Spotify removes ‘shuffle’ as default play option after Adele’s request

Spotify has made a major shift to its platform, removing ‘shuffle’ as the default play option for albums, after Adele requested it be changed.

The ‘shuffle’ icon automatically appeared on the play button when users would click on an album, but will now only be accessible when a user clicks to view the album tracklist.

Adele, who dropped her fourth album 30 on Friday, tweeted about the decision, writing “This was the only request I had in our ever changing industry!

“We don’t create albums with so much care and thought into our track listing for no reason. Our art tells a story and our stories should be listened to as we intended.”

This was the only request I had in our ever changing industry! We don’t create albums with so much care and thought into our track listing for no reason. Our art tells a story and our stories should be listened to as we intended. Thank you Spotify for listening ????♥️ https://t.co/XWlykhqxAy

— Adele (@Adele) November 21, 2021

A representative for Spotify spoke to ABC about the decision, saying “As Adele mentioned, we are excited to share that we have begun rolling out a new Premium feature that has been long requested by both users and artists to make play the default button on all albums.

“For those users still wishing to shuffle an album, they can go to the Now Playing View and select the shuffle toggle.”

Adele has long been resistant to using streaming platforms as a method to listen to music, holding off from putting her 2015 album 25 on streaming services until June the following year.

‘Easy On Me’, the lead single from 30, broke the record for Spotify’s most streamed song in a single day with 19.75 million upon its release, shattering BTS’ record with ‘Butter’ in May 21, 2021, with 11.04 million streams.