21 is the second
studio album by English singer
Adele. It was released on 24 January 2011 in most of Europe, and on 22 February 2011 in North America. The album was named after the age of the singer during its production.
21 shares the
folk and
Motown soul influences of her 2008 debut album
19, but was further inspired by the American
country and Southern
blues music to which she had been exposed during her 2008–09 North American tour
An Evening with Adele. 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.