21 Is Released

Setting the scene

After 19 introduced Adele's soul voice in 2008, throat surgery in 2011 threatened her career just as she prepared a breakup album. Producer Paul Epworth and Rick Rubin helped craft mature ballads for an audience shifting from CDs to downloads and streaming. Female singer-songwriters like Amy Winehouse had revived British soul on American radio.

What happened

21 was released on January 24, 2011, in the U.K. and February 22 in the U.S., with Rolling in the Deep, Someone Like You, and Set Fire to the Rain. Adele wrote from a failed relationship with raw vocals that topped charts in over thirty countries. Her performance at the 2011 Brit Awards after recovery became a comeback moment.

Why it still matters

The album won six Grammys including Album of the Year, sold over 31 million copies, and revived blockbuster ballad sales in a fragmented streaming era. Adele became one of the best-selling artists of her generation. Memorable detail: Someone Like You was written in a single afternoon with co-writer Dan Wilson after Adele cried through the chorus on piano.

Background

The album swept Grammys and revived blockbuster ballad sales.