Adele’s album 21 includes the song “Rolling in the Deep.” Released in 2011, 21 is her second studio album and the record that transformed her into a global superstar.
“Rolling in the Deep” is the album’s lead single and opening track. Adele co-wrote it with Paul Epworth, who also produced the recording. The song combines soul, blues, gospel, and pop influences, with handclaps, percussion, and a forceful vocal arrangement that contrasts sharply with the album’s quieter piano ballads. Adele described it as a dark, blues-influenced song with gospel and disco elements.
The album title refers to Adele’s age while much of the material was written and recorded. It also marked a creative shift from her debut album, 19, toward a bigger, more emotionally direct sound shaped by the aftermath of a breakup. “Rolling in the Deep” became a worldwide hit, while 21 won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and helped establish Adele as one of the leading recording artists of her generation. The album is sometimes confused with 25, which contains “Hello.”