[MUSIC] "Can Adele save the music industry, or just slow its demise?"

[rfmcdonald]

CBC's Sheena Goodyear makes the case that the huge commercial success of Adele's new album, 25does not in any way augur any kind of broader revival for the commercial music industry.

News that Adele is launching a new album following a nearly four-year hiatus came with sweeping headlines hailing the British songstress as the music industry's long-awaited saviour.

Hopes are high for 25, the third album from the Grammy-winning artist, due to be released Nov. 20. "Adele is here to save the music industry," pronounced Fortune. "Music industry breathes sigh of relief," said U.K. newspaper the Independent.

It's a big burden to lay on one woman's shoulders, but the hype is not unjustified. In a changing industry, Adele has consistently bucked the trend and convinced people, en masse, to shell out their hard-earned cash on her music.

[. . .]

"It's really incredible. You've got a market that's shifting dramatically to streaming, that is not as robust from a sales standpoint than it was before, and you get something that breaks the record not only by just a little bit, but really crushes it," said David Bakula, spokesman for Nielsen Entertainment, which tracks media consumption across all spectrums.

"I think that just goes to show the pent-up demand for Adele's music."