Adele, 21
Music Math: ((Amy Winehouse + Duffy) - drama - disappointment) + heartache
Best Tracks: “Rolling in the Deep,” “Rumour Has It,” “Turning Tables,” “Someone Like You”
Representative Lyrics: “Bless your soul you got your head in the clouds / she made a fool out of you and she’s bringing you down”
Notes: It’s easy to see why this album tops most of the end of the year lists-it’s bold, fearless, honest, and most of all perfectly written and sung. The songs on 21 capture what Marianne Moore said about art: that it is most universal when it is most subjective. By pouring her own experience into this album, Adele creating something everyone can identify with-and her voice, so beautiful, carries the rest.
Beau’s Critique:
