Jump to content

21 (Adele album)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Markie93 (talk | contribs) at 22:45, 20 June 2011 (→‎Certifications: changed into certification table + added sales based on certifications + US 3x Platinum). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Untitled

21 is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Adele. The album was released on 21 January 2011 in the UK and most of Europe, and on 22 February 2011 in North America. The follow-up to her 2008 debut 19, 21 was named after the age of the singer at the time of its production. While it relies heavily on the folk and Motown influences that framed her debut, the album also explores various genres and styles from country and blues to alternative, indie-rock, and R&B. 21 is a break-up album, with the majority of the songs focusing on aspects of the singer's most recently ended relationship.

21 features production from Rick Rubin, Paul Epworth, and Ryan Tedder among others, and was released to critical acclaim, with reviewers lauding Adele's vocal performance and introspective songwriting. Preceded by lead single "Rolling in the Deep", the album debuted at number one on the UK Album Chart, selling 208,000 copies, as well as debuting at number one in over ten countries, including Canada, Germany and Ireland. It also debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 Chart with sales of 352,000 copies.

Following an acclaimed performance of the album's second single "Someone Like You" at the 2011 BRIT Awards, the album maintained its number one position in the UK for eleven consecutive weeks, before being dethroned by the Foo Fighters' Wasting Light on the week ending 24 April 2011. However, 21 returned to the top spot the following week, ultimately spending a total of sixteen weeks at number one. The album's eleven-week consecutive run at the top broke the record for the longest running consecutive number-one studio album for a solo artist.[1] It also became the biggest-selling digital album of all-time in the UK. 21 has been certified nine-times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry, denoting domestic shipments in excess of 2.7 million units.[2] In the U.S., the album spent ten non-consecutive weeks at number one, and has sold over 2.2 million copies.

Background and conception

21 was composed during the aftermath of Adele's most recently ended relationship, with songs exploring her various range of emotions.[3] The relationship began during the promotion of her first album 19 and achieved notoriety in the British press when it was reported that the singer canceled her 2008 U.S. and European tour An Evening with Adele in order to spend time with her boyfriend.[4] Adele later claims that a number of other personal factors influenced the tour's cancelation.[5][6] The ensuing break-up "devastated" the singer, as she described it as "the biggest deal in my entire life to date. . .It's going to take me ten years to recover."[7] The singer focused her creative energy on writing songs during moments of anger and depression, which provided a source of therapy.[8]

Adele originally intended to title the album Rolling in the Deep,[9] her adaptation of a British slang phrase "roll deep," which, in her words, means, "[to] always have someone that has your back".[10] She explains that "that's how I felt in the relationship that the record's about... [that] that's what I was always going to have, and...it ended up not being the case."[10] She decided against the title because she deemed it too confusing for audiences outside of the UK.[9] While admitting the apparent simplicity in titling her album 21, the singer suggests that the name is the most appropriate for the album, reflecting her age at the time of production and acting as a personal period piece, while also symbolizing her personal and artistic growth from her debut.

"It’s [21] different from 19, it’s about the same things but in a different light. I deal with things differently now. I’m more patient, more honest, more forgiving and more aware of my own flaws, habits and principles. Something that comes with age I think. So fittingly this record is called 21. The whole reason I called my first album 19 was about cataloging what happened to me then and who I was then, like a photo album you see the progression and changes in a person throughout the years."
— Adele, on her personal blog, discussing the inspiration behind the name of her second album.[11]

Critics generally praised the depth and maturity reflected in the songs on the album.[12][13] Simon Harper of Clash writes, "In the two years between the titles of Adele’s debut and this, her second album, she’s clearly seen the world. Where 19 marked the turbulent swan song to a teenage life, 21 introduces the realities of adult life, where grown-up responsibilities collide with heartache and emotional scars run deep."[14]

An avid fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Californication (1999), Adele expressed interest in working with the album's producer Rick Rubin. She first met him when she appeared on Saturday Night Live in 2008, recognizing and signalling to him in the audience during her live performance of "Chasing Pavements".[5] They eventually decided to collaborate after meeting at the 2009 Grammy Awards.[5] Similarly, Adele's meeting with Ryan Tedder was coincidental. They first met at the 2009 Grammy Awards in the elevator of the hotel they both happened to be staying in.[15] Following their acquaintance, they decided to collaborate on tracks for her second album, producing "Rumour Has It" and "Turning Tables". Additional collaborators include Jim Abbiss, and Francis "Eg" White, who worked with Adele on her debut album, as well as Fraser T Smith, Dan Wilson and Paul Epworth.

Music and production

Influence and sound

"I wanted the songs not to have anything glittery or glamorous about them, like an organic tapestry rather than like a Gaga album...I mean, I love Gaga, but I didn't want to get wrapped up in all that European dance music."
— Adele speaks to Rolling Stone about the musical direction of her album.[16]

In interviews, Adele has stated that her exposure to American country music provided the framework for her album's sound.[12][16][17] While on her 2008–2009 tour in the U.S., Adele frequently went on smoke breaks (she no longer smokes)[17] with her tour bus driver,[5] a Nashville, Tennessee native, who introduced her to various types of southern music styles, including bluegrass and rockabilly, during these breaks.[5] In particular, she listened to albums by Garth Brooks,[5] Wanda Jackson, Alison Krauss[16] Lady Antebellum, Dolly Parton and Rascal Flatts.[18] Adele states, "I find country music really exciting because I know actually fuck-all about it. So every day I'm hearing something that I love, that I don't know....It feels like I'm discovering music again for the first time."[19] Lily Moayeri of Under the Radar compliments Adele's move to incorporate country music influences into her own "retro-soul" repertoire, stating that it not only gave her a "genuine understanding of the blues", but that it also suited her singing style.[20]

21 relies heavily on the same Motown influences that informed 19,[18] with old-school, retro-infused production and the "Supremes-esque backing vocals"[21] featured on songs like "Rolling in the Deep". However the album incorporated such instruments as the saxophone, harp, banjo and the accordion, exploring styles ranging from Southern blues and soul music[12] to jazz and bossa nova,[22] to alternative pop[23] and gospel infused[24] rock music. Regarding the wide range of musical styles, Adele explains: "It’s all tied together by my voice...I don’t have a definitive sound. I have no idea what I sound like yet, so until I do, all my records will have a kind of mix-tape vibe going on."[9]

The album comprises mainly slow and mid-tempo ballads and torch songs,[25][26] characterized by "bold melodies [and] chest-clutching singing".[27] Matthew Cole of Slant Magazine criticized what he thought was the "formulaic" structure of the songs, suggesting that the production team on 21 seemed unanimous on what constituted an "Adele song": "a four-minute runtime; a mixture of strings, piano, and acoustic guitar, which should begin quietly and swell up around the two-minute mark; and a chorus which should recur no fewer than four times over the course of the song."[28] Adele expressed her desire to strip the songs to their basic elements in an attempt to produce a more "open" and "articulate" record than her first.[10] The understated nature of songs like "Don't You Remember", "Turning Tables" and "Someone Like You", on which Adele's sole musical accompaniment is a piano or a guitar, is meant to place more emphasis on Adele's vocal performance, giving the album a raw, uninhibited feel.[29]

