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Rolling in the Deep Deconstructed
Skip to: Audio/Video General Information At a Glance Structural Analysis Sectional Analysis Waveform Primary Instrumentation, Tone & Mix Benchmark Analysis Theory Overall Assessment Hit Factor Assessment Conclusion Why it’s a Hit Take Aways
Audio/Video Back to Top
General Information Back to Top
Artist: Adele Song/Album: Rolling In The Deep / 21 Songwriter(s): Adele, Paul Epworth Genre: Pop Sub Genre: Soul, Blues, Rock
At a Glance Back to Top
Length: 3:48 Structure: A-B-A-B-A-B Tempo: Mid – Mid/Up
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First Chorus: 1:00 (26% into the song) Intro Length: 0:05 Outro Length: n/a Primary Tone (Electric/Acoustic): Acoustic Primary Instrumentation: Piano, Acoustic Guitar Lyrical Theme: Love/Relationships Primary Lyrical P.O.V: 1st & 2nd Person Song Title: Once on the 2nd line in each chorus and once on the 2nd line in each section of the background vocals in the chorus.
Structural Analysis Back to Top
At-a-Glance
Section Length (Length of each individual section within the song)
In regard to individual section length, “Rolling In The Deep” is structured quite symmetrically, with the pre-choruses, choruses and verses each landing at 0:19, 0:18 and 0:18 respectively. The exceptions to this are the double first verse and double second and third choruses. Note that the final (third) chorus of the song is the only section that is not symmetrical to the other choruses. This is due to the extended vocal segment at the end (i.e. instead of ending it “And you played it to the beat”, it’s “But you played it, you played it, you played it to the beat.”). It tacks on an extra few seconds to the section.
Structure Timeline (Shows when each section hits within the timeline of the song)
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Total Section Analysis (Total time consumed by each section and its percentage of the total song)
When a song contains an exceptionally strong chorus, it’s no surprise that it will most likely comprise the largest percentage of the songs overall structure. “Rolling In The Deep” is a perfect case-in-point, seeing the three choruses contained within the song account for 49% of the song’s total composition. The three verses follow at 32%, and the two pre-choruses account for 17% of the total song. The intro section (and I use that term loosely – see the “Intro Analysis” section below for more info) only accounts for 2% of the entire song.
Momentum/Intensity Factor (Evaluation of the intensity of each section within the song timeline on a scale of 1 – 10, 10 being the most intense)
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“Rolling In The Deep” is characterized by simmering tension that builds in momentum and intensity as the song progresses. An interesting way to look at it is to equate it to shifting gears while driving a car. You increase the power and drive until you get to a peak level (i.e. chorus), then shift gears to bring things back down but in a higher gear than you first started (i.e. the second verse has more momentum than the first verse). This flow continues until the car goes coasts in neutral for a bit (i.e. during the “breakdown” chorus that comes right after the third verse), before slamming right back into top gear for the balance of the ride (the final chorus and out).
“Rolling In The Deep” kicks off with a single strumming acoustic guitar for five seconds before launching into the first part of the first verse, characterized by a bluesy/soulful vocal from Adele and a continuation of the strumming acoustic guitar that was present during the brief intro. Once we enter the second half of the first verse, the intensity is kicked up with the introduction of kick drum quarter notes at 0:23. This momentum is maintained throughout the balance of the section before proceeding into the pre-chorus.
At 0:41 we enter the pre-chorus, where we see the tension and momentum kicked up a notch, brought on by the addition of the bass line eight notes, piano, percussion and Adele’s more “driving” vocal delivery than was present during the verse. The momentum continues throughout the section before coming to a head with the drum fill at 0:59.
At 1:00, the momentum and intensity levels are maxed as we hit that powerful chorus, characterized by a soaring, emotionally charge vocal from Adele, higher instrumentation levels (specifically the bass line and piano), background vocals, percussion and the addition of the snare drum to the mix. The piano is up front in the mix, accentuating the driving, dark vibe of the section.
