In response to the media's typecasting her as an "old soul" due to the vintage production and sentimental nature of her songs, [8] Adele decided on a more upbeat and contemporary second album. Both Junkee and Consequence of Sound credited the album for revitalizing pop music, heralding "a new era of relatable pop", and inspiring a new generation of artists. That record was later broken by Billie Eilish, who was 18 years old when she won all "big four" Grammys in one night in 2020.

By November 2012, it had sold 10million copies, a feat achieved in 92weeks, making it the fastest album to sell 10million since 'N Sync's No Strings Attached in 2000.In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked the album number six on its list of Women Who Rock: The 50 Greatest Albums of All Time. Adele performed "Rolling in the Deep" at the 2011 ECHO Awards, 2012 Grammy Awards, and 2012 BRIT Awards ceremonies. On 28 November 2012, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it Diamond after having sold more than 10million copies in the United States alone, made it the first album released in the 2010s to achieve Diamond certification. Frequent smoke breaks with her tour bus driver, [20] a Nashville, Tennessee native, resulted in her introduction to bluegrass and rockabilly, [20] and the music of Garth Brooks, [20] Wanda Jackson, Alison Krauss, [23] Lady Antebellum, Dolly Parton, and Rascal Flatts. A week later, 19 rose to number 2 in its 102nd week of release, making Adele the first act to occupy the chart's top two spots since The Corrs in 1999.

This makes 21 the best-selling album of the past 10 years and the fifth best-selling album released since January 2000. The lyrics, aimed at the singer's new love interest, came together quickly and were later completed with Dan Wilson, with whom she also composed " Someone like You".

Pulled out to listen on my current set up after almost 10 years and surprised how good it sounded after reading these reviews.

Decent sound stage, decent separation of instruments, good punchy bass- I think most of the sound issues come from the mix being intended for digital as opposed to analog.

This was truly an interactive moment where none of the musicians knew exactly what they were going to play and all were listening so, so, deeply and completely to figure out where they fitted in . Jon Caramanica of The New York Times wrote that the album's music is a part of a recent British soul revival that "summoned styles dating back to Motown girl groups and Dusty Springfield". In Matrix/Runouts for Variant 2 (Side A) "TI9" and (Side B) "4T" , and for Variant 3 (Side A) "XXN" are mirrored in runouts. Tedder had expressed interest in collaborating with the singer after they met at the 2009 Grammy Awards ceremony in February.

After listening to it via streaming many, many times, I got the LP as I've got back into that hobby. The revenge song "Rolling in the Deep" was conceived only hours after Adele's separation from her ex-lover. In December 2019, 21 was unveiled by the Official Charts Company as the decade's best-seller, with 5. Although she had wanted to avoid the number motif of her debut, Adele considered "21" the most fitting title as it represented her age at the time of the album's composition, serving as an autobiographical period piece and symbolising the personal maturity and artistic evolution since her debut.Globally, 21 is the best-selling album of the past decade according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, [113] and topped the charts in more than 30countries. Ethan Smith of The Wall Street Journal found that Adele's "deliberately unflashy" nature, full figure, and "everywoman" appeal gave her a lucrative niche in the market, [33] [260] while her tendency to emphasize "substance over style" made her the "Anti-Lady Gaga". She is only the eighth artist in Grammy history to win six or more awards in one night, matching the record set among female artists by Beyoncé in 2010. It also appealed to teens struggling with the first sting of heartbreak, hipsters who missed Amy Winehouse, traditionalists weary of synthesizers and vocal effects, and non-pop fans who simply found it refreshing to hear a singer belt out her blues with conviction. It topped record charts in more than 30 countries and became the world's best-selling album of the year for both 2011 and 2012, helping to revitalise the lagging sales of the global music industry.