Adele won Best Pop Solo Performance at the 2013 Grammys for “Set Fire to the Rain.” More precisely, the Grammy recognized the live version recorded at London’s Royal Albert Hall and released on Adele’s Live at the Royal Albert Hall video album.
The song originally appeared on Adele’s 2011 album 21. Written by Adele and Fraser T. Smith, it is a dramatic pop-soul ballad built around swelling strings, forceful percussion, and Adele’s increasingly powerful vocal performance. It became her third consecutive US number-one single from 21.
At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, Adele’s live recording competed against songs by Carly Rae Jepsen, Kelly Clarkson, Rihanna, and Katy Perry. The category was specifically for a solo performance, which is why the award went to Adele’s individual recording rather than to a duet or group.
A frequent source of confusion is the recording’s title: Adele did not win for a separate studio remake. The winning entry was “Set Fire to the Rain” (Live), captured during her Royal Albert Hall concert. The 2013 ceremony also saw Adele recognized in the Best Short Form Music Video category for “Rolling in the Deep” from the previous Grammy cycle.