That may be true in your corner of the music industry. In the corners I'm familiar with (metal, rock, a bit of punk, various niche crossovers), the album is st

That may be true in your corner of the music industry. In the corners I'm familiar with (metal, rock, a bit of punk, various niche crossovers), the album is still king. Most artists will drop an album every couple of years and maybe an EP or two in between. Some of the most beloved and admired artists have released maybe 3 or 4 albums over a multi-decade career. They put together concept albums that work as a whole. Some will put out 40+ minute albums as a single track, because it's meant to be listened to in full, and needs you to take the time to do so. There has been a slow change more towards EPs, especially for the more underground and independent bands. There's no reason to make a full album if you have 3-4 tracks that stand up on their own as a cohesive whole. In the old days, label's would often force artists to pad out those with filler tracks, just to produce a "full album". These artists make their money through merch sales and touring, and it works because of a dedicated fanbase. Popular music may be singles-driven and I would say that it has always been so. Thankfully there is a lot more out there than popular music. For all I care, every single one of the big labels and streaming services could disappear tomorrow.