Writing and recording

Adele deems her debut album too "serious",[30] contrasting with her true demeanour as a "fun, cheeky, loud, [and] sarcastic 22 year-old".[30] As early as April 2009,[31] while still in the relationship that inspired 21, Adele attempted to compose songs that not only explored her failing relationship,[31] but would also capture her lighter, "spirited"[30] side. However, repeated studio sessions were unsuccessful, and "Take It All",[32] produced during these sessions, was the only song with which she was completely satisfied.[30] The main inspiration for the songs followed Adele's break-up, the majority of which began as "drunken diary ramblings",[6] which she later refined into musical compositions.[6] They were written over a three-month period between November 2009 and January 2010.[6][31][33] While Adele usually assumes a great degree of creative control over her work,[34] she explained that, compared to her debut, 21 is considerably more collaborative.[35] Worrying that her new album would become "'19 2.0," she decided to co-write with a number of songwriters and producers, stating that while she was almost solely responsible for the composition of her first album, 21 was about 55%–65% written by her.[35] In an effort to improve her songwriting, Adele attempted to gain insight into the structuring and composition of different types of songs, barricading herself in her home for three weeks and listening to hip-hop, country, pop, and R&B, "trying to understand what it is about a song that moves me; where it peaks, why I think it peaks, stuff like that, just kind of studying it."[36]

"Rolling in the Deep"
The first single from 21, "Rolling in the Deep" was written and produced a day after Adele's break-up. Bill Lamb of About.com notes the "impending feeling of doom in the production", stating "When she wails, you feel every ounce of pain and loss with her."[37]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Adele composed "Rolling in the Deep" the day after the relationship ended: "We'd had a fuming argument the night before...I'd been bubbling, then I went into the studio and screamed."[30] While in the studio with Paul Epworth, Adele intended to write a ballad. However, Epworth rejected this idea, suggesting instead that they write an angrier, more aggressive song.[38] While composing the song, Adele asked Epworth to feel her racing heartbeat, which inspired the song's own martial beat.[38] Adele then started singing the first verse a capella, as Epworth joined in, improvising on his guitar. "Rolling in the Deep" was recorded in less than two days.[30] The demo was used as the final version, as Adele's repeated attempts to re-record the song failed to capture the "raw" emotion of the demo.[30] In an interview, Adele expressed her initial reservations prior to meeting with Epworth, due to their divergent musical styles: "I wasn't really expecting anything out of the session, just because he is known for being very indie and I'm known to be very pop, so I wasn't sure if it would work too well. But it ended up being a match made in heaven...he brought a lot out of me. He brought my voice out as well—there's notes that I hit in that song ["Rolling in the Deep"] that I never even knew I could hit."[39]

With the exception of "Rumour Has It", co-written and produced by Ryan Tedder, and "Someone Like You", co-written and co-produced with Dan Wilson, the songs were all written in London. A number of studio sessions also took place in London with Paul Epworth. However, the majority of the album's production with Rubin were recorded in his studio in Malibu, California over a course of five weeks, beginning in April 2010.[31][38] Recovering from her tour, Adele expected to relax and enjoy Malibu during time-off from the recording sessions. However, she stated that she disliked the area and suffered boredom, homesickness, sunburn, and food poisoning;[30][38] she however described working with Rubin as "amazing".[36] The pair had a more relaxed approach to the production process: "We just vibed until it felt right and there was no referencing of things in the charts that were doing well or whatever, no seeing what was hot and what was not."[36] Adele also stated that no samples were used, and that the production was organic, without the use of any electronic instruments.[36] Their collaboration produced the tracks "Don't You Remember", "He Won't Go", "One and Only", and a remake of The Cure's "Lovesong". Sessions were completed with a team of musicians that Rubin assembled, including Chris Dave on drums, Matt Sweeney on guitar, James Poyser on piano, and Pino Palladino on bass.[16][30][40] Rubin felt that Adele had a different live sound, compared to the studio recordings on her first album, and attempted to capture this sound in their sessions.[38] Adele initially intended to cover a song by INXS, but later changed to a remake of the Cure's "Lovesong". Originally arranged for Barbra Streisand, Adele fell in love with the unused demo and decided to record it. Prior to recording "Lovesong", Adele lost her voice, but in an interview stated that it "suited the song".[41]

On "Someone Like You", one of the last songs written for the album, Adele collaborated with famed musician and producer Dan Wilson. Prior to meeting with Wilson, Adele wrote most of the lyrics using her guitar.[40] The two sat around the piano for almost a day and brainstormed various melodies and lyrics, ultimately deciding to keep the musical production sparse: "We just wrote it on the piano and then we recorded it when it was written. It wasn't sort of like recording it and listening to it thinking 'where can we go next?' It was really old school."[40]

Songs and lyrics

"Set Fire to the Rain"
One of the more pop-influenced songs on the album, the "epic" power ballad[3] "Set Fire to the Rain" situates Adele's mournful vocals ("let it burn") around a sweeping string arrangement.
"Someone Like You"
On the album's closing song, "Someone Like You", which features spare, understated production, Adele wishes her ex well and begs to be remembered.
Problems playing these files? See media help.

The order of the songs on the album mirror the range of emotions Adele experienced after the breakup,[32] progressing from themes of anger and bitterness,[32][42] to feelings of loneliness, "heartbreak and regret",[42] and finally, as exemplified by the last song, acceptance.[42] Adele describes the album's first track "Rolling in the Deep" as a “dark, bluesy, gospel, disco tune."[24] She states, "[the song] is my reaction to being told [by my ex] that my life is going to be boring and lonely and rubbish, and that I was a weak person if I didn't stay in the relationship. And I wrote that as a sort of 'fuck you'."[39] The song begins with Adele singing against a steady guitar strum, then continues with "martial beats", "pounding piano chords" (played by Neil Cowley) and "chanting backing singers",[37] followed by a broken down, hand-clapping bridge reminiscent of the soul music of the deep south.[43] One of the more uptempo songs on the album,[44] the Ryan Tedder-produced "Rumour Has It" is a percussion-driven jazz number,[13] which Adele describes as a "bluesy pop stomping song".[45] Adele states that the song was not inspired by her ex, but was written about her own friends, who had a tendency to spread rumours about her break-up.[44][45] The song contrasts with the second Tedder-collaborated song "Turning Tables", the albums third track, produced by Jim Abbiss. "Turning Tables" was conceived following a confrontation with Adele's ex. Adele arrived at the studio upset and emotional that her ex kept "turning the tables" on her during their arguments, and Tedder used this idea as a concept for composing the song.[15] Lyrically, the song describes the stage of the relationship marked by constant arguing and contention, followed by the realization that the relationship has run its course. The song begins as an understated piano-and-vocal ballad, stripped down to its most minimal elements, and towards the climax, swells into a "cinematic pop anthem laced with Broadway-worthy strings"[46] that "serves as a fitting counterpoint to its heartbroken, hollowed-out lyrics."[46]

