Treblezine doesn't agree with The New York Times' pop music critic statement that the album is dead, here's why: "What too many 'album is dead' arguments seem to ignore is that the consumer has a choice in this—it’s easier to be a passive listener and let the machine feed you what it thinks you want, but we can choose to be better listeners and more actively engage with music on a deeper level. The song might be the primary unit of popular music, but an album can tell a larger story—perhaps not literally, but the best of them still serve to transport you away from the mundane and into a self-contained world that’s worth exploring repeatedly". Funny thing is, Caramanica made a list of best albums of the year - in 2020 as well 🙂

The majority of the planet is at home now, with plenty of time to do some stuff properly. LA Times wishes it be listening to an album - "with intention, like you were watching a movie or reading a novel". Not just to hear the album, as a soundtrack to some other activity, but to listen deeply, give it full attention - "stoners will probably tell you to consume an edible an hour prior. Scotch is wonderful. (LSD is illegal.) None of it is necessary. Mindfulness is essential".

Indie singer-songwriter Moses Sumney, pop-punk bandleader Hayley Williams, and country duo Maddie & Tae are dropping their new albums in two or more multi-song installments, divided by months.  “All of this comes down to streaming” - one indie label campaign manager explained. Nick Blandford, Sumney's publisher, said - “attention spans are short. We can’t change that. But we wanted to try and play with it a bit”. MusicWatch managing director Russ Crupnick is completely practical about it - “every study we do around social says the No. 1 thing fans want to hear about is new releases from their artists”.