Lily Allen Thinks Jay Z's Tidal Streaming Service Will Increase Traffic to Pirating Sites, Hurt Indie Artists

Jay Z's new streaming service Tidal is getting support from some of the biggest names in music, with everyone from Kanye West to Arcade Fire to Rihanna and Jack White holding a stake in the relaunched company. But there's one pop star who isn't buying these 16 musicians' claims that Tidal is the start of a musical revolution: Lily Allen. The high price point for the new service has the Sheezus singer wondering if music fans will be driven back to pirating websites.

Allen's doubts about Tidal surface from the impact that the high price point could have on emerging artists, which she voiced on Twitter.

i LOVE Jay z so much, but TIDAL is soon expensive compared to other perfectly good streaming services, he's taken the biggest Artists

— lily (@lilyallen) March 30, 2015

made them exclusive to TIDAL (am i right in thinking this ?), people are going to swarm back to Pirate sites in droves — lily (@lilyallen) March 30, 2015

sending traffic to torrent sites. up and coming (not yet millionaires) artists are going to suffer as a result.

— lily (@lilyallen) March 31, 2015

i think i may have spoken too soon, and that there is a lot to celebrate where TIDAL is concerned, i won't delete my posts because — lily (@lilyallen) March 31, 2015

my concerns are genuine, i am quite happy to admit i am wrong when i am. its late and I'm going to sleep, more tomorrow. BRB

— lily (@lilyallen) March 31, 2015

Allen also seemed to think that the problems with artist revenue in the music industry start at the record labels instead of at the consumer, and she offered a few alternatives to the Jay Zs of the world.

WE COULD JUST STRIKE TILL THE LABELS GIVE US OUR FAIR SHARE OF STREAMING REVENUE,NOT TAKE ADVANCES, NOT DELIVER MUSIC, FOR THE FUTURE ARTIST — lily (@lilyallen) March 31, 2015

A REAL REVOLUTION YEAH...........GUYS............GUYS.............USHER?..........MADGE....... DAFT PUNKS ?? GUYS ???????? *WAVES AT YACHT*

— lily (@lilyallen) March 31, 2015

@lilyallen I don't think jay z knows how much stuff costs. Like if I asked him for money to buy a banana he would give me $40 — Erica Burton (@burtonerica) March 30, 2015

After she felt her words were misconstrued, Allen clarified that she thinks the idea of hosting exclusive content on a paid platform is a valiant idea, but the vague nature of Tidal's payment plan to artists and its influence on rising musicians has her hesitant.

i really don't give a fuck about the music industry, well, I care about a few good eggs that work within it and am grateful to the people

— lily (@lilyallen) March 31, 2015

who have helped me develop as an artist. My concern is that Tidal may set emerging artists back. Hosting exclusive consent from the biggest — lily (@lilyallen) March 31, 2015

stars on the planet on a paying platform, while i agree with its intention, i fear it will send people back to pirate/torrent sites

— lily (@lilyallen) March 31, 2015