The Daily Valet. - 11/22/21, Monday

✔️ Did They Just "Fix" Spotify?

Monday, November 22nd Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Do you listen to albums in order or do you shuffle around?

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

Did Adele Just Fix Spotify?

The singer asked the streaming service to remove the default shuffle button for albums, and they obliged

Spotify has just removed a play button that automatically shuffled songs regardless of an album’s track list. And apparently, it’s all thanks to Adele.

“This was the only request I had in our ever changing industry,” Adele tweeted Sunday. “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.”

Previously, when viewing an album on Spotify, you’d see a small shuffle icon within the larger “Play” button. This indicated that Spotify would begin playing the album’s songs in a random order, which isn’t always what users would expect (or want) it to do. Personally, I’m an Apple Music guy, so I was a little surprised that Spotify ever messed with album tracks in this way.

Chris Macowski, the head of music communications at Spotify, confirmed the presence of the new feature to The Verge. “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,” he said. “For those users still wishing to shuffle an album, they can go to the Now Playing View and select the shuffle toggle.”

Of course, people don’t always like change. A significant portion of users appear to be annoyed by the move, with several fans criticizing Adele for requesting the removal of the default shuffle, reports CNN.

But a quick review by Gizmodo of other artists’ albums (Ed Sheeran, BTS, Blackpink, Taylor Swift) on the platform also found that the shuffle option was gone and that albums were played in order by default. So it seems like there’s a new default.

↦ FYI: “Easy on Me,” Adele’s lead single from 30, broke Spotify’s record for most-streamed song in a single day.

Still Looking for Answers

Another casualty of the pandemic? The release of JFK’s assassination files.

Fifty-eight years ago today, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. It was a trip designed to mend a rift between Texas' conservative and liberal Democrats that threatened his 1964 re-election.

Of course, it didn't end the way anyone had planned. Even for those of us who weren't yet born, the visuals of that motorcade moving slowly through the afternoon sun are seared into our collective consciousness. But there's still a lot we don't know.

And, unfortunately, we'll have to wait until we do. Last month, the White House said it would delay the release of long-classified documents related to JFK's assassination. President Biden wrote in a statement that the remaining files “shall be withheld from full public disclosure” until December 15 next year.

According to the Washington Post, under the 1992 John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act, all assassination records were supposed to be disclosed in October 2017. Former President Donald Trump released several thousand secret files on the assassination in 2017, but withheld others on national security grounds.

Unemployment Is Dropping

A sign of optimism as the latest coronavirus surge eases

The American economy is showing renewed signs of life, with employers hiring workers in greater numbers than they have in months. The Labor Department reported Friday that payrolls in October jumped by 531,000—the best showing since earlier in the summer.

Nebraska logged the lowest unemployment rate of any state on record in October, reflecting the acute labor shortages that have quickly swept across the nation, reports the Wall Street Journal.

The state's unemployment rate ticked down to 1.9% last month—well below the national jobless rate of 4.6% and the lowest for any state since data collection began in 1976.

It should be noted, rural states typically have lower unemployment rates for many reasons, namely because they offer more jobs with ties to agriculture and food production, reports the Associated Press.

↦ FYI: By contrast, Nevada and California have unemployment rates of 7.3%, the highest in the country.

The Best Cars of the LA Auto Show

The future is charged ... literally

The LA Auto Show—one of the first indoor auto shows to return since the COVID outbreak—has about a week left but automakers have wrapped up most of the reveals. This has been a show packed with news and reveals (which hasn't really been the case with other shows this year).

The theme was clearly centered on sustainability and climate change. Tech Crunch called it a mix of greenwashing and actual action. It seems like every brand is going full speed into an electric future: From the all-electric Nissan Ariya SUV and Toyota bz4x, and its twin the Subaru Solterra, to one of our favorites, the final variants of the all-electric Porsche Sport Turismo sedan.

The concept cars were getting a lot of attention too. They boasted such features as reconfigurable interiors and swiveling seats to sanitizing lighting and recycled materials.

And some of the most talked-about vehicles were small and relatively unknown automakers who brought out unique restomods, like Electra Meccanica, who showed off their eRoadster, (an updated Porsche 356 Speedster) and the SoCal start-up Mullen, which beat out Rivian and Lincoln with their all-electric Five SUV.

↦ Meanwhile: Car ads may be in shorter supply this holiday season, thanks to the supply chain mess.

In Other News

↦ 5 Dead, More Than 40 Injured After SUV Speeds Into Christmas Parade

↦ Here Are All the 2021 American Music Awards Winners

↦ NASA and SpaceX Will Crash a Satellite Directly Into an Asteroid Next Week

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

The stuff we want right now

This 85” TV

The SNL cast breaking

Your Thanksgiving Meal Game Plan

Three options for nailing the most important part of the big day

Whether you're hosting family or getting together with friends, if you're responsible for the big meal on Thanksgiving, you've got some big decisions to make.

And we're not just talking about the mashed potatoes versus sweet potatoes debate. Are you a traditionalist when it comes to turkey? Or would you be so bold as to make a modern interpretation of a beloved Italian culinary tradition to spice things up?

Perhaps you're looking for an excuse to get out of all that work and simply make reservations. To help you decide, we consulted some experts for game plans that will make the holiday as tasty and stress-free as possible—from roasting a traditional turkey, or a richly layered "turketta," to how to make the most out of going out to eat.

↦ Read: Three ways to take care of Thanksgiving dinner.

Early Black Friday Deals You Don’t Want to Miss

↦ Taylor Stitch: 30% off sitewide, plus $30 credit on purchases of $100+

↦ Saturdays NYC: 25% off sitewide

↦ American Trench: 20% off sitewide

↦ Nordstrom: Up to 50% select items

↦ Design Within Reach: 15% off best-sellers, plus free shipping

↦ Billykirk: 25% off sitewide

Partner

Beat the Cold & Save Some Cash

Huckberry is kicking off their Black Friday deals a little early and we're getting you in on the action with this round up of winter gear. From some rugged slippers and a cozy merino sweater to a weather-resistant bag, they're items that are cool, comfortable and built to withstand whatever the winter brings. Whether you're shopping for yourself or picking up some gifts for the tough guys on your list, now's the time to buy.

Wills speckled merino crewneck sweater, $98 / $78.40

Proof lightweight jogger, $98 / $63.70

Greys The Outdoor slipper boot, $108 / $86.40

Matador Beast28 ultralight technical pack, $150 / $120

Black Cooper boot, $198 / $158.40

G-Shock GBD100-1 watch, $150 / $120

↦ Shop the Sale: at Huckberry

↦ 7 For All Mankind: 30% off sitewide

↦ Williams Sonoma: Up to 50% off kitchen gear

↦ Nike: An extra 20% off select styles w/code BLACKFRIDAY

↦ Public Rec: 20% off sitewide

↦ Ted Baker: Up to 50% off almost everything

↦ Floyd: Up to $750 off w/code BFCM21

Partner

The Ultimate Health Tool Is Now Even Better

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