As the album progresses, the theme changes from one of anger and defensiveness to feelings of reflection and heartbreak, exemplified by the Rick Rubin produced "Don’t You Remember", co-written by Adele and Dan Wilson. A country styled ballad,[6][12][24] the song was one of the last to be composed for the album.[17] After completing a number of songs, Adele had become aware of how her bitterness towards the break-up had negatively coloured her perception of her ex: "I managed to step out of the bitter mode that I was in when I was writing the record and I suddenly got really ashamed and disgusted with the manner that I was portraying someone who was really important to me...and I felt really childish that I had made him out to be a complete twat."[19] The song is an admission of her own shortcomings, as well as a plea to her ex to remember why he initially fell in love with her.[17] The album's fifth track, "Set Fire to the Rain" was written with producer Fraser T. Smith. The song describes the contradictory elements of a relationship, and the impossibility of letting go.[47] One of the most pop-influenced of the album,[24] the song is characterized by John Murphy of MusicOMH as a "power ballad".[3] In contrast to the understated production of most songs on the album, the song features lush instrumentation and a swelling string arrangement[12][21] over a mid-tempo rhythm,[6] creating a wall of sound[12][48] for the singer's mourning vocals. The sixth track, the Rick Rubin-produced "He Won’t Go" features more R&B undertones. John Murphy of MusicOMH compares Adele to Mary J. Blige in her prime,[3] while Aamir Yaqub, writing for Soul Culture praised the distinctiveness and "catchiness" of the harp and bass, and notes aural similarities between "He Won’t Go" and "Tell Him" by Lauryn Hill.[49] The seventh track "Take It All", which incorporates a more soulful gospel sound, is accompanied by a choir and piano. Written with Francis "Eg" White, who worked with Adele on "Chasing Pavements", the song's lyrics focus on the protagonist's devotion to an unappreciative lover.[32][50] The upbeat "I’ll Be Waiting", the eight track, discusses the singer's resilience and the rekindling of a lost love.[51]

"The entire record is more grown up and mature and sincere. And like that lyric from "Someone Like You" ["I wish nothing but the best for you"]...You can't hold grudges forever. It just weighs you down. And that's just something I'm learning in the last year while I've been recovering from everything that happened. And I feel better for it. I feel lighter and healthier for not dwelling on things too much."[52]

One of the only love songs not written about her ex was "One and Only". The song, which dares a love interest to take a chance on a relationship, is aimed at a friend for whom Adele had always cared about.[53] "Lovesong", a bossa-nova style[42] remake of the song by The Cure, received mixed critical reception. It was inspired by Adele finding solace in her mother and friends while feeling lonely.[41] The album then closes with "Someone Like You", which Adele describes as the summation of her attitude towards the relationship.[52] A slow, plaintive ballad pairing Adele's voice with a lulling piano, "Someone Like You" is the lyrical opposite of "Rolling in the Deep"[52] wherein the singer narrates returning to her ex to wish him happiness, and express her desire for finding someone just like him.[52] One of the more acclaimed songs on the album, critics praise its introspective lyrics and "mature" outlook.[24][54]

Marketing and promotion

Adele performing in 2007.

Adele had already developed a fan-base in Britain from the success of her first album, winning the BRIT Awards Critics' Choice in 2008, and named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008.[8] In the months leading up to the album's European release, Adele did a number of performances and interviews on various television programmes and music events across Europe, including Britain's Royal Variety Performance on 9 December 2010, BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge on 27 January, and the finale of The Voice of Holland, a reality singing competition in The Netherlands, on 21 January 2011. During the week of the album's UK release on 24 January at London's Tabernacle, she performed an acoustic set of a number of songs from 21, which was screened live on her personal website.[8] The major push came in the wake of the BRIT awards, where Adele's emotional performance[55] of "Someone Like You" propelled both 19 and 21, and "Someone Like You" and "Rolling in the Deep" into the top five of the UK album and singles charts, a feat not accomplished since 1964 by The Beatles.[56]

Adele's appearance on Saturday Night Live in 2008 as well as her Grammy Award wins for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2009 led to consistent sale of her first album, culminating in a platinum certification by the RIAA by the time 21 was released in the U.S.[57] For the album's North American release Columbia executives decided to use the "long tail" sales theory'[8] as a means of shaping 21's campaign,"building a critical mass throughout February in order to reach all those people who bought 19 over a span of 18 months."[8] The promotion campaign began in the summer of 2010, with appearances on CMT with Darius Rucker, where she performed Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now” and an October showcase at L.A.’s Largo for music supervisors.[56] Columbia senior VP of marketing Scott Greer stated that the record company went to some of their key internet partners such as Vevo, AOL and VH1 to begin playing and advertising both her old and new material.[8] Celebrity bloggers, including Perez Hilton also contributed to Adele's campaign through repeated promotion.[8] Beginning 1 February, Adele's personal site hosted a "21 Days of Adele"[8] promotion with exclusive daily content, including a live chat and a video of Adele explaining the inspiration for each album track.[8]

Small shows in New York, Los Angeles and Minneapolis reintroduced the singer to the American public. The week of release was also accompanied by a spate of TV appearances on many American daytime and late night talk shows, such as the Today Show on 18 February, Late Show With David Letterman on 21 February,[58] The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live! on 24 February.[8][17] Additionally, "Rolling in the Deep" was featured in the trailers for the 2011 sci-fi film I Am Number Four.[8]

Adele has embarked on her second concert tour Adele Live in support of 21, performing sixty shows across Europe and North America. A number of venues had to be rescheduled to larger arenas due to high ticket demand.[59]

Singles

21 has so far yielded three singles. The first, "Rolling in the Deep", was released on 29 November 2010 in the Netherlands, where it debuted at number four on the chart. The song peaked at number one, spending seven non-consecutive weeks at the top.[60] It also peaked at number one in Germany,[61] Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, and became a top ten hit in Austria, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, and Norway. The single was released in the UK on 16 January 2011, and reached a peak of number two.[62] In the U.S., the song became her second single to chart on the Hot 100, behind "Chasing Pavements".[63] It had achieved crossover success, charting in the top twenty on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and the U.S. Alternative Songs chart.[64] The song reached number two on the Hot 100 on 7 May 2011.[65] The following week, "Rolling in the Deep" topped the chart,[64] becoming Adele's first number one single in America. As of May 2011, the song had sold over 3,5 million digital copies in the U.S.,[66] surpassing "Chasing Pavements" as her best-selling single.[66]

