21

Well, this certainly is an album containing music. People who are capable of an intense emotional reaction to Adele mystify me. It's like being a connoisseur of porridge.

21. 2+1 = 3. That'll do. Don't want to expand on that or I'll be torn to shreds.

Incredible voice, produced to 'perfection' but totally bland and made for the masses. It has it's place, which is not on my list.

Listening to this album, I might well have thought, "This must be the greatest hits album of a long established artist!" rather than the second album put out by a 21-year-old singer/songwriter. There are so many songs here that have become rightfully inseparable from the last decade. This is a masterpiece.

The contrast between her speaking voice and her singing voice is insane. Fun fact: Four of the songs on this album are about ham.

The year is 2011, and everything is going wrong. You get into college and say goodbye to your high school friends, then try to convince yourself that you fit in with a group of equally awkward strangers. You date the first guy who says he loves you, not learning yet that people are fully capable of saying things they don't mean--and of acting the exact opposite. You're slut-shamed by a group of uptight college girls for sex you aren't having. By "you", of course, I mean me. Because 21 was my essential coming of age album. Are there coming of age albums with better songwriting? Yes, definitely. Are there coming of age albums with better vocals? Very, very few. But there's something magical about the alchemy of this album's elements that Adele, in my view, has never been able to quite match before or since 21. Of course, that could be the nostalgia talking. But this was the album that resonated with key points in my life. I'd dedicate "Don't You Remember" to fairweather friends ("When will I see you again?"), "Turning Tables" to my shitty exes ("I won't let you close enough to hurt me"), and "Someone Like You", my fave album track to absolutely no one. Rare is the album that's emotionally resonant and relatable, even on songs about experiences you've never had. But the emotional truth of this album just puts you right there in it. Apologies to Adele for taking so long to get on board the hype train of this album, since I discovered it for myself nearly a year after its release. 21 deserves all the hype it got and more.

Has it been 10 years already?! This is definitely one of my favorite albums of the last 10 years. I love it from beginning to end. Taking some time for a close listen just reminds me how amazing it was to first listen to Adele. It's cool to remember a time when her star burst out and had us all paying attention.

More Adele. She can sing, but I'm not engaged. Whatever the reviewers who describe her voice as enigmatic or magical can hear, I definitely do not. I hear a stage-school show-singer belting uninteresting ballads in a mid-Atlantic yowl. Millions disagree with me, but I'm ok with that.

It’s dinner party soul, but produced with restraint and based on some tasteful influences. In a way it is to Motown and Stax what Clapton is to Chicago blues, nicely done, but with the rough edges sanded off. Makes it more palatable, but also slightly blander. The quality of her voice and the songwriting is what sets it apart from the Duffys and Joss Stones of thus world. Not my bag, but not everything is for everyone, and I can appreciate how well done this is.

Starts off upbeat, gets into boring slow jams, picks back up, slows down again, picks up, slows down it all sounds too clean, I'm sure grocery stores and outlet malls are happy this exists

Nothing receives backlash like excellence. Everything about this album is a masterpiece. This is what I'm here for with the generator. Just outstanding. A modern classic. 5 stars all day.

I don’t want to hear it. This fucking album. So many incredible songs on one album. AND SHE WAS 21. Yes I cried listening to this even after all the times I’ve heard these songs.