At 1:18, we head into the second verse, which is differentiated from the first verse by the inclusion of the piano and claps. The claps give the section a bit more drive than it had the first time around, and the piano helps to accentuate the tension with how it’s timed in relation to the beat. At 1:27 we enter the second half of the verse, where we see the snare now more prominent in the mix, kicking the intensity levels up even further.
At 1:36, we head back into the pre-chorus, this time coming in more intensely than the first pre- chorus, characterized by a more driving beat, the addition of percussion and background vocals. We then hit the 2nd chorus at 1:55, which is on par intensity-wise with the first chorus.
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The only difference is that it’s a double chorus.
At 2:31, we enter into the third verse, which has a more driving beat than the previous two. This is primarily brought on by how the claps are positioned within the section. During the 2nd verse the claps fell on the kick drum beat. This time around they fall in between the kick drum beats, giving the section more of a propelling drive.
At 2:49, we hit a departure from how the song was flowing up until that point, seeing the momentum being brought down to a simmer. You can consider it like a chorus with a bridge feel (i.e. nothing new in the story line to consider it a true bridge, but the shift in momentum provides a departure from the flow present the rest of the song), and is characterized by the mournful, longing vocal from Adele, background vocals, piano and claps (during the second half).
At 3:07, we slam back into the full chorus, which grows in intensity during the second half of the section, brought on by levels that are up a notch from what they were during the previous chorus sections.
At 3:48 the song ends abruptly.
Sectional Analysis Back to Top
Intro: 9/10
We can look at intro to “Rolling In The Deep” in one of two ways:
Consider that “Rolling In The Deep” has a 5 second acoustic guitar intro.
Consider the 5 seconds of lone guitar to be part of the first verse, therefore not counting as a “proper” intro section.
For the most part while analyzing songs, I define a “proper” intro as a section that is independent of any other section within the song. That being said, even though the lone acoustic guitar intro carries right over into the first verse, it does set the tone and vibe of the song for 5 seconds before the vocals come in. The fact that you can also hear some studio chatter and studio buzz does a great job of instantly giving the song a “live” vibe, and you feel that you’re about to hear something that is really going to be “organic” in nature. All in all, these small things work perfectly together to briefly set the scene and tone for what is to come.
Verses: 9/10 The verses in “Rolling In The Deep” are characterized by strong, memorable melodies, scathing lyrics, great vocal phrasing, an evocative vocal delivery from Adele and instrumentation that perfectly accentuates and brings to life the emotion that Adele conveys in her lyrics:
Lyrics: From the opening lines “There’s a fire starting in my heart… Reaching a fever pitch and it’s bringing me out the dark”, you know right off the bat that you’re in for something evocative and intense, and it hooks you in right from the start. In each of the
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three verses, Adele hammers home the bitterness in scathing fashion that she feels toward this person, and conveys it with raw emotion and imagery that connects and holds your attention throughout.
Vocals/Melody: Adele’s raw, edgy, evocative vocal delivery PERFECTLY communicates what’s going on in the lyrics. You feel her pain, and it envelopes you on an emotional level that sucks you into and engrosses your attention in the song. She’s singing from the soul – you know it, you can feel it, and you BELIEVE it. The melody is also well phrased and memorable in nature.
Instrumentation/Vibe: All of the instrumentation used, from the lone acoustic guitar and kick drum during the first verse, to the perc and up-front snare in the second verse, to the addition of the background vocals during the third verse work in perfect unison with Adele’s vocals and lyrics in bringing the dark, evocative nature of the song to life.
Pre-Chorus: 9/10 The pre-chorus sections within “Rolling In The Deep” do a fantastic job of bridging the lyrical content, vibe and momentum contained in the verse and chorus sections.
Lyrics: The lyrics here paint the picture of how this love “fiasco” has affected Adele: “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…” The lyrics are both evocative and scathing, specifically through the use of the word “scar” and the phrase “The scars of your love, they leave me breathless.” Usually you hear of someone being “breathless” when they’re IN love. It’s interesting to hear it used in relation to love gone awry. It has a lot more impact. Overall, you can easily get a sense of how much this has impacted Adele emotionally. Also, the addition of the background vocals during the second pre-chorus really help in hammering home the feelings present within Adele: “You’re gonna wish you never had met me” and “Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep.” Note that these lyrics are also present in the chorus sections.
