Adele

Style markers
- 2̂-3̂ vocal flip

Style marker

2̂-3̂ vocal flip

In many of Adele's songs, including some of her biggest hits, she embellishes a vocal line by rising from the 2nd to the 3rd scale degree, often accompanied by a shift to head voice. Sometimes the 2 is in the underlying chord and the 3 is dissonant, but other times it's the reverse.

Set Fire to the Rain (2011)

Adele

6

5

4

3

2

1

watch

5

it

1

burn

2

as

1

I

1

touch

5

your

5

fa

2

ace

3

Hello (2015)

Adele

4

3

2

hel

2

lo

2

o

3

He Won't Go (2011)

Adele

4

3

2

can't

3

do

3

it

3

on

3

my

2

ow

2

wn

3

Someone Like You (2011)

Adele

4

3

2

1

hi

2

i

1

ide

2

from

2

the

1

li

2

ight

3

Easy On Me (2021)

Adele

6

5

4

3

2

e

5

e

4

e

3

e

4

e

3

e

2

eas

3

y

3

on

3

me

2

bab

2

y

3

She also makes a similar move from 1 to 2 or from 5 to 6.

Adele is not the only singer who does this, but she does it a lot, and it distinguishes her from some of her most-cited influences, e.g. Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald. Amy Winehouse (another favorite of Adele's) occasionally does it, as in "Valerie" (2007).