First of all, credit where credit is due: an album doesn’t sell over 31 million copies without extreme talent and widespread appeal. What’s often overlooked is that 21 was released on the indie label XL Recordings. While Adele’s debut, and especially "Chasing Pavements," hinted at potential, no one could have predicted the stratospheric success of 21. Today, it’s hard to separate the album from its overwhelming cultural presence. These songs—still omnipresent on playlists, soundtracks, and radio—remain as epic and timeless as they were a decade ago. Despite the numerous high-profile collaborations, Adele retains songwriting credits on most tracks, but crucially, she makes it feel like no one else in the world could ever sing these songs. The opener, "Rolling in the Deep," remains one of the best tracks recorded this century, blending gospel and blues in a way that was both fresh and unexpected from her at the time. The retro-inflected "Rumour Has It" follows a similar path, its rhythm-driven, almost Motown feel makes it immediately memorable. It suffers solely from being in the shadow of such an electrifying opener. The album's main issue is that as it proceeds, the tracks become less memorable. While "Set Fire to the Rain" and the closer "Someone Like You" certainly keep up the emotional intensity and songwriting quality, they shift toward more straightforward pop territory. As Adele dives deeper into heartbreak and lost love, some tracks feel less impactful. The vocal performance is (obviously) flawless, but certain songs play it a bit too safe. Rick Rubin’s involvement had my expectations high, but his contributions, unfortunately, fall short. His work, on the tepid cover of The Cure’s "Lovesong" for example, lacks the spark it could have achieved considering the people in the room. Rubin’s production feels overly reverential and flat here. Did/Do I own this release? No Does it belong on the list? Absolutely, given its massive cultural impact Would it make my personal list? No Will I listen to it again? Whether I want to or not, I’ll hear these songs again soon. 21 is everywhere.

One of my favorite albums of all time.

Hadn’t realised just how good this would be. Great from start to finish.

I'll be honest, I prematurely turned my nose up when I saw this was today's album but there are some fricken excellent tunes on here. The production is an easy five stars and her voice is near on perfect too. Obviously the subject matter doesn't resonate but that's on me. He Won't Go is a perfect song, all I could think about was watching a conductor lead a studio band through the arrangement, sounds so so tight. No surprises that Rick Rubin had a hand in this.

Oh this.

It's a rare thing to find an album whose title is made up of the two ratings I considered giving it.

never sat and thought to myself "hmm you know what i really wanna listen to? some adele" but still man, how could you have anything bad to say? not my cup of tea at all but if i were to hear it randomly i'd enjoy every second, i woulnd't rush to the skip button like i did with too many of the albums i've had that are solely on here for the pretentious folks to enjoy

"21" is the second album from Adele, and was recorded while she was 21. It was originally going to be an upbeat album until Adele separated from her partner, and the album turned into a heartbreak album. "21" was a sleeper hit at release, becoming the best-selling album of 2011 and 2012, and being certified diamond. Many of the songs on this album were smash hits and are easily recognizable by most people. "21" draws some inspiration from country music, but stays true to Adele's usual style of gospel, soul, and pop music. This record breaking album is amazing and a must-listen for anyone. "21" is still listed on the Billboard's Top 200 Albums for over 500 weeks now. It is the best-selling album of the 2010's and the fastest album to reach diamond certification with 92 weeks. Adele has a beautiful singing voice, and that matched with the perfect melodies, created this award winning masterpiece.

The voice is there, the emotions are there, but… I require more than this from my music. This album might please the masses, but musically it is far too bland and basic for yours truly.

It said 11 tracks but they all sounded the same

Despite being criminally overplayed, this is actually a pretty decent album. Adele's singing talent is remarkable, although a few of her vocal flourishes can get a little grating. The production is also quite good, a minimalist approach was taken here, which I think was the right call, to really focus on her vocals. The instrumental performances are solid, adding emotion in the right places to the songs and the mixing is great. The slight country edge is a nice touch too. A few of these songs are just a bit too cheesy, and I found myself rolling my eyes at some of the lyrics. I'll give it a solid 3, it does deserve to be here but I think it was released about 50 years too late to actually be anything groundbreaking. Fav Tracks: Fire To The Rain, Lovesong

One of the most attractive voices of all time. I love how the album starts with "Rolling In The Deep". Her voice and guitar are perfect and the kick drum breaking in at full intensity is so badass. She deserves all the accolades. 21 deserves all the praise!

06/04/2022 What can be said that hasn't already? Beautiful voice, aching passion, etc. You feel the heartbreak and hurt as if it was your own.

