Turning Tables
Encyclopedia
"Turning Tables" is a song by the English
singer-songwriter Adele
from her second studio album, 21
(2011). The song was written by Adele and Ryan Tedder
and it was produced by Jim Abbiss
. The pop song was written in the key of C Minor
. "Turning Tables" charted on number 63 on Billboard Hot 100
and number 60 on Canadian Hot 100
after it was performed by Gwyneth Paltrow
on Fox's Glee. It also charted on number 81 in Australia and number 62 on UK Singles Chart
.
, "Turning Tables" is an Adult Alternative, Alternative Pop/Rock, Pop Rock and Neo-Soul song written in the key of C Minor
. Adele's vocal range expands from the note of G3
to C5
. It is written in the common time
with 78 beats per minute.
Lyrically, the song describes the breakdown of a relationship and the tendency of one party to continuously twist the situation to his favour. The song is an understated piano-and-vocal ballad, stripped down to its most minimal elements, and towards the climax, swells into a "cinematic pop anthem laced with Broadway-worthy strings" that "serves as a fitting counterpoint to its heartbroken, hollowed-out lyrics." "Turning Tables" contains piano and strings as Adele sings "next time I'll be braver, I'll be my own saviour". Ian Walker of the website AbsolutePunk said, "'Turning Tables' takes the piano melodies previewed in the last track and runs with them. Adele crafts in this song a heartbroken yet hopeful ambience, with help from a light string ensemble that provides a great foundation for the song without overpowering the vocals or keys."
highilghted the song as one of the best on the album. He further added, "Turning Tables is a fragile piano ballad which really shows off Adele's wonderful voice to its best effect - almost cracking with emotion at times, she really lives the lyrics." Entertainment Weekly
s Leah Greenblatt found a "scorned-woman balladry" in the song. A writer of Daily Herald said that Adele sounds "epic" on the song. Ian Walker of the website AbsolutePunk commented that the song "contains some of the album's greatest vocal moments, further cementing Adele's reputation as a competent vocalist showing no signs of stopping." Joseph Viney of Sputnikmusic
called the song "a delicate ballad that possesses an astonishing beauty". Writing for Daily News, Jim Farber concluded that in "Turning Tables", Adele's voice "barrels out of the speakers like a provoked bull." Greg Kot of Chicago Tribune
found a "piano-based melancholy" in the song.
after it was performed by Gwyneth Paltrow
on Fox's Glee. It charted on number 60 on Canadian Hot 100
. It also charted on number 81 in Australia and number 62 on UK Singles Chart
with 4,320 sales.
. Adele performed the song on the opening episode of The Jonathan Ross Show
. Gwyneth Paltrow
from the American musical comedy-drama series Glee
, covered the song during the second season episode "A Night of Neglect
". Glees version of the song charted on number 75 on UK Singles Chart with 3,513 copies. The Reverb Junkie sampled the music in their track "Can't Stop Turning Tables" from their forthcoming remix album, Feat.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
singer-songwriter Adele
Adele (singer)
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins , known professionally as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008...
from her second studio album, 21
21 (Adele album)
21 is the second studio album by English recording artist Adele. Released on 24 January 2011 in the United Kingdom and most of Europe, and on 22 February 2011 in North America, the album was named after the age of the singer at the time of its production...
(2011). The song was written by Adele and Ryan Tedder
Ryan Tedder
Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
and it was produced by Jim Abbiss
Jim Abbiss
Jim Abbiss is a British music producer, best known for his work on records including Arctic Monkeys' Mercury Music Prize winning debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, Ladytron's Witching Hour, Sneaker Pimps' debut Becoming X, Editors' debut The Back Room, Kasabian's...
. The pop song was written in the key of C Minor
C minor
C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. The harmonic minor raises the B to B. Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with naturals and accidentals as necessary.Its key signature consists of three flats...
. "Turning Tables" charted on number 63 on Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and number 60 on Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
after it was performed by Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma...
on Fox's Glee. It also charted on number 81 in Australia and number 62 on UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Background and composition
"Turning Tables" is written by Adele and Ryan Tedder. The song was conceived following a confrontation with Adele's ex. In the studio, Adele had gotten upset and emotional that her ex had kept "turning the tables" on her during their fights, and Tedder used this idea as a concept for composing the song. According to the sheet music published on Musicnotes.com by Universal Music Publishing GroupUniversal Music Publishing Group
Universal Music Publishing Group is a music publishing company and is part of the Universal Music Group.UMPG owns or administers more than 1 million copyrights. They are one of the largest music publishing businesses in the world with more than 47 offices in 41 countries...
