25, Adele’s upcoming album following 2011’s wildly successful 21, is one of the most anticipated records of this year. The album’s announcement came back in August, but worldwide excitement followed the video release of the first single, “Hello” – video that broke the Vevo world record for the most views in 24 hours, racking up almost 28 million hits.
Sources now say that with the record release a day away, those who were planning to stream 25 online, on outlets like Spotify or Apple Music, will not be able to do so. Stereogum reported on New York Times article that claimed three unnamed people with direct knowledge of 25‘s release have told major streaming services that the album will only be available for purchase, through Columbia Records in the U.S. and XL Recordings in Europe and other areas of the world. A spokesperson for Adele had decline to comment; however, according to the NYT, “Adele is said to have been personally involved with the decision about streaming.”
Stereogum speculated that the album could show up on streaming services later on, something that “her worldwide label XL has deployed a similar strategy for [with] lower-profile releases like Vampire Weekend’s Modern Vampires Of The City.”
This week, Adele had shared two new songs: “When We Were Young,” recorded live at The Church Studios, and live performance teaser of “Water Under A Bridge.” It is unknown whether the decision to keep 25 off streaming sites will impact downloads or sales. With Billboard reporting this week that Columbia Records plans to ship 3.6 million copies tomorrow, however, the answer is unlikely.
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