A modern classic.

What can I say... I'll buy into the hype. Adele has an incredible voice, her songs are catchy, sultry, emotional, fun. The entire album is a solid piece of work, and easy to listen through all the way. In fact, I'm on #3 right now. She has clearly earned diva status with songs that will likely persist for decades.

Obviously she's incredibly popular for a reason

Amazing!

Adele is a complete icon. A legend, at that. She signed with XL in 2008, gave us her debut album 19, and then gave this masterpiece in 2011. Long story short, this is an amazing album from an amazing singer. Her hits defined a generation and introduced them to soul. She’s like an Amy Winehouse in her own right. The songwriting is emotional and you might end up screaming to it. People say this album is made for the masses, but I disagree. Remember what I said about Amy Winehouse? Adele carries that torch. Scratch that, actually. She RUNS with it. Legendary album. 5/5 Fav: “Set Fire to The Rain”, “He Won’t Go” Least Fav: None

This had more of an edge too it and I enjoyed it alot more than I expected, I think the surprise of me enjoying may have boosted my score but having said that rolling in the deep is a banger

14th September 2022 Listened throughout the day while Ben and Nilisha stayed and worked from home at ours. Dinner at mum and dad’s in the evening. I was always quite dismissive of Adele, but listening back now this album is stunning. It’s big, it’s bold, her delivery is generational.

In her zenith, Adele makes a triumphant album full of power and emotion. Starts out with a ton of energy to dance to before moving to the piano ballad "Turning Tables" and acoustic-driven "Don't You Remember." It's a landmark in the neo-soul movement following the steps of Winehouse and Duffy. Even though there are more songs I like from 19, there's less filler here and I can enjoy the whole thing without wishing to skip a track. The production is so clean unlike other loud pop such as Lady Gaga or Katy Perry who could overwhelm the audience at times. Likewise 21 also contrasts with other R&B pop albums that focus too much on highlighting the singer's voice, by instead balancing Adele's voice with the flamboyant yet controlled instrumentation. To me, it sounds very natural, with almost no electronic devices here. You can probably perform the songs almost perfectly with just a school band (idk I've never been in one). In addition to modern R&B, I hear influences from gospel (not just the choir but also the funky piano), jazz, rock, country, and folk. There's something for everyone, making it a very accessible album. Many of the tracks have enough energy to keep audiences engaged for the full 48 minutes, with very hits well dispersed to keep people looking forward to something. I admit there's several ballads I'm not a fan of, but that's just personal preference and they're still amazing songs with their own moments. Favorites: Rolling in the Deep, Rumour Has It, Set Fire to the Rain, He Won't Go, Someone Like You

Absolute perfection. Adele's 21 was my first real introduction to her and I instantly fell in love. From 'Rolling in the Deep' to 'Someone Like You' 21 doesn't miss a beat. With almost half of the album released as singles, along with topping the music charts in over 30 countries, it's not hard to see how much of an impact this has had within the music world. Adele's soulful voice coupled with her deeply personal trials and tribulations that resonate with so many worldwide, and is touted as one of the best break-up albums ever created. Best: All of it Worst: N/A

I have loved this album for years and I continue to do so!!

Good

I can certainly appreciate Adele's incredible voice and respect her hit songs, which this album has plenty of. I have two favorites: her cover of "Lovesong" by The Clash and the very underrated "He Won't Go". 9/10.

Well written and produced album but other than the hits the songs are rather forgettable. Great voice and easy to listen to.

Plenty of solid hits and thankfully more upbeat than the swathes of depressing wallowing that followed.

It's disgestible radio soul/pop/piano-stuff, I think she's at her best when the songs have the energy to make her voice actually feel huge (Rolling in the Deep is a modern pop classic for a reason) but the more slow, ballady stuff is not something that was interesting or even anything I picked up on as notable, it's just there (the most I reacted to was the Lovesong cover but that's it) I don't hate this but I don't care for it really, even the good songs

adele is a great singer, unfortunately that doesnt always translate to being someone who makes great music.