, "Turning Tables" is an Adult Alternative, Alternative Pop/Rock, Pop Rock and Neo-Soul song written in the key of C Minor
C minor
C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. The harmonic minor raises the B to B. Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with naturals and accidentals as necessary.Its key signature consists of three flats...
. Adele's vocal range expands from the note of G3
G (musical note)
Sol, So, or G is the fifth note of the solfège starting on C. As such it is the dominant, a perfect fifth above C.When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of Middle G note is approximately 391.995 Hz...
to C5
C (musical note)
C or Do is the first note of the fixed-Do solfège scale. Its enharmonic is B.-Middle C:Middle C is designated C4 in scientific pitch notation because of the note's position as the fourth C key on a standard 88-key piano keyboard...
. It is written in the common time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
with 78 beats per minute.
Lyrically, the song describes the breakdown of a relationship and the tendency of one party to continuously twist the situation to his favour. The song is an understated piano-and-vocal ballad, stripped down to its most minimal elements, and towards the climax, swells into a "cinematic pop anthem laced with Broadway-worthy strings" that "serves as a fitting counterpoint to its heartbroken, hollowed-out lyrics." "Turning Tables" contains piano and strings as Adele sings "next time I'll be braver, I'll be my own saviour". Ian Walker of the website AbsolutePunk said, "'Turning Tables' takes the piano melodies previewed in the last track and runs with them. Adele crafts in this song a heartbroken yet hopeful ambience, with help from a light string ensemble that provides a great foundation for the song without overpowering the vocals or keys."
Critical reception
In his review of 21, John Murphy of MusicOMHMusicOMH
musicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...
highilghted the song as one of the best on the album. He further added, "Turning Tables is a fragile piano ballad which really shows off Adele's wonderful voice to its best effect - almost cracking with emotion at times, she really lives the lyrics." Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
s Leah Greenblatt found a "scorned-woman balladry" in the song. A writer of Daily Herald said that Adele sounds "epic" on the song. Ian Walker of the website AbsolutePunk commented that the song "contains some of the album's greatest vocal moments, further cementing Adele's reputation as a competent vocalist showing no signs of stopping." Joseph Viney of Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
called the song "a delicate ballad that possesses an astonishing beauty". Writing for Daily News, Jim Farber concluded that in "Turning Tables", Adele's voice "barrels out of the speakers like a provoked bull." Greg Kot of Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
found a "piano-based melancholy" in the song.
Chart performances
"Turning Tables" charted on number 63 on Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
after it was performed by Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma...
on Fox's Glee. It charted on number 60 on Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
. It also charted on number 81 in Australia and number 62 on UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
with 4,320 sales.
Live performances and cover versions
"Turning Tables" was part of the setlist on Adele's second tour called Adele LiveAdele Live
Adele Live is the second concert tour by English recording artist Adele. Visiting Europe and North America, the tour supports her second studio album, 21. Adele is backed by a five-piece band and backing singers, whilst for some songs she is accompanied by piano only. The stage design features...
. Adele performed the song on the opening episode of The Jonathan Ross Show
The Jonathan Ross Show
The Jonathan Ross Show is a British comedy chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It was first broadcast on ITV on 3 September 2011 - in the Saturday 9:45pm timeslot - following the conclusion of Ross' BBC One chat show, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, in July 2010.-Production:The show is filmed...
. Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma...
from the American musical comedy-drama series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, covered the song during the second season episode "A Night of Neglect
A Night of Neglect
"A Night of Neglect" is the seventeenth episode of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 39th episode overall. It was written by Ian Brennan, directed by Carol Banker, and aired on Fox in the United States on April 19, 2011...
". Glees version of the song charted on number 75 on UK Singles Chart with 3,513 copies. The Reverb Junkie sampled the music in their track "Can't Stop Turning Tables" from their forthcoming remix album, Feat.
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... ) |
81 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... ) |
60 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... ) |
62 |
| US Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
63 |