The album's second single, "Someone Like You", debuted at number thirty-six on the UK Singles Chart due to strong digital sales. Following a live performance of the song at the Brit Awards, the song climbed forty-six places from the previous week to number one.[67] It stayed atop the chart for five non-consecutive weeks, the longest stay at number one since Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" in 2008. It was certified Platinum by the BPI on 1 April 2011, denoting shipments of 600,000 copies.[68] It is so far the biggest selling single of 2011 in the UK having sold 950,000 copies as of June 2011. Despite not being officially released in the United States, the song peaked at number sixty five on the Hot 100 chart.[64]

According to the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), "Turning Tables" will be released as the album's third single. It has already made its chart debut in Australia at number eighty-one.[69] In the Netherlands "Set Fire to the Rain"[70] topped the chart for one week.[71] It has also peaked at number one in Belgium (Flanders),[72] at number three in Italy[73] and in the top twenty in Ireland.[74]

Release and reception

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AbsolutePunk92%[13]
Allmusic[75]
The A.V. ClubA-[43]
The Daily Telegraph[76]
Entertainment WeeklyA-[77]
The Guardian[78]
NME[79]
The New York Timespositive[80]
Rolling Stone[22]
Slant Magazine[28]

Upon its release, the majority of 21's critical reviews were positive. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album had a score of 76 based on 34 reviews, which indicates "generally positive reviews".[23] Many reviews celebrate 21 as an artistic leap from her debut both in its production and songwriting.[27][79][81] While both albums explore similar themes, critics generally had considered 19 vocally and lyrically subdued,[3][12][22] with the singer's "wandering vocals"[46] underpinned by sparse production.[46] Ryan Reed of Paste also commented that, with the exception of "Chasing Pavements", songs on 19 were "lazy" and "eschew hooks in favor of coffee-house atmosphere".[46] However, 21 presents a more intense, daring and progressive side to the singer.[78] Comparing both her albums, Barry Walters, writing for Spin, comments "[On 21], she wails harder and writes bolder, piling on the dramatic production flourishes to suggest a lover's apocalypse."[82] Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune also states that "In contrast to the folk-based songs of the first album, 21 beefs up the rhythmic drive and the drama of the arrangements."[81]

Giving the album four-and-a-half out of five stars, John Murphy, writing for MusicOMH, compares Adele to Amy Winehouse, contending that "Almost every song oozes pain, sadness and anger".[3] Murphy concludes his review by proclaiming 21 "one of the great 'break-up' albums, and the first truly impressive record of 2011."[3] Joseph Viney, staff critic for Sputnikmusic, states that 21 exhibits influences from many great female artists: "Adele has combined the best bits of Aretha Franklin’s old-school soul with Lauryn Hill’s sass and sense of cynical modern femininity."[83] Ian Walker of AbsolutePunk called the album a "pop masterpiece", although declaring that the album "fails to fully ride the tidal wave created by its first half",[13] while Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly wrote "21 is that rarest pop commodity: timeless."[77]

Adele received almost unanimous praise for her vocal range, power[84] and versatility,[29][85][86][87][88] with Ryan Reed of Paste describing her voice as "a raspy, aged-beyond-its-years thing of full-blooded beauty."[46] Bernadette McNulty of The Daily Telegraph opined, "hers is a voice that seems to go right to your heart".[76] Matt Collar of Allmusic agreed, calling her voice "spine-tingling",[75] while Tom Townshend of MSN Music declared Adele "the finest singer of [our] generation."[89] However, according to a number of reviewers, Adele's vocal prowess was also symptomatic of one of the album's shortcomings: Greg Kot of Chicago Tribune, Allision Stewart of The Washington Post and Matthew Cole of Slant Magazine suggest that the compelling nature of Adele's vocals sometimes masked the "blandness",[28] and mediocrity of many of the songs on the album,[28] with Stewart commenting, "after a strong start, the disc yields to a forgettable midsection of mostly mid-tempo tracks that are remarkable only because Adele is singing them",[88] while Cole dismissed many of the songs themselves as "outright intolerable".[28]

Chart performance

On 30 January 2011 the album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart with first week sales of 208,000 copies, making it the biggest-selling January release in five years since Arctic Monkeys' Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not in 2006.[90][91] On 13 February 2011, in its third consecutive week at number one, the album sold 134,000 copies, outselling the top five combined.[92] Following her performance at the 2011 BRIT Awards, 21 experienced a sales surge of 890% on Amazon.co.uk within an hour of the show's broadcast,[93] while her first album also saw an incremental rise in sales, jumping from number six to number four on the albums chart.[94] "Someone Like You" also rose from number forty-seven to number one on the UK Singles Chart, while "Rolling in the Deep" ascended from five to four. Adele is the first living act since The Beatles in 1964 to have two UK top five albums and singles simultaneously.[94] During the album's fifth consecutive week at number one, Adele held the top two places in the album chart, the first act to do so since The Corrs in 1999.[95][96]

In the coming weeks, the album maintained its high sales, never dipping below 100,000 copies until its twelfth week.[97] On 3 April 2011, in its tenth week at number one, a Mother's Day sales boost pushed 21 to its strongest sales week of 258,000.[98] 21 overtook Madonna's 1990 compilation The Immaculate Collection for the most consecutive weeks at number one by a female solo artist.[99] In its eleventh week, the album became the longest-running consecutive number-one album since Bob Marley and The Wailers' Legend in 1984 (which spent 12 consecutive weeks at no.1). 21 was then displaced from the top spot the following week by the Foo Fighters' album Wasting Light[100][101] though it regained the number one position the following week.[102] By 22 May 2011 the album had spent a total of 16 non-consecutive weeks at number one, the most weeks at the top spot since the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack album spent 18 weeks at number one in 1978. By 19 June 2011 the album spent 21 weeks in the top 2, making it the first album to do so since The Singles: 1969–1973 by The Carpenters, which achieved the feat for 23 weeks in a row in 1974. The last album doing so from its debuting week on was Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water, which was chart champ or runner-up for 29 straight weeks before slipping to third in September 1970. As of 22 April 2011, the album has been certified nine-times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipments of 2.7 million units, as well as being the most downloaded album in UK.[2][103][104][105]

