What Aretha Franklin Thought of Adele's 'Rolling in the Deep'

Music

Aretha Franklin covered Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” She combined it with a Marvin Gaye song that was famously covered by Diana Ross.

Published on January 3, 2024

In the 2010s, “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele became one of the most ubiquitous and beloved songs ever. Aretha Franklin first heard it while watching television. Franklin revealed what she thought of the song and Adele as an artist.

Aretha Franklin heard some kids ‘screaming’ the melody of Adele’s ‘Rolling in the Deep’

During a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, the Queen of Soul discussed hearing children sing “Rolling in the Deep.” “I saw one of Adele’s promo pieces, and kids were on a bus singing ‘We could’ve had it all,'” he said. “They were just screaming it. But I was listening to the melody, I said, ‘That’s a good melody, I like that melody.'”

Franklin compared Adele to one of the most acclaimed songwriters of the 1960s and 1970s. “She’s a very, very fine, solid writer,” Franklin said. “I like her writing a lot. She has a lot to say. A lot of content. And, she’s a very good singer. She reminds me how Carole King used to be with Tapestry. Her things are so original.”

The Queen of Soul combined Adele’s ‘song ‘Rolling in the Deep’ with a hit by Diana Ross

Franklin recorded a cover of “Rolling in the Deep” for her 2014 album Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics. Franklin’s rendition of the tune includes elements of the classic Motown song “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” which was originally performed by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell before Diana Ross recorded it and made it a much bigger hit. Franklin’s “Rolling in the Deep”/”Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” mashup, shows that, even in the 2010s, she was still musically creative and her voice was a national treasure.

During the aforementioned Rolling Stone interview, Franklin discussed how she still sounded so good. “Well, maybe I’m just taking care of my voice,” she said. “Maybe [other artists] don’t take care of their voice. I’ve heard people doing things that I thought were abusive to the voice. And I would never have done that.”

Franklin also revealed her approach to singing. “I have to sit with the song for a while before I record it,” she said. “And, that’s pretty much it. That, and respecting the writer’s melody. Once you establish that respect, you can pretty much sing whatever you want and express yourself.” While Franklin made some major changes to “Rolling in the Deep,” she still kept the tune’s melody intact. 

Aretha Franklin sang her medley with a major gospel singer

During another 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, Franklin revealed that listening to “Rolling in the Deep” made her think Adele must be one tough cookie. The Queen of Soul felt the “Someone like You” singer was a true diva. In Franklin’s opinion, Adele’s lyrics were awesome, if unconventional. 

Franklin went on to perform her “Rolling in the Deep”/”Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” mashup on the Late Show with David Letterman. She sang the song alongside Cissy Houston, the mother of Whitney Houston and a highly respected gospel singer in her own right.

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