the Deep 3:48 | 94 |
2 | Rumour Has It 3:43 | 84 |
3 | Turning Tables 4:10 | 85 |
4 | Don't You Remember 4:03 | 82 |
5 | Set Fire to the Rain 4:02 | 92 |
6 | He Won't Go 4:38 | 81 |
7 | Take It All 3:48 | 76 |
8 | I'll Be Waiting 4:01 | 79 |
9 | One and Only 5:48 | 82 |
10 | Lovesong 5:16 | 79 |
11 | Someone Like You 4:45 | 92 |
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