This is possibly the most machine-tooled bid for pop stardom since Like A Virgin. Don't play the big singles and it still sounds unstoppable. Not actually an album I feel a great deal of affection for, perhaps the only album I can actually like of hers is 19, but respect.

I think Adele makes music for people who don't like music. People who very rarely by cds but pick this up.

Anyone who knows me is aware of my irrational hatred of Adele. There's just something about her voice that irritates me. The music itself is bland, okay at best. Singing aside, the way her voice sounds just bothers me. It does not sound pleasant. Listening to this album wasn't too much of a challenge, as I'd heard almost half of these songs before. The others were just as boring. I hope this is the first and last time I have to hear an entire album by Adele.

5/5. Absolute bangers.

I mean nothing has to be said.

My bias is shining through here with this rating but I think this is five stars regardless. Adele hits her stride with this album, having four of the biggest songs of the decade (right as the decade starts), some fantastic b-sides, and an incredible cover of Lovesong. It’s my favorite album of hers so I’ve listened to it more times than I can count but I’m never gonna be upset to have a reason to come back to it. P.S. The dude that let Adele slip away is an absolute dumbass but I’m thankful his mistake led to this album. P.S.S. Two fives for Adele should at least tie her with Kanye as my favorite artist on the list so far, definitely a good thing.

I wish we had this a little further apart from 25. I also wish I wasn't traveling so I could go into more detail on my review. The short of it is that 25 was a 4.5/5 and 21 is a 5/5.

Plays like a greatest hits album. The vocal power is obvious, but the song selection is what takes this over the top

This album soundtracked my teenage years so I could never be objective about it

Adele is amazing. Incredibly competent album, and perfect from start to finish. So many hits, but 'Don't you Remember' was a nice sleeper hit and my fave here.

What a gem I love this girl. Her first effort and it's a masterpiece. Beautiful album from start to finish, BRAVAAA!!!! She only gets better as she ages.

What a voice.

01) Rolling in the Deep - 10,0 02) Rumour Has It - 10,0 03) Turning Tables - 10,0 04) Don't You Remember - 8,5 05) Set Fire to the Rain - 10,0 06) He Won't Go - 8,0 07) Take It All - 8,5 08) I'll Be Waiting - 8,5 09) One and Only - 8,0 10) Lovesong - 9,0 11) Someone like You - 10,0 TOTAL: 9,14 (91/100) Current ranking: 33/454

Not even ashamed. This was a banger when it dropped, and it's a banger today.

Didn't think I was going to like this but surprised myself. Really liked her voice and the emotions evoked within the lyrics. Vocally reminded me of Duffy at times. Glad I listened because I see Adele in a new light

Pure class

What a voice, what a singer, an all-time classic in our times.

A favorite! Love her voice

I’d never listened to this album, but had heard the hits. Very good. She’s very talented.

Remember Duffy? The Welsh singer who popped up the mid 2000s? She has those songs Warwick Avenue and Mercy which got pretty big radio play and I’m pretty sure she was a musical guest at one point on SNL. I had stock in her as I was sure she was going to blow up. She seemed an obvious choice to do a Bond theme too. Well she got market-corrected by Adele a couple years later and had this massive album and put out what many now consider the best Bond theme song. This album is undeniable. Nearly every song became a radio staple, it plays like a greatest hits record.

Pop album by a pop singer that had a bunch of pop hits on it. 😁

7/10

Not necessarily my thing, but filled to the brim with bangers.

