Hearing any Adele song, even one of her more recent ones, fills me with a particular sense of nostalgia. Her voice holds so many memories for me — singing along to “Someone Like You” with a friend in middle school like I had any idea what the lyrics meant; watching her, absolutely spellbound, at my first ever concert as she performed 25 and being shocked by the sheer number of curse words flying out of her mouth in between songs; spending an entire period in high school listening to 30 because my teacher could not accept that no one in the class had listened to it yet (it was released eight hours before class started). Despite the fact that her whole discography is able to draw such intense reminiscence from me, 21has always stood out for some reason, and I chose to revisit this record to determine why.
“Rolling in the Deep” is undoubtedly one of Adele’s most iconic and instantly identifiable songs. Her deep, thunderous voice makes this song all-consuming; the echo effect emphasizes the power of her voice, and her message, even more. As she toldSpin Magazine, “It’s me saying ‘Get the fuck out of my house’ instead of me begging him to come back.” She laments, she berates and she warns — “You’re gonna wish you never had met me.” It’s the ultimate breakup song, perfectly capturing the complex jumble of emotions so often felt in the aftermath…and it’s chronically singable to boot.
In the bluesy “Rumour Has It,” Adele takes a similar stance to “Rolling in the Deep” and again expertly makes use of the echo effect. From the biting, raspy pre-chorus to the simple, addictive chorus, to the dramatic, piano-heavy bridge, “Rumour Has It” is a definite highlight of the album and another awesome breakup song. Interestingly, this song was actually based on Adele finding out her friends were gossiping about her.
“Turning Tables” is the first ballad of 21 and features rawer vocals than the previous two songs. She sings about self-preservation and not returning to an ex that mistreated her. Next is “Don’t You Remember,” which starts out slow and builds, providing a seamless transition from the tempo of “Turning Tables.” The beat of the drum in time with “The reason you left me before” in the chorus scratches an itch in my brain, as does the powerful bridge.
“Set Fire to the Rain” is, of course, another Adele classic. She describes it as being about “the contradictions that are in relationships.” Again, I can’t help but feel completely consumed by this song when I listen to it — the feeling conveyed in her voice layered on top of the flourishing instrumentals make it so easy to get swept up in her emotional state, to feel like her emotions are your own. This rings true for not just “Set Fire to the Rain,” but the entire record.
“He Won’t Go” continues to follow the theme of overcoming the challenges brought on by relationships, but instead of focusing on the end of a relationship, she demonstrates her resolve to make the relationship work. Even though Adele’s voice is the centerpiece of the vast majority of her songs, it plays an especially important role here due to the uncomplicated instrumental backing. Revisiting “He Won’t Go” reminded me just how much her vocals can accomplish on their own, making this underrated track more than worthy of a re-listen.
“Take It All” is a slow, gospel music-infused ballad that’s noteworthy for its beautiful lyrics mourning the end of a relationship. “So is it over? / Is this really it? / You’re giving up so easily” she sings. “Don’t look back at this crumbling fool / Just take it all with my love.” This more melancholy track contrasts with “I’ll Be Waiting,” a refreshingly upbeat and optimistic song. She acknowledges her own mistakes and claims she’s changed and is ready to renew the relationship — “I’ll put my hands up / I’ll be somebody different / I’ll be better to you,” she declares. “One And Only” diversifies the album as well — rather than a breakup song, this one is about falling in love. It’s also the only song that doesn’t touch the particular tumultuous relationship being analyzed in the rest of 21. “Lovesong” is — you guessed it — a love song too, inspired by The Cure’s “Lovesong.” It’s sleepier than the original, tailored perfectly to Adele’s voice and overall style. To wrap it all up is the beloved “Someone Like You.” As Adele explained, “I wrote that song because I was exhausted from being such a bitch with ‘Rolling in the Deep’ or ‘Rumour Has It.’” For this very reason, it’s the ideal closing track — it fleshes out the depth of emotions she felt during this period in her life and paints a more complete picture for the listener. This is why Adele’s music is so impactful, but also why 21 is so distinct from the rest of her records: these songs allow the listener to inhabit her headspace — rage with her, cry with her, laugh with her — in a way unlike anything else.
Test Spins is a weekly throwback column reviewing and recommending classic and underrated albums from the past. It runs every Friday.
Sydney Levinton is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at slevinton@cornellsun.com.
