21 by Adele (Review)
[Originally Published on May 5, 2020]
During his podcast, boxing expert and former trainer Teddy Atlas argued that the sport’s defensive wizards such as Floyd Mayweather and Pernell Whittaker are the true tough guys in the ring. Though physically unimposing, fighters like this have become comfortable operating with a trained professional swinging with all their might to take their head off. They grow accustomed to the fire. There are certain artists who become accustomed to the fire. They thrive on embracing their baggage and getting the rest of us in our feels with them. Adele is one of those artists. Like Mary J. Blige and Keyshia Cole before her, this generational talent is musically at her best when reliving heartbreak.
Adele is built different than most of us. The British songstress is at her strongest when sitting in a dimly lit room alone with her pain, wading in deep waters instead of swimming to more joyous land. Channeling her suffering transforms her into a phoenix. Nowhere is this more apparent than the black church-influenced song “Rolling in the Deep” and the charging “Set Fire to the Rain.” The former has a marching rhythm to it and is elevated by soulful tambourines. The latter is unassuming at first, but the song showcases Adele’s signature vocal power. It sounds like when your momma gives you the chance to own up to your mistake, and then unleashes her wrath when you decide to lie anyway.
In fact, Adele is an old soul. Despite being only 21, as the album title suggests, she has a distinctly mature sound and wisdom to her music. Adele is the one in your friend group who willingly lends you a keen ear but is unwilling to take her own advice. She’s the person who knows better, but leaps anyway. On “He Won’t Go”, Adele falls for an alcoholic who is also already in a relationship with someone else. Knowing he’s leading her on but afraid to give up without a fight, she concludes, “I’m willing to take the risk.” Though her self-sabotaging behavior can be frustrating, it’s relatable. We’ve all been there before.
Adele has an innate ability to seamlessly blend pop and soul music in an authentic way. The Broadway-ready “Rumour Has It” is drum heavy until its piano driven bridge. Adele’s precise songwriting shamelessly adorns her in the clothing that most of us keep hidden in our closets. She is painfully honest on “Don’t You Remember” (I have a fickle heart and bitterness) and shares her disappointment on “Take it All” (I thought you loved me more than this, but you gave up so easily). “I’ll Be Waiting” is the Romcom scene when one character desperately dashes to the airport to tell the other how they feel. In this movie, the plane boarded hours ago and the attendant is on lunchbreak.
Achieving commercial feats unseen since Thriller, Adele’s masterpiece 21undoubtedly took the world by storm—selling more than 31 million copies worldwide. Her art has been universally embraced. The singable anthem “Someone Like You” is a perfect example of her prowess. This song can move 600 young inner-city men of color to wrap their arms over each other and sway side to side singing each syllable. Trust me, I’ve seen it. Maybe it’s the instrumentality and catchiness of her songs. Maybe it’s the deeply personal, autobiographical lyrics. Or maybe it’s because Adele got us through nights eating ice cream under the covers or blasting music with a hoodie stretched over our brows. To call this album painful is an understatement. But someone’s gotta say it: It hurts so good.
