2012 single by Miguel
"Adorn" is a song written and recorded by American singer and songwriter Miguel. It was released as the lead single from his 2012 studio album Kaleidoscope Dream. The recording was produced by Miguel, who was inspired by his girlfriend and a series of dreams he had prior to writing the song.
"Adorn" was released to iTunes on August 7, 2012. It peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 35 on the Mainstream Top 40, and number-one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming Miguel's most successful single until "Sure Thing" became a sleeper hit in 2023. It was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The song was acclaimed by critics, being voted the year's second-best single in the annual Pazz & Jop poll. The song also earned Miguel three Grammy Award nominations, winning one for Best R&B Song.
Music and lyrics
"Adorn" features on-beat sub-bass sounds,[4] falsetto howls,[5] irregular vocal echoes, obscured synths,[6] and sparse keyboard arrangements.[7] The lyrics feature brazen declarations of affection,[5] including promises of adoration to a female subject.[8] Writers liken "Adorn" to Marvin Gaye's 1982 ballad "Sexual Healing".[5][6][7] Miguel was inspired to write the song by a series of dreams he had prior to writing it.[9] His girlfriend (now ex-wife), model and artist Nazanin Mandi, was also an inspiration behind the song. Miguel later told People magazine: "I had been on a long trip and was anxious to see her. That's where the song began, with that emotion while I was on the plane. I don't remember how I got from 'These lips can't wait to taste your skin' to the end of the song, but when I listened to it, I thought, 'This is special.'"[10]
Release and promotion
"Adorn" originally appeared on the Miguel mixtape Art Dealer Chic, Vol. 1, released on February 27, 2012.[9] It was later included on a promotional extended play titled Kaleidoscope Dream: The Water Preview on July 31, one of two extended plays released by Miguel to promote Kaleidoscope Dream.[11] On August 7, "Adorn" was solicited to rhythmic contemporary radio stations in the United States,[12] and released to iTunes.[13] A remix of the song, featuring American rapper Wiz Khalifa, was released on September 18.[14] There is also a Ted Smooth remix that feaures vocals from Diddy and French Montana.
The song earned Miguel three Grammy Award nominations for Song of the Year, Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance at the 55th Grammy Awards, winning his first in the category of Best R&B Song.
Critical reception
"Adorn" received critical acclaim. In a review for Seattle Weekly, Erin Thompson wrote that Miguel "made a particularly nice choice of metaphor in the song's chorus—'Let my love adorn you.' When a woman hears the word 'adorn,' she probably thinks of diamonds and Dior; Miguel's rich vocals convey the same sense of luxury. That's a man who knows how to treat a woman."[15] SoulBounce called it an "electro soul slice of niceness",[3] while MSN Music's Robert Christgau cited the song's "throbbing, garbled hook" as "one of 2012's signature pop moments".[16] Brian McManus from The Village Voice called "Adorn" "the perfect amuse-bouche for the album it kicks off, priming the ears, opening them."[17] At the end of 2012, "Adorn" was named the 33rd best song of the year in Rolling Stone.[18] It was also voted the year's second best single in the nationwide Pazz & Jop critics' poll.[19]
