21

One of the twenty-first century’s defining voices emerged with a down-to-earth personality from London rather than the cultivated distance of a superstar. Adele’s soulful singing had already attracted attention on 19, and ‘Chasing Pavements’ helped her win major recognition. Yet that early success became only a prelude to 21.

The talent that turns heartbreak into unforgettable songs here gains the stature of classic soul. ‘Rolling in the Deep’ led the way, followed by the album’s enormous chart success and the singles ‘Someone Like You’ and ‘Set Fire to the Rain’. What began as one person’s broken relationship became music heard on an extraordinary international scale.

That a record with such a direct, substantial sound could achieve this in an age of rapidly circulating digital dance music is striking. Perhaps its success says something about listeners seeking human feeling amid changing times. Adele sings painful truth without disguising its awkwardness, and that openness allows so many people to hear themselves in her songs.