Adele plans to make 25 available for streaming via Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Prime and Tidal on Thursday at midnight, according to Billboard. When Adele released 25 seven months ago, the album could not be found on any of these popular platforms.
“[Streaming[ probably is the future,” she acknowledged in a Rolling Stone interview, “But, eh. There are kids I know who are, like, nine who don’t even know what a f—–g CD is! I’ve got my CDs out on display in my house just to prove a point. Maybe CDs will have a massive comeback like vinyl did. Actually I think cassettes, just to be a pain in the ass!”
Spotify addressed Adele’s absence in a wistful statement. “We love and respect Adele,” the company said, “as do her 24 million fans on Spotify. We hope that she will give those fans the opportunity to enjoy 25 on Spotify alongside 19 and 21 very soon.”
Despite making 25 harder to track down, the LP went on to set a number of commercial records. Adele sold 3.38 million copies of the album in the United States during its first week – the largest single-week sales mark since Nielsen Music began accurately tracking sales data in 1991. 25 shifted another 1.11 million units in its second week, making her the first artist in the Nielsen Soundscan era to sell more than a million copies two weeks in a row. In February of this year, Billboard reported that the album surpassed the eight million sales mark.
The three singles from 25 have been on Spotify already, and their streaming numbers suggest heavy demand for Adele’s music: “Hello” has been played more than 500 million times on the service.
– Rolling Stone
