May 4, Adele’s 26th birthday, started a fire in some of her fans’ hearts when the singer tweeted, “Bye, bye 25. See you again later in the year.” 

The tweet suggested that in typical Adele fashion, her latest album would be released under a title matching the age she turned on her last birthday during the production process—as she did on previous albums 19 and 21—alluding to an album release by late 2014.

However, the latest annual financial report from her label, XL Recordings, has revealed the disappointing news that the singer will not be releasing any new material before the new year, according to an Oct. 9 New York Times story. 

In an age when even some of the most avid music lovers are hesitant to purchase music, Adele’s 2011 album 21 sold 25 million copies worldwide, according to the New York Times article. And without an album out this year from the “Rolling in the Deep” singer, Adele fans are not the only ones who have been hurt by the change of plans.

According to the New York Times, a note XL included in the financial report it sent out to regulators said that Adele’s previous release, 21, brought in a significant portion of the total revenue the label saw in 2013. 

“There will not be a further new release by Adele during 2014 and consequently there will be a fall in XL’s turnover and profits,” the note to regulators read. “Nevertheless, the directors are confident that by pursuing management policies … XL will continue to achieve success with other artists.”

While lovers of Adele and the folks at her record label are busy trying to cope with the news that they have been strung along in their wait for more of the singer’s beautiful and heart-wrenching music, her competitors should be celebrating the surprise opportunity to seize this winter’s big album release sales.

With artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Foo Fighters, Pink Floyd, Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift quickly approaching their own album releases during the holiday season, Adele’s next album was expected to dominate the charts. 

As a long-time Adele fan, it’s a major letdown to hear that the mystical 25 is not yet going to be a tangible reality, and I admittedly feel like one of the heartbroken victims described in her songs—I’ve been betrayed and misled with false hope provided directly by the singer’s very own Twitter account. 

Even more disappointing than the news that the album release has been postponed to an unknown date is the realization that the singer will not be swooping in at the last second to save an otherwise unimpressive year for the music industry. 

This year has seen historic lows for the record business, with album sales failing to reach the four-million-sold mark at the end of August for the first time since sales began being tracked weekly in 1991, according to an Aug. 29 Rolling Stone article. 

While 2014’s record-low sales could spell even more trouble for the music industry in the coming year, maybe something good will come of Adele’s postponed album release after all, and the album will salvage music sales for 2015.