Vocals/Melody: As with all of the other sections within the song, Adele’s vocals are emotionally charged and are memorable in nature. What’s really cool here is how Adele changes up her vocal phrasing from what she was doing in the verse to the pre-chorus to help propel the section along and kick the momentum/intensity up a notch in unison with the instrumentation.
Instrumentation/Vibe: The piano, percussion, guitar, bass and drums perfectly jibe with the vibe contained in the lyrics and Adele’s vocal delivery. They all work in perfect unison with one another, driving the section along to set up the huge chorus that follows.
Chorus: 10/10 Comprising 49% of the total song, the chorus within “Rolling In The Deep” provides the listener with an exceptionally strong payoff for a number of reasons:
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Lyrics: The lyrics sum up everything that Adele was building to during the verse and pre- chorus sections: “We could have had it all all… rolling in the deep. You had my heart inside your hand, and you played it to the beat.” Even though the overall theme of the lyrics is basic/universal in nature (i.e. we could have had a great life together, with you at my back, I was yours but you played me and destroyed all that we had), the lyrics are conveyed in an interesting, unique manner, making great use of imagery (“my heart inside your hand”) and consequence (“we could have had it all”).
Vocals/Melody: If Adele’s vocals were strong during the verse and pre-chorus sections, they’re EXCEPTIONALLY strong in the chorus. Her phrasing and delivery is simple enough so that it’s memorable, and the manner in which she delivers does nothing less than totally and completely envelop the listener into what she’s feeling. To say that she connects is an understatement. No auto-tune here – just RAW HUMAN EMOTION. You FEEL every word that she sings.
Instrumentation/Vibe: As with all of the other sections within the song, here we see all of the instrumentation and production elements coming together once again to provide Adele’s vocals and lyrics with the perfect dark, emotional and driving backdrop that completes the picture.
Waveform Back to Top
Taking a look at the waveform above, you can see how the momentum/intensity levels throughout the song jibe with the levels within the mix. We see a steady increase in overall levels from the 1st verse through the 1st chorus, a drop back down during the second verse, a build in the pre-chorus, and then slamming back into the second chorus. The levels drop off a bit during the third verse, drop off even further during the first part of the third chorus (the part without the drums), and then spike when the full chorus kicks in and lasts through the balance of the song. Overall, “Rolling In The Deep” makes good use of level differentiation to
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Primary Instrumentation, Tone & Mix Back to Top
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Benchmark Analysis Back to Top
Compares the song being analyzed to all Pop songs that have entered the Billboard Pop top 10 during Q1-2011.
The key elements present in “Rolling In The Deep” are in-line with Q1-2011 top 10 hit Pop characteristics EXCEPT:
“Rolling In The Deep’s” structure differs from that of the typical Pop song (A-B-A-B-A-B vs. A-B-A-B-C-B).
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The intro length is 0:10 shorter than the average top 10 Pop hit.
The first chorus occurs 0:24 (10%) later into the song than the average top 10 Pop hit.
It’s acoustic based as opposed to electric based.
The primary instrumentation features a Piano and Acoustic Guitar. The majority of current top 10 hit Pop songs feature a synth.
The song is sung by a female, where the majority (though small majority) of current hit Pop songs are sung by a male lead vocalist.
“Rolling In The Deep” contains a pre-chorus section, where only 32% of top 10 Hit Pop songs do.
The song does not contain a bridge or a false ending.
The primary sub-genre elements present in “Rolling In The Deep” are soul, rock and blues. The majority of current hit Pop songs have an Electro Pop/Dance vibe to them.
All in all, “Rolling In The Deep” goes against the grain of what the vast majority of today’s top charting Pop songs are doing. To say that it worked is an understatement.
