Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’ Was Meant to Be Ironic

Adele‘s “Someone like You” is one of the most moving pop ballads of all time. Some fans of the “Rolling in the Deep” singer don’t understand that “Someone like You” was meant to be ironic. Interestingly, “Someone like You” sent a ridiculous amount of time on the British charts.

A 1990s rock star helped Adele write ‘Someone like You’

Adele co-wrote “Someone like You” with Dan Wilson. Wilson was a member of the 1990s band Semisonic, which is most known for their ballad “Closing Time.” He’s one of many essential songwriters Adele has worked with, including pop god Max Martin, OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, and Sia’s regular producer Greg Kurstin.

During a 2021 interview with American Songwriter, Wilson discussed the meaning of “Someone like You.” “‘Someone Like You’ is a love song from the point of view of a woman who shows up unexpectedly at her married ex’s front door, only to be confronted by the fact that he’s moved on and has a life and a wife,” he said. “Whereas she’s never been able to let go.

“The chorus is ironic: she says she’s going to find someone else, but the strange and obsessive part is that she wants to find someone like him,” Hopefully not to re-live the entire sad and sordid tale, but one somehow suspects that it will be so.” 

Many Adele fans interpret the song differently. They often see the ex-boyfriend in the song as unreasonable for refusing to take Adele back. Well, if he has a new girlfriend, maybe Adele is the unreasonable one for showing up out of the blue to try to get him back.

What Semisonic’s Dan Wilson thought about Adele

Wilson was asked what it was like to work with the “Rumour Has It” singer. He called her “a genius” and praised her sense of humor. Wilson said that working with the “Set Fire to the Rain” star was relaxing, saying that she told great stories. In other words, he had precisely the sort of experience we all wish we could have with Adele.

“My main memory is feeling like everything was flowing very easily and honestly,” he recalled. “Once we started recording, I was very much concentrated on making sure we got a killer vocal performance, because I was starting to think this was a special recording, and also she is such a pleasure to record! She sounds so great coming back out of the speakers.”

‘Someone like You’ is bigger than big

“Someone like You” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying at the top of the chart for 39 weeks. The tune appeared on Adele’s seminal record 21. 21 was No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for 24 weeks. It spent 608 on the Billboard 200 in total.

The Official Charts Company reports “Someone like You” was No. 1 on the United Kingdom for five weeks. There, it lasted on the chart for 86 weeks altogether. In the U.K., 21 hit No. 1 for 23 of its 416 weeks on the chart.

“Someone like You” connected with many listeners — some of whom had no idea that the track was meant to be ironic.