Superstar singer Adele might be the patron saint of heartbreak, but she’s definitely the one calling the shots. Today, with the release of her new album, she’s called time on her relationship with music streaming service Spotify - and Spotify is currently doing an excellent impression of a passive aggressive ex partner.

Adele announced that the highly anticipated 25 will not be available to stream on Spotify or Apple Music, causing a Spotify representative to make the following statement.

“We love and respect Adele, as do her 24 million fans on Spotify. We hope that she will give those fans the opportunity to enjoy 25 on Spotify alongside 19 and 21 very soon.”

Translated, that means: Adele, you’ve not just let us down, you’ve let the fans down, and most importantly, you’ve let yourself down.

"It’s no longer about adoring the work of a performer, but being an entitled consumer".

Or, to put it another way, Adele is one of the most successful, talented and beloved artists of the decade. She’s a woman, and she’s under 30. We should all feel entitled to a piece of her, and resent her for not wanting to underprice her work or give it away for free. Right?

Even in these economically straightened times, I don’t think anyone can claim to be a ‘fan’ of an artist if they’re unwilling to spend a tenner on their latest album.

It’s almost five years since Adele released 21, so no-one can claim she’s saturating the market with products her listeners can’t afford.

The response to Adele’s decision on Twitter makes me think the nature of being a fan has changed. It’s no longer about adoring the work of a performer, but being an entitled consumer who thinks they deserve something for nothing.

Really @Adele ???? I can't listen to ur probably incredible album on Spotify?? soooo rude — Eli Sciammas (@shmeli31) November 20, 2015

Adele not putting her album on Spotify or Apple Music bitch grow up — Lemon Pepper (@vivalavulgar) November 19, 2015

The way celebrities use social media means the gap between famous people and their fans is narrower than ever. We don’t rely on magazines and TV shows to bring us news of our heroes and heroines - we can follow them all day long, and most excitingly of all, speak directly to them. The power of a fandom on social media directly impacts upon a performer’s success, and it can crush them if the relationship goes sour.

Smart artists frequently acknowledge the impact this has on their careers, and performers like Taylor Swift are great at profiting from that relationship. This could be why Swift was one of the first major artists to declare that her work wouldn’t be streamed on Spotify. She’s not just a recording artist, she’s created a personality cult - for fans, standing with her on the streaming issue was an opportunity to be part of the Taylor brand.

Taylor Swift was the first major artist to pull her music from Spotify Credit: Getty

Adele is much more reluctant to give herself away. Although she sings about pain and romantic disappointment, we don’t know much about her beyond what we hear on the record. She doesn’t ask to be loved, but she does want to get paid what she’s worth. I suspect many so-called fans are angry that she’s a professional woman who doesn’t want to be paid in hashtags and heart emoji, but with cash.

Women are always being told their worth depends on their ability to please, be liked and make life easier for everyone around them. We’re expected to smile, tow the line and avoid any behaviour that might get us branded ‘outspoken’ or ‘difficult’ (a word that Jennifer Lawrence recently used to explain why she’d previously avoided demanding the same salary as her male co-stars).

Adele is giving this sexist standard a two fingered salute, and I love her for it. Twitter users have been quick to claim she’s selfish - “You’re a billionaire love, don’t be greedy!”

Fully gutted Adele has not put her new album on Spotify. You're a billionaire love, don't be greedy. — Jordan Blower ∞ (@Jordananan) November 20, 2015 .

But Adele’s considerable wealth is a sign of her success. She wasn’t born a billionaire. She’s profited from hard work and creative talent; not participating in the financial crisis or duping people out of their savings. The World Economic Forum just estimated that the gender pay gap may take 118 years to close.

Surely we should be celebrating a woman who is doing well and has the balls to say ‘No, I’m not working for free’?

According to Spotify, the average pay out per streamed song is up to $0.006 - data journalist David McCandless found that from that fee, the artist will make $0.001128 (an amount so paltry in pounds and pence that Google currency converter just keeps turning out zeroes).

"Plumbers would revolt if they were told they could only charge a fraction of a penny for every successful toilet flush".

Adele’s single Hello is the one track from the new album that’s currently available on the streaming site. She needs around 10,500 listens before she can afford to buy a hard copy of her own album and a glass of wine to drink while she listens to it.

Plumbers would revolt if they were told they could only charge a fraction of a penny for every successful toilet flush. If I was just getting paid $0.001128 every time someone read one of my articles, I would currently be living under a bridge in a tent made out of old jumpers. Adele knows what she’s worth, and is doing what any smart woman should do when someone dramatically underestimates their value - walking out with her head held high and taking her business elsewhere.

She’s an inspiration to any ambitious woman. And if you still think that you deserve to enjoy her hard work for free? You really can’t call yourself a fan at all.