21

Adele | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 22, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Columbia
• ASIN: B004EBT5CU
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (712 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #1 in Music > Rock
  • #1 in Music > Pop

Editorial Reviews

21 is the eagerly awaited sophomore album from British singer-songwriter Adele. It’s the follow up to Adele’s critically acclaimed, Grammy award winning debut album 19 (both named after her age at the time the songs were written). Recorded in Malibu and London, 21 offered Adele the opportunity to work with such luminary producers and songwriters as Rick Rubin, Paul Epworth, Ryan Tedder, Dan Wilson and Fraser T. Smith, as well as continuing to work with Francis “Eg” White and Jim Abbiss.

This new collection of songs showcases the growth of this incredible artist, who at the very young age of twenty two, exhibits the poise of a seasoned veteran. Adele’s music takes some new direction while staying true to her signature style. “I discovered lots of artists I'd never heard of, particularly Wanda Jackson, Allison Krauss, Yvonne Fair, Andrew Bird, Neko Case, Lady Antebellum and Steel Drivers who I fell in love with. Then I delved in to more from artists I've loved forever - Mary J. Blige, Kanye West, Elbow, Mos Def, Alanis Morissette, Tom Waits and Sinead O'Connor. There's something in every single one of these artists that have really really inspired 21.”

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

368 of 380 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful., February 22, 2011

By 

Madeline (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 21 [+digital booklet] (MP3 Download)

Adele's 19 was strong. 21 is simply timeless.

In the past two years, Adele has refined and reinvented her unique sound that always puts her aching yet powerful vocals and lyrics at the forefront. These are songs that could have been released in the 60s as easily as 30 years from now. Adele has injected her trademark piano ballads with the best from several different musical genres including Americana roots and country, r&b, blues and gospel. The music is exciting and simply is. It lives, breathes.

There are a few tracks towards the middle that are remarkable only because Adele sings them-- and while they aren't quite filler, they aren't as memorable as standout tracks like "Rolling in the Deep," "Set Fire to the Rain," "Someone Like You," and "Turning Tables." Adele set the bar so high with these songs that anything else short of magic, is sort of a letdown. However, as a whole--this album so involves you that you can feel these stories as your own.

I played a couple songs for my mom, who at forty years older than I, generally criticizes my music taste, and the first thing she said was "Wow, this girl really knows how to write a story--those songs are beautiful."

21 is haunting, pulsing, soaring and very intimate. It's music that will be remembered.

115 of 120 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Adele 21, April 17, 2011

By 

M. R. Holmes - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 21 (Audio CD)

I am closing in on 61 years old. Classic rock is my primary musical preference. I am very critical of younger artists. That being said, I was amazed myself at how much I have enjoyed Adele 21. I first heard Rolling in the Deep on a video station and was intrigued by the haunting background vocalists. I bought the CD for the only song I had heard and was pleased with almost every cut.

146 of 157 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Let This Album Help Heal You., March 3, 2011

By 

Alan J. Norman - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 21 [+digital booklet] (MP3 Download)

From start to finish this album is a testament to what good music should sound like.

Crisp, poignant, vulnerable, melodic and soulful. You can tell Adele crafted this album carefully because such attention to detail is paid. Personally I haven't seen songwriting of this caliber in popular music in a long long time. She is a throwback to a time when artists wrote poetry to music and people could relate in their own lives making this album, in my opinion, an instant classic.

From the thumping beats indicating a sense of urgency in "Rolling in The Deep" to the whispful and pulsating landscape of "Set Fire to The Rain" to the BRIDGE.. THE BEAUTIFUL BRIDGE in "One and Only".. the kind of chord change/structure that gave me goose bumps the first time I heard it.. to the loungy rendition of The Cure's "Lovesong" and the heartbreaking and deeply personal "Someone Like you" Adele takes you on a journey with her. This is the album you put on and live your life to. The kind of album you put on to garner inspiration and ultimately, heal.

This is the kind of album that can mend a broken heart. And I would like to thank Adele for breaking through where many other artists have tried and failed. Personally I didn't care for "19" all that much but "21" has made me a fan forever.

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