Outside of the UK the album has also enjoyed commercial success, topping the charts in 10 countries.[99] In the Netherlands the album debuted at number one, and topped the Dutch album chart for fifteen weeks.[106] In Germany, 21 topped the chart for three weeks.[107] As of 22 May, the album has spent a total of 16 weeks at the top of the Irish Albums Chart. 21 debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and in Canada, selling 352,000 copies in its debut week in the U.S.,[108] the highest debut of 2011 until the release of Lady Gaga's Born this Way on 23 May.[109] Since its February release, it has remained in the top three, and has returned to number one after being knocked off by Lupe Fiasco's Lasers in the week ending 26 March, Chris Brown's F.A.M.E. (9 April),[110] Britney Spears' Femme Fatale (16 April),[111] Foo Fighter's Wasting Light (30 April),[112][113] and [114]. In its sixth week at number one, 21 became the fifth album by a female artist in the last ten years to amass six or more weeks at number-one, joining Taylor Swifts' Fearless (11 weeks) and Speak Now (six), Norah Jones' Feels Like Home and Susan Boyle's I Dreamed a Dream (both with six weeks).[115] The following week, 21 topped the Billboard 200 chart for a total of seven weeks, achieving the second-longest run atop the chart for an album by a female artist since 2000; only Taylor Swift's Fearless with eleven weeks has spent longer.[116] In April 2011, 21 became the first album to sell one million copies in 2011 in the U.S, and spent nine weeks at number one.[117] Billboard reports that 21 is the sixteenth album by a female artist to spend at least nine weeks on top of the Billboard 200, and the first by a British act since George Michael's Faith which peaked at number-one for a total of twelve weeks in 1988.[118] 21 is also the first album "to spend its first 16 weeks in the top three since Usher's 2004 blockbuster Confessions, which spent its first 17 weeks in that high-rent district." Re-reaching No. 1 for a 10th non-consecutive time in its 16th charting week, it's the first album to be at No. 1 that late since Taylor Swift's Fearless which spent its 11th week at No. 1 in its 16th charting week [119]. It's also the first album to have five separate runs at No. 1 since Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill in 1995-1996 [120]. In Australia, 21 spent 5 weeks at No. 1. In its 5th week on top, its predecessor 19 stayed at No. 10 along with Rolling in the Deep staying at No. 3 on the Australian Singles Chart. With Someone Like You climbing from No. 17 to No. 4, Adele is the first artist to have 2 albums and 2 singles in the top 10 simultaneously since Michael Jackson after his death in July 2009 [121][122][123][124]. The album has worldwide sales of over 7 million as of June 2011.[125]

Impact

The album's success led Joseph Viney of Sputnikmusic to characterise Adele as the new bearer of British soul music.[83] In an era of the waning success of the pool of British female solo singers such as Amy Winehouse, Duffy, and Lily Allen, Viney states that Adele has emerged as the frontrunner: "Amy Winehouse disappeared in a haze of smoke, Lily Allen took the money and ran whilst Kate Nash and Duffy dropped off the radar after two poorly received second albums. Adele has been given a clear runway and the chance to stake her claim as the UK’s leading solo female artist."[83] John Murphy of MusicOMH describes Adele as "manna from heaven from those looking (musically at least) for 'the new Amy Winehouse' back in 2008", contending that "[21] is a timely reminder that British soul hasn't lost its mojo."[3]

Richard Russell, founder of record label XL Recordings, asserts that Adele's success can change the way female performers are marketed in the music industry.[126] According to Russell, Adele's music is devoid of "gimmicks",[126] and its worldwide success is "almost political and sort of radical",[126] countering the belief that female performers have to conform to certain body-types or imbue their music with gratuitous sexual imagery. Adele has addressed the lack of sexualization of her music, stating, "If you've got it, flaunt it, if it works with your music...But I can't imagine having guns and whipped cream coming out of my tits [reference to Lady Gaga, as well as Katy Perry's music video for 'California Gurls']."[126] She comments, "I don't make music for eyes. I make music for ears."[127] According to Guy Adams of The Independent, 21's success also signals the reemergence of the more traditional approach to commercial success:

There are two approaches to the business of being noticed by today's record-buying public. The first, showcased by Lady Gaga at the recent Grammys, revolves around oodles of hype and ever-more preposterous wardrobe selections. The second, adopted by Adele at this year's BRITs, is more understated: it requires a simple black dress and the confidence to let your music do the talking... Amazingly, given preconceived notions about America's supposed preference for style over substance, it is the second of these two sales techniques which appears to be working better.[128]

Ethan Smith writing for The Wall Street Journal states that Adele's "deliberately unflashy" nature and full figure has given her a lucrative niche in the market,[18][128] and her tendency to emphasize "substance over style", makes her the "Anti-Lady Gaga".[18] Columbia/Epic Label Group Chairman Rob Stringer says of Adele's success: "Adele is the real deal... She writes, is a fantastic singer and in total control... It just goes to show you don’t have to sell your soul to be successful... the public responds when it gets something authentic."[56]

Track listing

The official track listing released through the iTunes Store UK on 30 November 2010.[129]

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Rolling in the Deep"Adele Adkins, Paul EpworthEpworth3:48
2."Rumour Has It"Adkins, Ryan TedderTedder3:43
3."Turning Tables"Adkins, TedderJim Abbiss4:10
4."Don't You Remember"Adkins, Dan WilsonRick Rubin4:03
5."Set Fire to the Rain"Adkins, Fraser T. SmithSmith4:02
6."He Won't Go"Adkins, EpworthRubin4:38
7."Take It All"Adkins, Eg WhiteAbbiss3:48
8."I'll Be Waiting"Adkins, EpworthEpworth4:01
9."One and Only"Adkins, Dan Wilson, Greg WellsRubin5:48
10."Lovesong"Robert Smith, Simon Gallup, Roger O'Donnell, Porl Thompson, Lol Tolhurst, Boris WilliamsRubin5:16
11."Someone Like You"Adkins, WilsonWilson, Adkins4:45
iTunes bonus track [130]
No.TitleLyricsProducer(s)Length
12."I Found a Boy"Adele AdkinsRick Rubin3:37
Japan bonus tracks[131]
No.TitleLyricsProducer(s)Length
12."I Found a Boy"Adele AdkinsRick Rubin3:37
13."Turning Tables" (Live Acoustic)Adele Adkins, Ryan TedderJim Abbiss4:20
14."Don't You Remember" (Live Acoustic)Adele Adkins, Dan WilsonRick Rubin4:18
15."Someone Like You" (Live Acoustic)Adele Adkins, Dan WilsonDan Wilson, Adele Adkins5:14
UK Limited Edition[132]
No.TitleLyricsProducer(s)Length
12."If It Hadn't Been for Love"Michael Henderson, Christopher StapletonRodaidh McDonald3:08
13."Hiding My Heart"Tim HanserothRodaidh McDonald3:28
Target Deluxe Edition Bonus CD[8]
No.TitleLyricsProducer(s)Length
1."Need You Now"Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott 3:40
2."Someone Like You" (Live Acoustic)Adele Adkins, Dan WilsonDan Wilson, Adele Adkins5:14
3."Turning Tables" (Live Acoustic)Adele Adkins, Ryan TedderJim Abbiss4:20
4."Don't You Remember" (Live Acoustic)Adele Adkins, Dan WilsonRick Rubin4:18

Personnel

(Credits lifted from Allmusic[133] and 21's liner notes.)

