Adele – Rolling in the Deep

While she was touring North America in support of 19, Adele was introduced by her bus driver to a Wanda Jackson greatest hits album. As she traveled round the Southern states, she found herself drawn to American country music, including Alison Krauss, Rascal Flatts and Lady Antebellum. Once she began prepping her sophomore release back in England, Adele began incorporating those new influences into songs, like this one where her voice incorporates in part Jackson’s dirty-blues growl. “I wanted the songs not to have anything glittery or glamorous about them, like an organic tapestry rather than like a Gaga album,” the singer told Rolling Stone. “I mean, I love Gaga, but I didn’t want to get wrapped up in all that European dance music.”

According to Billboard, this was the biggest crossover song of the last 25 years, showing up on 12 different radio airplay formats – even Latin. The publication also declared it the best-selling song of 2011.

The music video for “Rolling in the Deep,” directed by Sam Brown, premiered on Channel 4 on 3 December 2010. The video begins in an abandoned house, where Adele is sitting in a chair singing. During the video, the scenes show hundreds of glasses filled with water that vibrate to the beat of a drum. Jennifer White, who also choreographed the sequence, dances in a room kicking up white flour. The drummer plays his drums under the stairs, and china is thrown breaking on a piece of suspended plywood at the bottom of a staircase. There is a white model of a city which is set on fire by five bursting light bulbs at the end of the song. The music video received critical acclaim, with critics praising its dark tone and simplicity.

The music video received a leading seven nominations at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, including for Video of the Year, and won three other awards: Best Editing, Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction. “Rolling in the Deep” was also the Billboard Year End Hot 100 Number One Single of 2011. At the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, it won awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Short Form Music Video.

“Rolling in the Deep” – Single by Adele from the album 21
B-side “If It Hadn’t Been for Love”
Released: 29 November 2010
Recorded: 2010
Studio: Eastcote (London, England)
Songwriters: Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth
Producer: Paul Epworth
Charted No.1 US; No.2 UK; No.3 Australia; No.1 Canada.