Theory Back to Top
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Basic Progression: Instrumental Hook: No Time: Duple Key: C minor Verse: C minor (i) – G minor (v) – B flat (III of v) – G minor (v) – B flat (III of v) Pre Chorus: A flat (VI) – B flat (III of v) – G minor (v) – A flat (VI) Chorus: C minor (i) – B flat (III of v) – A flat (VI) – B flat (III of v)
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Harmonic Indications: Adele has been very economical, creating three sections comprised of only four chords. The opening “bassline” outlines perfect fifths, excluding or using the third of the chords in extreme diminishment (i.e. C/G – G/D – Bflat/F.) This lack of harmonic density sets up a very strong melodic setting, giving Adele’s vocal motives a very clear and open space to be heard, and also showcases the bass/kick drum which dominates every downbeat through the pre-chorus.
A most striking and unusual harmonic occurrence takes place in the chorus when the backup choir comes in to harmonize. The first movement of the singers is from C minor to F major (IV,) followed by repetitions in F minor (iv.) Introducing the note A Natural, after hearing so much of its chromatic neighbors, B flat and A flat, gives a truly awesome blue note sound. Using parallel major/minor is not usually done with so much conviction. It’s a bold, beautiful and rarely used device, obviously done very well here. Both of these harmonies are in parenthesis on the score.
Melodic/Motivic Indications: The first motive (A*) is a simple descending series which moves downward from G to C. Each of the following bars that create the first four measure motive are imitating A*’s motion, always descending to C. This establishes a very strong tonal center, while harmonies shift with dissonance (especially the B flat major harmony) around it. A very nice use of A* appears in the pre-chorus when it is seen being re-harmonized at a different rhythmic point (beat 3, as opposed to beat 1.)
Motive (B*) is a simple leap from G to B flat, and essentially makes the lead motive of the chorus.
Motive (C*) represents a rhythmic idea which is very interesting within the context of the lyrics. Again and again Adele remarks about playing it (her heart) to the beat. With C* we notice that the strongest beat is avoided, firstly in the bassline, coming in one eight note behind the downbeat of the measure, and again at the chorus coming in one eight note in front of the measure. If it is not a coincidence in relation to the lyrics (word painting,) at least it creates a fantastic pull to the downbeats which actually get a note change.
Overall Assessment Back to Top
Structure: 9.5/10 Does the song flow in a cohesive manner? One of the great aspects of “Rolling In The Deep” is how each section of the song seamlessly transitions and builds off of one another – taking the tension and momentum to varying levels throughout. There aren’t any sections within the song where the listener would lose interest or become disengaged. Now, even though rolling in the deep does not have a “traditional” bridge (i.e. a combined lyrical and melodic departure from the rest of the song), it makes up for it by incorporating a “sparse” chorus after the third verse before exploding back into the main theme chorus. Overall, “Rolling In The Deep” is very well structured, both on a “flow” and overall composition level.
Production: 10/10 How does the production stand up in maximizing the songs impact? The production
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PERFECTLY suits the song on every level. Just from the opening 5 seconds, you know this is not going to be your typical ultra-polished Pop song. Instead, you get a song that exudes character, exemplified by a production that’s raw, gritty, dark and dank with a good amount of reverb to perfectly round out the sound. It brings to life the scathing tone of the lyrics, the instrumentation, and especially Adele’s vocal delivery. If this song was produced any other way, especially with a “modern” Pop sheen, it would have lost its “human” element and never connected with people the way that it did.
Instrumentation/Tone: 10/10 Does the instrumentation and sound maximize the vibe of the song? All of the instrumentation used within “Rolling In The Deep” and the tones associated with them jibe perfectly in accentuating all of the dark emotion contained in Adele’s delivery. As with the production, if this song was composed in a more “modern” Pop manner, with synths, electro beats, etc… it NEVER would have had the same impact that it did.
Lyrics: 9.5/10 Do the lyrics serve the song and jibe with the vibe of the music? Adele does a fantastic job of taking a typical “love lost” theme and making it all her own. It all starts with the title, “Rolling In The Deep.” It’s unique, and it piques your interest as to what the song is about.