Charts and certifications

Release history

Region Release date Format Label
Japan[131] 19 January 2011 CD, digital download Hostess
Australia[171] 21 January 2011 CD, digital download XL
Austria[172]
Germany[173]
Netherlands[71]
Switzerland[158]
United Kingdom[129] CD, Limited edition, digital download
France[174] 24 January 2011 CD, digital download XL
United States[130][175] 22 February 2011 CD, digital download Columbia
Canada[176]

Notes

  1. ^ Sexton, Paul (21 February 2011). "Adele, Jennifer Lopez Extend Reign on U.K. Charts". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Certified Awards Search". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Murphy, John (24 January). "Adele: 21 Review". MusicOMH. Retrieved 24 April 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ — (8 June 2009). "Adele Explains 2008 Booze & Love Meltdown". Contactmusic.com. Retrieved 24 April 2011. {{cite web}}: |last1= has numeric name (help)
  5. ^ a b c d e f Mark McInnis (Creator and Executive Producer) (16 March 2011). Adele Plays with MTV News (Television production). Toronto, Canada: MTV Live (Canada), MTV Networks.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Thrills, Adrian (20 January 2011). "'I'm a failure...that's why I sing': Never mind the hits, Adele reveals that she is fuelled by pain and insecurity". Daily Mail. Associated Newspapers; Daily Mail and General Trust plc. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
  7. ^ Still, Jennifer (23 February 2011). "Adele: 'Writing album broke my heart'". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi (UK) Ltd. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Wood, Mikael (28 January 2011). "Adele: The Billboard Cover Story". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  9. ^ a b c Jewell, Stephen (31 January 2011). "Adele Opens Up About the Relationship that Inspired Her New Album". BlackBook. BlackBook Media Corporation. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
  10. ^ a b c Staff (17 February 2011). "Adele on '21': 'The Songs on Here are the Most Articulate I've Ever Written'". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media LLC. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  11. ^ Adkins, Adele (1 November 2010). "Adele: I'm very excited, nervous, eager, anxious but chuffed to announce my new album!". Adele.tv. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g McGinley, Gary (25 January 2011). "Adele 21". No Ripcord. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
  13. ^ a b c d Walker, Ian (8 April 2011). "Review: Adele 21". AbsolutePunk. AbsolutePunk, LLC. (Buzz Media). Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  14. ^ "Adele 21: All About That Voice". Clash. ClashMusic. 24 January 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  15. ^ a b Adkins 2011, Interview: "Turning Tables"
  16. ^ a b c d Eliscu, Jenny (23 July 2010). "In the Studio: Adele Goes Country on Fall Disc". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media LLC. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  17. ^ a b c d e Shelburne, Craig (4 February 2011). "Adele Inspired by Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now": Grammy-Winning Singer Discovers Country Music Through Her Bus Driver". Country Music Television. MTV Networks. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  18. ^ a b c d Smith, Ethan (25 February 2011). "America Goes Gaga for Adele". The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  19. ^ a b Adkins 2011, Interview: "Don't You Remember"
  20. ^ Moayeri, Lilly (31 March 2011). "Adele 21 (Columbia)". Under the Radar. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
  21. ^ a b Freed, Nick (8 April 2011). "Adele:21". Consequence of Sound. Complex Media Network. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  22. ^ a b c Hermes, Will. "Review:21 by Adele". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media LLC. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  23. ^ a b "21 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic.com. CBS Interactive. 27 January 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  24. ^ a b c d e Dorken, Joanne (21 January 2011). "Adele 21 – Track By Track Review". MTV UK. MTV Networks. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  25. ^ Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (19 April 2011). "Adele 21". Financial Times. Pearson PLC. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  26. ^ Fairall, Jer (23 February 2011). "Adele 21". Pop Matters. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  27. ^ a b "Adele: 21". URB. 25 February 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  28. ^ a b c d e Cole, Matthew (20 February 2011). "Adele: 21 – Music Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  29. ^ a b Lamb, Bill. "Adele, '21'". About.com. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 4 May 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  30. ^ a b c d e f g h i Verrico, Lisa (9 January 2011). "Ready to join the A list :Interview Feisty, fashionable and feted by the stars, Adele could be set for Amy-style success with her second album". Sunday Times. London: Times Newspapers Limited. p. 22. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  31. ^ a b c d Collins, Leah (12 March 2011). "Another broken heart pays off: English singer Adele uses second breakup for equally emotional followup to debut album". Edmonton Journal. Postmedia Network Inc. Retrieved 16 May 2011. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  32. ^ a b c d Harmsworth, Andrei (23 February 2011). "Adele: Bitter break-up drove me to drink". Metro. Associated Newspapers. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  33. ^ Levine, Nick (2 November 2010). "Music – News- Adele announces second album details". Digital Spy.Hachette Filipacchi (UK) Ltd. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  34. ^ Jonze, Tim (6 April 2011). "How Adele conquered the world". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  35. ^ a b Melinda, Newman (5 February 2011). "Sweet song for bruised music biz? Brit singer Adele looks for crossover success in U.S." Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  36. ^ a b c d Hurley, James (12 January 2011). "Adele interview - part two". MSN Music. Microsoft. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  37. ^ a b Lamb, Bill. "Adele – Rolling In the Deep – Review". About.com. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 9 December 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  38. ^ a b c d e Stevenson, Jane (13 March 2011). "Adele, Rubin an oddly perfect pair". Calgary Sun. Sun Media. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
  39. ^ a b Adkins 2011, Interview: "Rolling in the Deep"
  40. ^ a b c Adkins, Adele. KMTT. Personal Interview by Shawn Stewart. December 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  41. ^ a b Adkins 2011, Interview: "Lovesong"
  42. ^ a b c d Mpubani, Raymond (23 April 2011). "This is what 21 years sound like". Daily Monitor. Monitor Publications Limited. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  43. ^ a b Murray, Noel (22 February 2011). "Adele: 21 Review". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  44. ^ a b Adkins 2011, Interview: "Rumour Has It"
  45. ^ a b Levine, Nick (19 January 2011). "Adele aimed to "surprise" with Tedder song". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi (UK) Ltd. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  46. ^ a b c d e f Reed, Ryan (22 February 201). "Adele: 21". Paste. Tim Regan-Porter, Paste Media Group. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  47. ^ Adkins 2011, Interview: "Set Fire to the Rain"
  48. ^ Gipson, L. Michael (2 February 2011). "Adele: 21". Creative Loafing (Atlanta). CL Inc. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  49. ^ Yaqub, Aamir (26 January 2011). "Adele: 21". Soul Culture. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  50. ^ Adkins 2011, Interview: "Take It All"
  51. ^ Adkins 2011, Interview: "I'll Be Waiting"
  52. ^ a b c d Adkins 2011, Interview: "Someone Like You"
  53. ^ Adkins 2011, Interview: "One and Only"
  54. ^ Breihan, Tom (15 February 2011). "Adele's "Someone Like You"". Pitchfork Media. Pitchfork Media Inc. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
  55. ^ Lamont, Tom (27 March 2011). "Adele: the girl with the mighty mouth". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  56. ^ a b c "Success of 21 is Continuation of Successful Launch". Hits Daily Double. 7 March 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
