Adele – 21
An Album Review
Adele, is a young, musically talented, artist, and she showcases her outstanding talent in this 11 song album, aptly titled 21
Song by song breakdown
Rolling in the Deep – Adele begins the album with the radio topping track, “Rolling in the Deep”. A powerful, musically interesting number which keeps your head rocking up and down and singing along every time she hits the high notes. You’ve probably heard this song on the radio enough times to know how great it is, so on to the next song!
Rumour Has It – begins with the creation of a sick beat on the drums, and adds more instruments (including Adele’s voice) as the song continues on. The musicality in this song is wonderful, and it makes me want to listen to it over and over again. Halfway through the song, Adele breaks the song down into just her voice and the piano which makes for a very interesting bridge. A powerful, interesting, and catchy, song which never seems to get boring – this song stands out from the rest on the album.
Turning Tables – Turning Tables is Adele’s first piano ballad on 21. An epic song that is neither forgettable nor memorable.
Don’t You Remember – a song which starts off as soft, calming, and easy to listen to quickly becomes a ballad which has some heavy hitting, depressing lyrics. The electric guitar in the background adds to the song’s loveliness, but it isn’t the kind of song that appeals to everyone.
Set Fire To The Rain – This song was recently released as a single, and it is doing well on the charts for good reason. It is a memorable song with outstanding lyrics and style. This song was also featured on So You Think You Can Dance Canada and US, but the Canadians did this song much better (go Canada!). You can check out the dance here (Contemporary with Melissa Mitro and Adam LoPapa, choreographed by Sabrina Matthews).
He Won’t Go – A jazz-pop number that is probably the most forgettable on the album.
Take It All – The next piano ballad on the album. While it does have great lyrics and expression, it is my least favourite piano ballad on the album because it is very easy to forget. Adele seems to love her piano a little too much, as there are other piano ballads on the album which drown out this track.
I’ll Be Waiting – a soulful jazz number which is actually enlightening and happy! While it isn’t the most memorable, I’ll Be Waiting is an upbeat and energetic number which stands out from the rest of the album due to its happiness and energy. If you are looking for a song to make you happy, this is the one.
One and Only – yet another piano ballad, but quite unique in its styling as it sounds very “old school”. Jazz music definitely influenced Adele in this album, and it is very prevalent in this song. One and Only is easily one of my favourite songs on the album.
Lovesong – a simple, soulful, bluesy, guitar track which will appeal to the lover in all of us. The bridge contains a lengthy guitar solo, which is absolutely beautiful to listen to. Listening to this song makes me want to pick up my guitar and play it for hours.
Someone Like You – the last song on the album, which also happens to be a piano ballad. Being the last song on the album, Adele lays it all down vocally, musically, and lyrically. This is the best piano ballad on the album, and one of the best songs of the year.
In conclusion, 21 is an incredible album filled with Adele’s immense passion and love for music. She shows off her outstanding talent vocally, musically, and lyrically in this masterpiece of an album. My only “problem” with the album is the lack of truly “happy” songs, but there all always other artists for that. In 11 songs, Adele manages to express her feelings perfectly, as each and every song is filled with powerful emotions which are all expressed wonderfully. I wish the album were longer, but I guess that gives us something to look forward to on the next album.
Overall Rating: A+
Top 3 Songs: Rumour Has It, Set Fire To The Rain, Someone Like You (bonus number 4: One and Only)
(it was very tough picking a top 3)
