Adele Once Sought One Direction's Fool's Gold
Songwriters Jamie Scott and Mozella say Adele tried to obtain the song before One Direction recorded it for their 2014 album Four.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Pop
Songwriter duo Jamie Scott and Mozella revealed that Adele once tried to obtain One Direction's song Fool's Gold, which had already been promised to the band. Tinie Tempah also revealed that Adele recorded an unreleased rap for his Labrinth collaboration Earthquake.
Why it matters
The revelations offer a behind-the-scenes look at how songs are placed with artists and how studio sessions can produce material that ends up with different performers. For international pop audiences, they illustrate the overlapping networks of British songwriters and producers behind major chart releases.
Four, One Direction's fourth studio album released in 2014, reached number one in both the UK and US. Tinie Tempah's The Night's Not Dead marked his first album in nine years, while the Earthquake collaboration dates to 2011.
The players
Adele
British singer-songwriter known for multiple platinum-selling albums and Grammy-winning records, who reportedly sought Fool's Gold.
One Direction
British-Irish pop group whose fourth studio album Four topped charts in the UK and US in 2014.
Tinie Tempah
British rapper who collaborated with Labrinth on the 2011 single Earthquake and released The Night's Not Dead after a nine-year gap.
The details
Jamie Scott and Mozella, who worked extensively with One Direction on Four, wrote Fool's Gold during a studio session and played it to Harry Styles, who became a fan. Adele contacted Jamie after hearing the track, but the song had already been promised to the band. Tinie Tempah said Adele was in the studio with him and Labrinth, where they were having a muck around on the mic.
Timeline
2011: Earthquake by Tinie Tempah and Labrinth is released.
2014: One Direction releases Four, including Fool's Gold.
Industry Dynamics
The episode reflects how major UK pop songs often emerge from overlapping studio sessions in London, where songs written for one act can be pursued by another. Earthquake, released in 2011, is a prior example of a collaboration that drew on that interconnected circle of British writers and producers.
Listeners can hear Fool's Gold on One Direction's 2014 album Four, which reached number one in the UK and US. Adele's unreleased rap for Earthquake has not been released, so fans cannot currently access it.
The takeaway
Songs often change hands during studio sessions, and a track's first recording artist may not be its only intended one. Readers following pop releases can gain insight by noting how writing credits and session histories shape which versions reach the public.
Further reading
Explore more stories in the Pop section for context on chart-topping releases and artist collaborations.
