Music Review: Rolling In The Deep

Adele - Rolling In The Deep

This song annoys me, mainly because of its success that it really doesn't deserve, it seems to be played on the radio every five minutes which makes me wonder who likes it. I just don't get it, why is this so popular, Adele's record sales are off the chart and I really can't seem to find a reason why, maybe people are just morons. The premise of the song is a personal tale of an emotionally scorned lover, which is brilliant, I really appreciate Adele using me as her shoulder to cry on, especially as I've never met her and therefore couldn't give a single shit about any of her problems, but at least it makes the song personal and that might be conveyed in the actual song. Adele herself has described the song as a "dark blues-y gospel disco tune" which I'm pretty sure means utter shit, remember the lesson from Bohemian Rhapsody, don't juxtapose genres, it doesn't work.

The song starts with an intro that is blatantly ripped off of I Touch Myself which leads into the vocals of Adele's well rounded but croaky voice, it really isn't that good. The song isn't exactly compelling at the moment, the beat and lack of instruments all revolve around Adele's voice that means the song is rather plain at this point but it does pick up into some sort of chorus. This is where my main issue is with this song, that bloody background singer, she adds absolutely nothing to the song and either just repeats what Adele has already said or some nonsensical rubbish. It's also quite repetitive, you just get the feeling that very little though went into this song and they had some gaps to fill. They don't even repeat crucial parts of the plot, it's just random lines that might sound good if sung again, but a bit differently this time, it adds absolutely nothing. That is the thing this song lacks, a bit of drama that Adele's voice cannot hope to compensate for, the rest of the song just screams plain as everything revolves around the one element. As I have explained before, a good song is about the culmination of multiple elements, not just the one. With only one element being used effectively the song feels lacking and underwhelming, especially as Adele isn't the most captivating of people. Let's analyze the lyrics:

There's a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch, it's bringing me out the dark
Finally I can see you crystal clear

Go 'head and sell me out and I'll lay your shit bare

See how I leave with every piece of you
Don't underestimate the things that I will do 

Well what a pleasant person she sounds, I've got a good feeling why their breaking up, and it might be to do with her, the self centered bitch. Generic depressing pop lyrics follow.

The scars of your love remind me of us
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all
The scars of your love, they leave me breathless
I can't help feeling
We could have had it all

That's right be optimistic now, probably a bit late for that. If you had displayed some optimism before instead of being a self centered cow then I would be somewhat sympathetic. She still thinks he's the man she fell in love with, which means she hasn't learnt her lesson. I thought you can see him crystal clear, turns out that might be bullshit. Interesting how when something is positive it is 'we' whereas anything negative is his fault, I'm starting to think this song may be slightly unreliable.

(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
Rolling in the deep
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
You had my heart inside of your hand
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
And you played it, to the beat
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)  

You don't want to get played, then how about not being an easy target to manipulate. A lot of repetition here, and also quite annoying.

Baby, I have no story to be told
But I've heard one on you
And I'm gonna make your head burn
Think of me in the depths of your despair
Make a home down there
As mine sure won't be shared

 (Chorus)

Am I missing something here, if she has no story to be told then what is the point of this song, I'm pretty sure this is her account of the story hidden behind all the unnecessary wining and bullshit. She preaches revenge, but the real losers here are the public, we have to sit through it every ten seconds.

Throw your soul through every open door (woah)
Count your blessings to find what you look for (woah)
Turn my sorrow into treasured gold (woah)
You'll pay me back in kind and reap just what you sow (woah)

(Chorus) 

Huh, maybe she does want to be with him, just what the fuck is going on? One minute she wants to be with him, the next she hates him, make up your fucking mind or just don't bother, preferably the later option.

Well the lyrics seem to make absolutely no sense and are very poorly constructed, but let's see what other people think about it. Highly renowned and intellectual British newspaper The Sun commented:
"an epic, foot-stomper of a pop anthem with thumping piano and a vocal you would expect from a veteran of 20 years on the road."
Epic, wow, if ever that term was used incorrectly it was definitely there, this song doesn't feel epic in any way. Interesting how she has been 20 years on the road when she herself is only 25, that means her musical career started when she was 5, somehow I don't think that adds up, not that anybody reading The Sun could work that out.

Later on it proclaims:
"'Rolling In the Deep' wastes no time in presenting the stunning bluesy authority of her voice. Less than five seconds in she begins proclaiming the rise of emotion that results in fantasies of revenge against a lover who has done her wrong. Hers is a voice that can raise chills up the spine, and, when she is in a mood like this, the sense of foreboding will rivet your attention."
I think this is a very complex way of saying she's a bit of a bitch, and I'm sorry but with so little charisma being put on display it is little wonder that this song is a very long way from putting a chill up my spine. But I will definitely agree with the sense of foreboding, the song certainly becomes intolerable, except it doesn't quite rivet my attention.

Overall then this song is bloody annoying. Everyone raves about how brilliant it is and how much emotion is put into it, but the fact is the emotion is lost in the uncharismatic persona and lackluster lyrics of the song which in the end makes the song worse than average. The vocal range bullshit and fancy piano playing don't get away from the fact that in the end the song is painfully dull.

Final Score: 2/10 *