  57. ^ "Gold & Platinum – 19 February 2011". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  58. ^ Perpetua, Matthew (22 February 2011). "Adele Impresses David Letterman With a Stunning Version of 'Rolling in the Deep'". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media LLC. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  59. ^ Staff Writer (25 February). "Demand Pushes Adele to Bigger Venues, New Album to Debut Atop Billboard 200". Singersroom.com. Nevi Oliagi Ltd. Retrieved 16 May 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  60. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Dutch charts portal" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Radio 538. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
  61. ^ "German Charts". Media Control Charts (charts.de) (in German). Media Control GfK International. Retrieved 20 February 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  62. ^ "Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
  63. ^ Trust, Gary (20 April 2011). "Rihanna's 'S&M' Reigns on Hot 100, Lady Gaga's 'Judas' Debuts". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  64. ^ a b c Trust, Gary (11 May 2011). "Adele's 'Rolling in the Deep' Tops Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
  65. ^ Trust, Gary (27 April 2011). "Katy Perry's 'E.T.' Returns To No. 1 On Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  66. ^ a b Grein, Paul (6 April 2011). "Songs: Even Divas Struggle". Chart Watch, Yahoo! Music. Yahoo Inc. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  67. ^ "Adele equals Beatles' record to lead Official Charts Brits Bonanza". The Official Charts Company. 20 February 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  68. ^ "Certified Awards Search". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  69. ^ "Chartifacts - Week Commencing: 16th May 2011". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 25 May 2011.
  70. ^ Corner, Lewis (5 May 2011). "Adele tops US album chart for sixth week". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi (UK) Ltd. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  71. ^ a b "Nederlandse Top 40 – Dutch charts portal". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Radio 538. Retrieved 11 May 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  72. ^ "Adele-'Set Fire to the Rain'" (in Dutch). Ultratop & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 26 May 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  73. ^ "Set Fire to the Rain" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 May 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |urlhttp://italiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret= ignored (help)
  74. ^ "Top 50 Singles". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 26 May 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  75. ^ a b Collar, Matt. "21 Review". Allmusic. All Media Guide (Rovi). Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  76. ^ a b McNulty, Bernadette (19 January 2011). "Adele:21, CD of the week, review". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  77. ^ a b Greenblatt, Leah (9 February 2011). "Review: Adele, 21". Entertainment Weekly. Time division of Time Warner. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  78. ^ a b Will, Dean (20 January 2011). "Adele: 21 – review". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  79. ^ a b Parkin, Chris (24 January 2011). "Adele – Album Review: Adele – 21 (XL) -Album Reviews". NME. IPC Media (Time Inc.). Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  80. ^ Caramanica, Jon (11 February 2011). "Adele:21". The New York Times. New York Times Company. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  81. ^ a b Kot, Greg (20 February 2011). "Adele 21". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Company. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  82. ^ Walters, Barry. "Adele, 21". Spin. Spin Media LLC. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  83. ^ a b c Viney, Joseph (29 January 2011). "Album review: Adele – 21". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  84. ^ Farber, Jim (22 February 2011). "Adele 21 review: Perfect album floats beyond countries and time". New York Daily News. Mortimer Zuckerman. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  85. ^ "Review: Adele – 21". BBC Online. British Broadcasting Corporation. 17 January 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  86. ^ Writers, Staff (20 January 2011). "Album of the week: Adele". Herald Sun. The Herald and Weekly Times. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  87. ^ Dosanjh, Ash (27 January 2011). "Adele: 21 – Music Review". Dot Music, Yahoo! Music. Yahoo Inc. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  88. ^ a b Stewart, Allison (22 February 2011). "Adele, 21: Album review". The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  89. ^ Townshend, Tom (11 January 2011). "Album review: Adele – 21". MSN Music. Microsoft. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  90. ^ "Adele comes of age with 21 at number one". The Official Charts Company. 30 January 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  91. ^ Sperling, Daniel (30 January 2011). "Adele dominates UK album chart". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi (UK) Ltd. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  92. ^ Sperling, Daniel (13 February 2011). "Music – News -Adele retains album No. 1 for third week". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi (UK) Ltd. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  93. ^ Harmsworth, Andrei (17 February 2011). "Tinie Tempah, Mumford & Sons and Adele see record sales soar after Brits". Metro. Associated Newspapers. Retrieved 17 February 2011.
  94. ^ a b Sexton, Paul (21 February 2011). "Adele Ties Beatles Record on U.K. Charts, BRIT Awards Boost Winners". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  95. ^ Sperling, Daniel (27 February 2011). "Adele scores fifth week at album No.1". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi (UK) Ltd. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  96. ^ Croft, Adrian (27 February 2011). "Adele tightens grip on charts". London: Reuters. Thomson Reuters Corporation. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
  97. ^ Sexton, Paul. "Adele's 21 Returns to Top of U.K. Charts, Foo Fighters at No. 2". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  98. ^ Sperling, Daniel (3 April 2011). "Adele celebrates tenth week at albums No. 1". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi (UK) Ltd. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  99. ^ a b Copesy, Robert (4 April 2011). "11 Chart Facts about Adele's 21". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi (UK) Ltd. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
  100. ^ "Adele knocked off No. 1". BBC Online. British Broadcasting Corporation. 17 April 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  101. ^ McCarthy, Paul (3 May 2011). "Adele's Crown Not Stolen for Long – Album Chart 2011". Newsquod.com. NewsQuod. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  102. ^ "Adele to return to chart summit with 21". BBC Online. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  103. ^ "Digital music sales 'pass £1bn'". BBC Online. British Broadcasting Corporation. 12 May 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  104. ^ — (1 May 2011). "Adele remains top as holidays hit album sales". Music Week. United Business Media. Retrieved 5 May 2011. {{cite news}}: |author= has numeric name (help)
  105. ^ "The Official Chart". BBC Online. British Broadcasting Corporation. 1 May 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  106. ^ de Vrieze, Atze (29 January 2011). "Adele verkoopt meer albums dan rest top 100 bij elkaar" (in Dutch). 3VOOR12. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  107. ^ a b "Adele Chart History" (in German). Media Control Charts. GfK International. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  108. ^ Caulfield, Keith (2 March 2011). "Adele's 21 Debuts At No. 1 on the Billboard 200 With 352,000 Sales". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  109. ^ a b Caulfield, Keith (2 March 2011). "Adele's 21 Sells Over 350k to Top Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  110. ^ "Chris Brown Nets First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  111. ^ Caulfield, Keith (6 April 2011). "Britney Spears Snares Sixth No. 1 on Billboard 200 with 'Femme Fatale'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