I imagine this is what Connie Francis sounded like to people in the 50s.

i don't love the sound but adele is a killer singer and there are some certified classics. and a cure cover? one and only was my favorite song

I found this album hard to finish as I’d stop it for some reason - a meal, a cry for the kid’s playlist, a work call, boredom - and when I’d return I could never remember what song I was on, all indistinguishable in their inert vibe, so I’d conscientiously go back a title I knew I’d heard at least part of, usually “Set Fire to the Rain” because while the conceit’s stupid at least it’s memorable. “He Won’t Go” mocks me. Commonplace sentiments expressed in mundane language, sung with elan, dressed in the clothes of the long dead, talent without imagination: it’s daytime soap opera, “she was only 21…” A revelation came with the numbing litany of romantic dejection, the memory of a friend who used to mutter “don’t look at me! Don’t look at me!” back when we were going out. I knew it was comedy, but I never thought how until Adele’s genuine abjection reminded me of my friend’s comic and I suddenly realised that she was imitating Dennis Hopper in “Blue Velvet”, and retrospectively our relationship has rotated by a few risky degrees - o happy memory!

Chicken soup. Grey's Anatomy. Mormonism. Adele All incredibly bland, all inexplicably popular What's up with that voice and comparisons with Dusty Springfield? Get your ears checked please. As the dreadful Cure cover demonstrates, Adele is a Pop/American Idol-level karaoke talent, and Susan Boyle was more interesting Kids love it, of course

Once you’ve heard one Adele song you’ve heard all her back catalogue and anything she’ll produce in the future. The uniformity would be something Ford would be proud of.

went into this hating adele, still definitely hate adele

I really don't like Adele. I find this so incredibly mundane, uninspired and utterly uninteresting. Truthfully, did not listen, but know enough songs from their chronic overplaying that I know my opinion.

I've enjoyed Adele's music rather passively over the years. Having this album generate was a pleasant surprise. Although I know 2/3 of it through radio play, I've never listened to the album in its entirety and, woah... She is a highly successful artist who is still young and surprisingly has few albums over her nearly 20 year career. Yet, for me, it's hard not to call this her Magnum Opus. Nearly 15 years on, this does feel like a classic. Unbelievably composed and written. Crisp beautiful instrumentals and backing vocals. It's an album you can imagine putting together in the studio and having "that feeling". Admittedly, I feel the subject matter- classic nonetheless- is played out. However, Adele does love blues and broken hearted better than many and among the best. It doesn't feel corny or drab. It doesn't feel whiny- it feels yearning and beautiful. "Someone Like You" beams at you like a distant memory unearthed by a relic in a shoebox or junk drawer- altogether nostalgically pleasant and hauntingly painful. Adele puts together a "heartbreak" album that isn't somber, but rather tells a love story that doesn't end in joy. And isn't that how love is sometimes?

Wow, I had heard some songs for it before, but this was a revelation. The whole album is great.

Rating this while in the midst of re-listening because I've been a huge Adele fan for years, especially of 21 and 19. This is an incredible project. If I could be more specific with ratings, I'd give it a 4.5, but being generous with my rating for how iconic this album is and how much of a moment it had in pop music when released. Favorites: "Rolling in the Deep," "Set Fire to the Rain," and "One and Only." Total bangers. Adele is incredible, and I appreciate how authentic she has stayed to her sound, audience, songwriting and structure, and aesthetics over time - she could have easily gone another direction and did bubblegum pop for her sophomore album, but she's stuck to her "divorced middle-aged woman" pop guns throughout her career, and I love that (and her).

The is a really good album. Great songs carried by a phenomenal voice.

I know most of these signs and remember when the album came out, but I forgot how many of them absolutely slap. Her voice is amazing.

Is this the best songwriter of the 21st century? Debatable. But this album is phenomenal, and she doesn't really have a bad song on any of her albums. One of the greatest voices ever

My memory of this album is a 5/6 year old me waiting outside my mums work with my dad and my brother. She’d always be held back so through time knew all these songs off by heart. And it’s good front loaded except for someone like you but due to memories I have to rate it a 5 theres an edge of bias in music reviewing, even when someone tries to be objective this is one of my nostalgia blind spots

By far my favorite Adele album. I listened to this over and over again in 2011. I love almost every song on it. I especially love Someone Like You.

