"Rolling in the Deep" is a song by English singer-songwriter Adele. It is from her second studio album, 21. The song was written by Adele and Paul Epworth. Adele has described it as a "dark blues-y gospel disco tune". It was released as the lead single on 29 November 2010 in the Netherlands. "Rolling in the Deep'" became Adele's first number-one hit single in the United States and Canada. It was also her first top-five hit in several countries.
Critics have given positive reviews for the song. It reached number one in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. It also reached top ten in Austria, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, and Norway. The song debuted at number two in the United Kingdom. There, it became Adele's third top-ten single.
"Rolling in the Deep" became Adele's second single to chart in the United States. After that, it became her first single to go to top of a Billboard chart. This was when it reached number one on the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart in May 2011. It also became her first number one hit in the country when the song reached #1 in the Billboard Hot 100 in May 2011. As of May 2011, "Rolling in the Deep" had sold over 2 million digital copies in the US. The song is her best-selling single in the country. It has sold more copies than her previous best-selling single "Chasing Pavements".
Composition
The song has "martial arts", "pounding piano keys" (played by Neil Crowley) and "chanting backing singers". Critics have said Adele's vocals are like Wanda Jackson's "dirty-blues growl." AOL Radio Blog's Nadine Cheung says the song is "sung from the perspective of a scorned lover, who is finally able to see the light, but despite regretful sentiments, reconciliation is not an option here."
Critical reception
The song was praised by critics for Adele's powerful voice, the lyrics and the song's instrumentation. The Sun called the song an "epic, foot-stomper of a pop anthem." They said it had a thumping piano. According to The Sun, Adele's vocals seemed to be that of a veteran who has been singing for 20 years . Bill Lamb from About.com gave it 5 stars out of 5. He praised her voice and the emotion with which she sang the song. He said the song could "raise chills up the spine." He added that after hearing the song, people would want to hear the full album. Jason Lipshutz from Billboard praised the chorus of the song and its instrumentation. Lipshutz praised Adele's vocal performance. He said Adele was confident about her vocal ability. Lipshutz praised the way Adele started the chorus of the song. Rolling Stones Barry Walters gave "Rolling in the Deep" a positive review. He said Adele's voice was "powerful but not particularly pop" in the song. He said that the song started with "a stroked acoustic guitar." But he described its end as "stomping" and one that has hand-clapping. He said this showed that the English liked to modify Black American roots music.
Music video
The music video was premiered on Channel 4 on 3 December 2010.
Track listing
Digital download
"Rolling in the Deep" – 3:48
Digital EP
"Rolling in the Deep" – 3:48
"Rolling in the Deep (Jamie xx Shuffle)" – 4:17
"Rolling in the Deep (Acapella)" – 3:56
CD single
"Rolling in the Deep" "If It Hadn't Been for Love" (Michael Henderson, Christopher Stapleton)
Credits and personnel
Credits are taken from 21 liner notes. Backing vocals, Lead vocals - Adele Songwriting – Adele, Paul Epworth Production, bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar and backing vocals – Paul Epworth Mixing – Tom Elmhirst Mixing assistant – Dan Parry Recording – Mark Rankin Piano – Neil Cowley Drums – Leo Taylor Mastering – Tom Coyne
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