Adele stated in an interview to Rolling Stone re the title, “it’s an adaptation of a kind of slang, slur phrase in the UK called ‘roll deep,’ which means to have someone, always have someone that has your back, and you’re never on your own, if you’re ever in trouble you’ve always got someone who’s going to come and help you fight it or whatever like that. And that’s how I felt in the relationship that the record’s about, especially ‘Rolling in the Deep.’ That’s how I felt, you know, I thought that’s what I was always going to have, and um, it ended up not being the case.”
In regard to the overall message of the song, Adele stated to Spin Magazine, “It’s my reaction to being told my life was going be boring and lonely and rubbish, and that I was a weak person if I didn’t stay in a relationship,” she said. “I wrote it as a sort of ‘F–k you.”
What’s nice is that Adele didn’t need to capitalize on mainstream techniques, like the “F**k” theme as other artists have done recently. Instead, she used imagery and emotion to create a scathing testimonial as to how she was affected by this relationship gone awry.
Vocal Delivery: 10/10 Does the tonality and phrasing of the vocals maximize the songs impact? To say that Adele nailed this one is an understatement. It’s really hard to believe that such a young woman can sing with the raw emotion and intensity of someone who has been through hell and back during a long life of trials and tribulations. She brings her lyrics to life, and she connects with her audience. As I mentioned before, she makes you FEEL what she’s feeling – with plain old HUMAN EMOTION. There’s no Auto-tune here. Without Adele’s pure vocals, this song wouldn’t have had nearly the amount of power or success that it had.
Hit Factor Assessment Back to Top
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Memorability: 9/10 How easy is it to remember this song after you hear it once? The combination of superb vocal phrasing, melody, vibe and lyrics all perfectly jibe in making “Rolling In The Deep” a very memorable song. It gets stuck in your head right after the very first listen (especially the chorus), and it’s tough to get out once it’s in.
Originality: 8/10 Does this song have its own unique vibe when compared to other songs/artists in the genre? In today’s Pop genre, “Rolling In the Deep” is in a class of its own. It stands out like a sore thumb (in a good way) amidst all of the Synth/Pop songs that currently dominate the charts. Even more so, it’s Adele’s phenomenal and original voice that enables her not to just stand out from the current Pop pack, but securing her own place amidst some of the best vocalists of all time in Rock, Pop, Soul and Blues. Now, that being said, if you take this song and compare it to other Pop/Rock/Soul tunes that span the course of history (most notably mid 60?s through the mid 70?s), you’ll definitely find a familiar vibe that’s present in the backing vocals, production, and even the chorus, which personally reminds me of “Gimme Shelter” (similar chord progression and vibe). Overall, though, Adele took a familiar vibe and made it all her own.
Payoff: 9.5/10 Does this song provide some kind of payoff for the listener (i.e. a hot chorus)? There are two key payoffs within “Rolling In The Deep.” The first resides in that ultra-powerful, evocative chorus. The song slowly builds to that point, and when you finally get to that drum fill at the end of the pre-chorus, you’re slammed into Adele’s soaring vocal delivery that’s packed with tons of emotion. The second payoff is more of a general one (and you may not even consider it a payoff, but I personally do). It’s the RAW HUMAN EMOTION contained within the song. There’s no polish here, and the result is that it connects with you on a deep emotional level that gets inside your soul.
Longevity: 10/10 (Artist), 8.5/10 (Overall genre Genre) Does this song have what it takes to stand the test of time? Will it become a staple of the artist’s repertoire? For Adele, there is no doubt that this will be considered a crowning achievement in what will hopefully be a very long, successful career. I would have to assume that for as long as she tours “Rolling In The Deep” will be at least one of the encores that get’s played every time she hits the stage. Now, in regard to the overall Pop genre (and every other genre that it crosses over into), that’s a tough call. While it’s a great song, we need to think of the time period in which we’re judging it. For people that have had their fill with the current Electro Pop wave and songs that really don’t get inside your soul and connect, “Rolling In The Deep” fills the void, and in grand fashion. However, is the song “special” enough to stand the test of time and rank amongst the greats? Or is it just the best of what we have NOW? Only time will tell, but I do think that “Rolling In The Deep”, and especially Adele as an artist, will resonate for years to come.
