About Someone Like You

"Someone like You" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Adele. It was written and produced by Adele and Dan Wilson for her second studio album, 21 (2011). It is the second single and final track on the album. The song was inspired by a broken relationship with one's life partner, and lyrically speaks of Adele's coming to terms with it. XL Recordings released the song as the second single from the album on 24 January 2011 (the same day the album was released) in the United Kingdom and on 9 August 2011 in the United States. Accompanied only by a piano in the song (played by co-writer Wilson), Adele sings about the end of the relationship with her ex-partner. "Someone like You" received universal critical acclaim, with reviewers choosing it as a highlight of 21 and praised the lyrics, its simple sound and Adele's vocal performance. It became a global success, topping the charts in nineteen countries and reaching the top 10 in various other regions. Following a universally praised performance of the song at the 2011 Brit Awards, it became Adele's first number-one single in the UK and stayed on the top of the chart for five weeks, eventually becoming the best-selling single of the year in the region. The song also become Adele's second number one in the US, which made her the first British female solo artist in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 to have two number ones from the same album. In July 2011, it became the first single of the decade to sell a million units in the UK and it was certified 5× Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), as well as being certified 6× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). As of 2021, "Someone like You" has sold over 17 million copies worldwide making it one of the best-selling digital singles of all-time, as well as the third most downloaded single of all-time in the UK and the fourth best-selling single of the 21st century.

An accompanying music video for the song was directed by Jake Nava and filmed in Paris, France. The video showed Adele walking alone through the streets with a sad look on her face. Critics praised the video for being simple and perfect for the sound of the song. Adele performed the song on several award functions and television shows including the 2011 Brit Awards, 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and the song was played on the ABC hit show Grey's Anatomy. She added the song to the set list of her second tour Adele Live. The live performances of the song were heavily praised by music critics and fans. The song has been covered by several artists and the cast of the series Glee. In a list voted for by the public in conjunction with the Official Charts Company's 60th anniversary, "Someone like You" was voted the third-most favourite number-one single of the last 60 years in the UK, with Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" voted number two and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" as number one. "Someone like You" is the 36th-best-selling single in the history of the UK Singles Chart. "Someone like You" appeared on many year-end lists about the best songs of 2011, and was the inaugural recipient of the Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance, at the 54th ceremony in 2012. The Song also received a nomination for the Brit Award for British Single of the Year in 2012 and also several other nominations.