A good one.

I LOVE ADELE

Obviously I knew the singles - how could I not? And they’re still brilliant. But the production, the vocals and the lyrics here are all outstanding. Brilliant album.

Classic

Brilliant. Just absolutely brilliant. Writing something this strong at age 21, the strength of her vocals. Someone Like You ranks somewhere in my favourite, most powerful songs of all time. Flawless.

love no notes

Loved one and only, and of course other big hits too. Rolling in the deep and set fire to the rain does feel a bit crafty for me. But this is largely because of too many terrible covers. The original version is full of vitality. Strangely someone like you has millions of covers as well but it’s always a perfect Adele song no matter how bad the covers are. Overall although I like 25 more than 21, it’s still a five!

19 is a solid album but 21 really feels like when Adele reaches another level. Rolling in the Deep is such an awesome fucking song. It’s a never skip for me, and I’ll often listen to all of 21 just because of this song. The whole album is great, I’ve got 7/11 of the tracks saved and this is far from my first listen, I’m guessing I’m around 15+ now. I listened twice while reviewing. She’s just got it. The music is captivating, the lyricism, passion and skill are all in perfect harmony. I do want to point out that amongst the hits on this album that He Won’t Go is always a lovely surprise in the middle of the album. It’s just so groovy and really gives the album a great pacing and some chill energy to set the stage for the back half of the track list. Easy 5.

Great album! Adele is amazing! 21 brings back a lot of good memories. One of which is my daughter and her friend making a video to Rumour Has It. They substituted "rumour" with our dog's name "Boomer". It was super cute and had shots of Boomer through out the video. Anyway, back to the music... Adele's voice is amazing! This was definitely her breakout album with hits scattered throughout!

Un viaje fantástico a través de canciones llenas de sentimiento y emociones crudas que te hacen anhelar aquello que no es o no fue.

All hits no skips, amazing voice.

Was a great album when it came out and still is. Feeling like it's 2011 again 👌

Mein zehntes Album, das ich schon vorher kannte. Schwierig. An sich solide vier, die meisten Songs sind super bis genial, so ganz umgehauen hat es mich aber nicht, Lovesong war für mich zu lang und etwas langweilig. Ich habe 25 schon fünf Sterne gegeben und das war einfach einen Ticken besser, trotzdem ist das echt gut und es ist schön, nach ein paar seltsamen Synthesizergeklimperalben auch mal richtige Musik zu haben. Es fühlt sich nicht nach fünf an, ich habe aber schon viel schlechteren Alben vier gegeben. Eindeutig 4 1/2. Kann ich wirklich beiden Adelealben auf der Liste fünf Sterne geben? Ja. Es erinnert mich an die guten alten Zeiten, wo wir die drei großen Hits im Musikunterricht gesungen haben. Und Ryan Tedder hat da mitgeschrieben. Dafür den Extrastern.

Incredible singing voice, good songwriting, several really good songs.

I love Adele and this is her best album.

I’ve heard the singles off this album approximately 1000 times (like most people) and I was worried id just be tired of them. I was really impressed with the rest of the album as well, so it’s easily a 5

es adele, no hay más que decir

This album stunned me back in 2011, and it still has that unique sound all the way in 2025. From the very beginning, Rolling in the Deep grabs the listener by the throat and by the time you've realized whats happening, you're being held hostage for the entire track list. Adele's music feels timeless and powerful, impervious to time. Her voice is robust and full-bodied, and her music enraptures.

Banger. Even the non hits are fantastic. what a voice 5/5

Well I did not need go listen to this one to give it five stars. But of course I listened and it is great. Although I like her live recording at Royal Albert Hall better, because you can hear what a great person she is as well.

top 3: - turning tables - set fire to the rain - someone like you special mention: - lovesong - don’t you remember - he won’t go