  112. ^ Caulfield, Keith (20 April 2011). "Foo Fighters Earn First No. 1 Album with 'Wasting Light'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  113. ^ Morris, Christopher (13 April 2011). "Adele retakes top chart perch: Singer claims fourth week at No. 1 in slow stanza". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
  114. ^ www.billboard.com
  115. ^ Caulfield, Keith (4 May 2011). "Adele's '21' Marks Sixth Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
  116. ^ Caulfield, Keith (11 May 2011). "Beastie Boys Score No. 2 Debut on Billboard 200, Adele Holds at No. 1". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
  117. ^ Grein, Paul. "Adele is everywhere". Chart Watch. Yahoo Inc. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  118. ^ Grein, Paul (25 May 2011). "Week Ending May 22, 2011. Albums: 21 = 9 + 16". Chart Watch, Yahoo! Music. Yahoo Inc. Retrieved 26 May 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  119. ^ http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart_watch/74375/week-ending-june-12-2011-albums-the-tortoisethe-hare/
  120. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_number-one_albums_of_1996_%28U.S.%29
  121. ^ http://australian-charts.com/weekchart.asp?cat=s&year=2009&date=20090719
  122. ^ http://australian-charts.com/weekchart.asp?cat=a&year=2009&date=20090719
  123. ^ http://australian-charts.com/weekchart.asp?cat=a&year=2011&date=20110619
  124. ^ http://australian-charts.com/weekchart.asp?cat=s&year=2011&date=20110619
  125. ^ "LMFAO & Adele party on". The Official Charts. The Official Charts Company. 8 May 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  126. ^ a b c d Topping, Alexandra (29 May 2011). "Adele can change how music industry markets female acts, says label boss". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  127. ^ Staff (13 April 2011). "Adele Opens Up About Her Inspirations, Looks and Stage Fright in New Rolling Stone Cover Story". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media LLC. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  128. ^ a b Adams, Guy (5 March 2011). "Straight in at No 1...America embraces Adele, the 'Anti-Gaga'". The Independent. London: Independent Print Limited. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
  129. ^ a b "21 by Adele – Download 21 on iTunes". iTunes. Apple.Inc. 21 January 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  130. ^ a b "21 by Adele – Buy 21 on iTunes". iTunes. Apple Inc. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  131. ^ a b "Adele 21" (in Japanese). Amazon.jp. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  132. ^ "Adele (3) - 21 (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  133. ^ "21 Credits". Allmusic. All Media Guide (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved 11 May 2011.
  134. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association Ltd. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  135. ^ "Adele – 21" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  136. ^ "ultratop.be – Adele-21" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Ultratop & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  137. ^ "ultratop.be – Adele-21" (in French). Ultratop. Ultratop & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  138. ^ "Top 30 CDs Sales" (in Portuguese). hot100brasil.com. Retrieved 18 May 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  139. ^ "Canadian Albums – Week of March 12, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  140. ^ "Top 50 Prodejní: Adele" (in Czech). IFPI ČR Hitparáda. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Czech Republic. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  141. ^ a b "Adele – 19". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  142. ^ "dutchcharts.nl – Adele-21". MegaCharts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  143. ^ "Adele:21" (in Finnish). Suomen virallinen lista. Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  144. ^ "Statistiques de 21 d'Adele" (in French). Chartsinfrance. Retrieved 27 May 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |site= ignored (help)
  145. ^ "Deutschland im Adele-Fieber" (in German). Media Control GfK. 1 February 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  146. ^ "Adele:21" (in Greek). IFPI. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
  147. ^ "MAHASZ – Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége". mahasz.hu. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  148. ^ "Chart Track". Irish Albums Chart. GfK. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  149. ^ "Classifiche settimanali dal" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
  150. ^ "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  151. ^ "Mexico Top 100" (PDF) (in Spanish). AMmprofon. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  152. ^ "Top 40 Albums (chart# 1773)". The Official New Zealand Album Chart. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 16 May 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  153. ^ "Adele 21 (Album)" (in Norwegian). VG-lista. Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 May 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  154. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży" (in Polish). Oficjalna Lista Sprzedaży. Związek Producentów Audio Video (ZPAV). Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  155. ^ "Lenta.ru: Музыка: Лепс и Ляпис". lenta.ru (in Russian). Лента.Ру. Retrieved 1 April 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  156. ^ a b "Archive Chart". UK Albums Chart. The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  157. ^ "Adele – 21" (in Spanish). Spanishcharts.com. Productores de Música de España/ Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  158. ^ a b "Adele 21 (Album)" (in Deutsch). Swiss Music Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 May 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  159. ^ NO certyear OR id WAS PROVIDED for AUSTRALIAN CERTIFICATION.
  160. ^ NO certyear WAS PROVIDED for BELGIAN CERTIFICATION.
  161. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Adele – 21". Music Canada.
  162. ^ "Danish album certifications – Adele – 21". IFPI Danmark. Scroll through the page-list below to obtain certification.
  163. ^ NO certyear WAS PROVIDED for EUROPEAN CERTIFICATION.
  164. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Adele; '21')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  165. ^ "Italian album certifications – Adele – 21" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Select "Tutti gli anni" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "21" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
  166. ^ "Dutch album certifications – Adele – 21" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter 21 in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  167. ^ THE FIELD id (chart number) MUST BE PROVIDED for NEW ZEALAND CERTIFICATION.
  168. ^ Expression error: Unexpected <= operator
  169. ^ "British album certifications – Adele – 21". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type 21 in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  170. ^ "American album certifications – Adele – 21". Recording Industry Association of America.
  171. ^ "Adele 21". CD Wow! (Australia). Retrieved 27 May 2011.
  172. ^ "Adele 21" (in German). iTunes. Apple Inc. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
  173. ^ "Deutschland im Adele-Fieber" (in German). Media Control GfK. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
  174. ^ "Adele 21" (in French). iTunes. Apple Inc. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
  175. ^ "Adele 21". Amazon.com. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  176. ^ "Adele 21". Amazon.ca. Retrieved 18 May 2011.

Cite error: A list-defined reference named "PolCert" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "Australian Certification" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "Belgian Certification" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "Canadian Certificaion" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "Denmark Certification" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "European Certification" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "German Certification" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "RIAA" is not used in the content (see the help page).

Cite error: A list-defined reference named "New Zealand" is not used in the content (see the help page).

References

Template:Wikipedia-Books

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=21_(Adele_album)&oldid=435359414"