Adele is one of the rising female artists of our time. She is known for her sultry voice and powerful ballads. Her first album, 19, was an instant hit and her new album, released early this year, had great expectations. Adele went above and beyond for this album, entitled 21 for the age she was when she produced it. Listening to Adele’s music, it’s hard to think that she is only 22 now. The album starts out with the strong bass thumping of Rolling in the Deep. It’s a song about moving on and being strong. The album features the amazing ballads Adele is known for, especially that of the last song Someone Like You. Going back to her roots with just her voice and a piano, Someone Like You is one of those amazing songs you can’t get enough of. It’s about losing love and the hope you have of finding something better. Another great song is Adele’s rendition of Love Song, originally sung by The Cure. It’s a great contrast to the original but Adele makes it a perfect blend the classic song and her own style. This album is the best album of 2011 because it features songs that are backed by great instrumentation, Adele’s powerful vocals, and lyrics that are easily relatable. It is a nice change from the pop songs popular today, with roots in soul, jazz, and even some techno. It has a great overall theme to it: love. The dynamics of each song are truly a breath of fresh air. On the song Rumour Has It, Adele addresses the new girlfriend of a lost love with a fast tempo, foot-stomping powerhouse of a song that you can’t help but sing and dance along to. I love that Adele’s voice, though unique and truly gorgeous, it isn’t hard to sing along with. She doesn’t hit incredibly high notes that are impossible to duplicate. Another thing I love about this album is that there are slow songs and fast songs. When you want to listen to a song that relates to a recent breakup, there are plenty to choose from. When you want to jam out to a song with soul-thumping beats, the album has those as well. The album is brilliantly composed and wonderfully sung and I, for one, could listen to Adele belt out some power ballads any and every day of the week.