Conclusion: 9.5/10 Back to Top
The Good:
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An exceptionally strong, evocative vocal delivery from Adele.
It connects with listeners on a deep, emotional “human” level.
Lyrics that convey a “love lost” theme in a unique manner, charged with scathing emotion.
A strong, memorable melody.
The song is very well crafted from a structural perspective.
The production values and instrumentation perfectly bring the character of the song to life.
The song provides the listener with a strong payoff, both in the chorus and overall vibe (emotion).
It is unique in this Electro Pop dominated market.
The Bad:
I’m happy to say that there is absolutely nothing negative that I can say about this song.
Why it’s a Hit Back to Top
At the time of this writing (July, 2011), “Rolling In The Deep” has sold over 4 million copies worldwide and hit #1 on 12 charts in 7 Countries (Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland and the US). So what aided in making “Rolling In The Deep” so massively successful?
1. Adele and that Voice: At just 21 years of age, Adele sings with the emotion, passion and grit of someone who’s lived through it all. She’s able to take her unique gift, apply it to a song, and get right into your soul. And that’s exactly what she did in “Rolling In The Deep.” “Rolling In The Deep” is a good song, no doubt, but it’s the magic that she instills in it with her unique vibe and delivery that enabled it to connect and resonate with people on such a massive worldwide scale. 2. The Human Factor/Timing: In an age where mainstream music is dominated by perfectly polished songs that are well crafted but lacking somewhat in the “humanness” department, along came a song that stood out from the pack and broke all the rules, utilizing live, non-synth based instrumentation, raw production values and an evocative vocal performance that surely did not need to be auto-tuned. “Rolling In The Deep” got into people’s souls and resonated… over 4 million times 3. Strength Of The Song: “Rolling In The Deep” is an extremely well crafted, memorable song that elicits tons of emotion and is communicated in an original manner.
Take Aways Back to Top
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Stay true to what makes you unique as an artist. Fads and scenes come and go, but if there is one constant to take note of it’s that amazing songs and unique, ultra-talented artists will always find a home – be it in the mainstream, film & TV, touring or whatever avenue you work to make yourself successful in. Adele goes against the grain of just about everything that the current mainstream Pop genre embodies, yet she has risen above everyone else. Why? Because she’s ultra-talented and unique, and people have taken notice.
Use a clever song title. When you hear the title “Rolling In The Deep”, unless you’re from the UK, chances are you have no idea what that title means. Once you hear the song (and research on line just what the title actually means), it all comes together perfectly and makes sense. Adele could have just as easily called the song “We could have had it all” (which also appears in the chorus), but with such a generic title it would have wound up as just being “one of the bunch.”
The “human” element. It’s so easy nowadays to get carried away with all the technology at our fingertips. You can pitch correct any vocal or instrument and fine tune everything until your track is squeaky clean. The problem is that by doing so, you’re detracting from the “human” quality or vibe that is so necessary to connect with people on a deep level. Obviously this will vary in degree depending on the type of track you’re composing and what its end use will be, but let’s take Adele for example. If “Rolling In The Deep” was polished to the same degree as so many other mainstream Pop songs are, would it have had the same impact and resonated with people as much as it did? I highly doubt it. It’s the raw, human nature of that song and the production that connected with people’s souls. Don’t be afraid to bare your soul!
Universal lyrics conveyed in an original and evocative manner. Adele took a typical “love gone bad” relationship theme and communicated it in an original, scathing, evocative manner that makes good use of imagery. You understand the pain that she’s endured through the words, and you feel the pain in the way that she sings those words.
Emotion, emotion, emotion. No matter what type of music you’re writing, make sure the emotion comes through. Even if you’re totally adept in the art of song craft, if you fail to connect with your audience on an emotional, human level, you’ll be hampering your chances at success and longevity.
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