21

Adele is an artist who proves on 21 that music can be a chart topping affair without sacrificing in the realm of quality. If the quality of this music is unrecognized by some, it is likely to be due in larger part to overexposure rather than a true critical eye.

I will admit I suffered the same nearsighted fate for the last few years; hearing a song like Someone Like You inevitably being more of a cringe-worthy moment rather than a powerful one. There wasn't a soul who wasn't familiar with the music of Adele back in the early 2010s given the massive success that came from this album and the hits that proceeded it. With that level of notoriety, it is inevitable that there will be some that criticize the artist and her songs just because they're sick of hearing her.

But now almost a decade removed from the initial release of 21 and its massive mainstream appeal it is perhaps much easier to look at and recognize the areas that are worth praising about this powerful record.

The first area of praise is too hard not to miss, and that is the soulful and electrifying voice of Adele. The heartache and emotion pour out of her performance throughout, and her delivery is absolutely earth-shattering. Much like the accompanying music, there is a throwback feel to many of these songs. Take a song like One and Only where there is a deliberately Motown style to the performance, giving it the classic soul and blues elements that make it hard to deny the emotional valence.

Another worthy praise is also noticeable, and that is how massive the mega-hits are on this record. The album is book-ended with two of the biggest tracks of Adele's career, along with two of the biggest hits of the entire year of 2011. They are two very different songs but both are powerful in scope - Rolling in the Deep a powerful and anthemic track full of genuine energy and a standout chorus, and Someone Like You one of the most impassioned songs about coming to terms with heartbreak. To open and close the album on such massive notes leaves the listener coming in hot and leaving satisfied. This by no means is to say these two songs are the only worthwhile tracks, but they certainly set the tone and close the book well.

As a brief side note, the cover of Lovesong was a surprising highlight that gave me chills. It's an all-time classic that Adele twisted into her sound in a masterful manner on the album.

As it stands, 21 is a shaking soul album that solidified Adele as one of the biggest voices in music for the early 2010s. If you rejected this album initially because you were sick of hearing the hits on repeat, I hope you find that time away from Adele has only allowed you to recognize her sheer talent and moving performance.

Favorite track: Rolling in the Deep