Songs Similar to Someone Like You by Adele
Released 2011 · Album: 21 · Pop · Sad
"Someone Like You" closes Adele's second album, 21, released in early 2011. She wrote it with Dan Wilson, who also produced it, and the recording is almost bare: a rolling, arpeggiated piano figure and Adele's voice, with no drums or strings to lean on. She moves from a conversational verse to a chorus that climbs into her upper register and cracks with feeling, singing to an ex who has settled down with someone else. That rawness, and the sense of hearing a real breakup rather than a polished production, is why it became the album's defining moment.
Songs that sound like this one are piano-led ballads built around a single powerful vocal, usually slow, sparse and focused on a lyric about loss, regret or letting go. Look for acoustic arrangements that leave space for the singer to swell into a big chorus without much production behind them. It connects to classic soul and torch singing, the British singer-songwriter wave that included Amy Winehouse and Duffy, and later piano ballads from artists like Sam Smith and Lewis Capaldi.
20 songs similar to “Someone Like You”
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Data: Last.fm, updated 2026-10-11.
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FAQ about “Someone Like You”
What songs are similar to Someone Like You?
The closest matches are slow, piano-led breakup ballads carried by one strong, emotional vocal, with minimal production and a chorus that rises into heartbreak rather than relying on drums or effects. On our list, the closest matches are “Set Fire to the Rain” by Adele, “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele and “I'm Not the Only One” by Sam Smith.
Who does Someone Like You sound like?
It is regularly compared to Sam Smith and Lewis Capaldi, whose stripped piano ballads followed its success, and to Amy Winehouse for the British soul-rooted vocal style. Adele has named Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald among her influences, and their phrasing shows in her delivery. Dan Wilson's background in Semisonic and in writing for other artists gives it a classic singer-songwriter structure.
Is Someone Like You Pop?
Yes, in that it was a huge mainstream chart hit and Adele is one of the biggest pop artists of her era. Musically, though, it is closer to a soul-influenced singer-songwriter ballad than to dance-oriented or heavily produced pop: just piano and voice, with no beat. It fits best as a pop ballad with roots in soul and adult contemporary.
How do you find similar songs to Someone Like You?
Follow the arrangement and the subject: piano-and-voice ballads about a relationship that has ended, sung by vocalists who build from quiet verses to a cracking, full-voiced chorus. The rest of 21 and 25, Sam Smith, Lewis Capaldi and Birdy's piano covers are good next steps, as are 'sad piano ballads' and 'breakup songs' playlists. SongSimilar's list above ranks matches by listening data from people who play this song.