Here are the isolated vocals and isolated drums from Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” (2010), the opening track of her album 21. Soloed, the vocal shows how much raw power and grit Adele puts into a relatively narrow melody. The drum track shows that the song’s driving, stomping pulse is simple, and that the simplicity is what makes it work.
Isolated vocals
Isolated drums
What to listen for
- Grit with control. Adele pushes her chest voice hard in the chorus. On the acapella you can hear the edge and slight rasp, but also that the pitch stays centered.
- The call-and-response backing vocals. The gospel-style backing vocals answer her lead lines in the chorus. Isolated, you can hear how they’re stacked and how they lift the end of each phrase.
- Verse vs chorus delivery. The verses are lower and more rhythmic, almost spoken in places. The jump in intensity into “We could have had it all” is clearer without the instruments filling the space.
- The four-on-the-floor pulse. On the drum track, the kick drives steady quarter notes, which gives the song its marching, stomping feel. There’s very little fill work. The groove relies on consistency.
- How the drums build. Listen for how the kit grows from the sparse opening to the fuller chorus sections. The arrangement adds energy mostly by adding parts, not by playing busier.
Credits and background
“Rolling in the Deep” was released in November 2010 as the lead single from 21 (2011). Adele wrote it with Paul Epworth, who also produced it. The single spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won the Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year, and 21 won Album of the Year at the same ceremony.
For more from Adele, visit the Adele isolated tracks page and the isolated vocal from “Set Fire to the Rain”, also from 21. If you like hearing big voices on their own, try Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know” or our top 10 vocal-only tracks. For how stems like these are made, see our guide to isolated tracks.
FAQ
Who wrote and produced “Rolling in the Deep”?
Adele co-wrote it with Paul Epworth, who also produced the track.
What album is “Rolling in the Deep” on?
It opens Adele’s second album, 21, released in 2011. The single came out in late 2010.
Is the drum part on “Rolling in the Deep” hard to play?
The basic groove is a steady four-on-the-floor pattern, so it’s approachable for beginners. The challenge is keeping it steady and powerful for the whole song, and the isolated track is a good reference for that.
