21
21 is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Adele. It was released on 24 January 2011 in Europe and on 22 February 2011 in North America. Composed in the aftermath of the singer’s separation from her partner, the album typifies the near dormant tradition of the confessional singer-songwriter in its exploration of heartbreak, self-examination, and forgiveness. Praised by critics for its understated production, vintage aesthetic, and Adele’s vocal performance, 21 defied the modest commercial expectations of her indie record label XL Recordings. The album topped the charts in more than 30 countries and became the world’s best-selling album of the year for 2011 and 2012. In the United Kingdom, it is the best-selling album of the 21st century and fourth best-selling album of all time, while its 23-week tenure atop the UK Albums Chart is the longest by a female solo artist. In the United States, the album held the top position for 24 weeks, longer than any other album since 1985 and the longest by a female solo artist in Billboard 200 history. (More from Wikipedia)
And for those of you who think that the album is dead, Adele’s hit album 21 from 2011 holds the 11th spot on the list of the biggest selling albums of all time and gives some hope that this basic musical format might yet survive. Interestingly, 21 was the largest selling album in both 2011 and 2012, and her third album, 25 was the biggest seller in 2015. For that matter, Adele’s debut album 19 (2008) went seven times Platinum.
(December 2016)
