Jay Z Debuts New Music Streaming Service Tidal in Most Awkward Press Conference Ever

Jay Z is entering the music streaming game via Tidal, which he launched Monday along with 16 artist stakeholders including Beyonce, Rihanna, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Jason Aldean, Madonna, Alicia Keys, Coldplay and many more.

Many of these artists changed their Twitter pictures to a cyan-blue square in support of the #TIDALforALL hashtag for the debut.

"People are not respecting the music, and devaluing what it really means," Jay Z toldBillboard. "People really feel like music is free, but will pay $6 for water. You can drink water free out of the tap and it's good water. But they're okay paying for it. It's just the mindset right now."

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Despite the fact that Jay Z is obviously paying unreal amounts of money for bottled water (seriously, somebody help him), you can subscribe to Tidal for $9.99 a month, or $19.99 for "high-definition audio." This model is in contrast to services like Spotify, which offers a $9.99 per month premium service as well as a free ad-based option. Spotify reports to have over 60 million active users worldwide including more than 15 million premium users. There is no free option for Tidal because SORRY FREELOADERS, you have to pay more for music than Jay Z pays for water.

In all seriousness, Tidal might be a really cool thing, but as for the star-studded launch, there are some things we have to comment on. Like...

How seriously they are taking themselves...

Really though, watch it.

It was like the Declaration of Independence 2 up in there.

"If there is something to be changed in the world then it can only happen through music," said Alicia Keys. "An overstatement? Maybe but maybe not."

Pretty bold statement from Keys, who also added, "Today is the day… that we begin that journey together. All of us as one. Signing our declaration. This is the beginning of a whole new era."

Alright then.

Why did Madonna put her leg on the desk?

What we all know about the dress code.

How we know what this is really about...

How we just couldn't help ourselves from punning.

How much weirder and out of place Daft Punk seems when they are essentially at a corporate launch event.

Also, maybe it's just because we just watched Going Clear, the Scientology documentary, but something about this all reads as borderline cult-ish...

Maybe they should have picked a better hashtag.

To be fair, there is one thing we can't deny.

How we're in this awkward limbo where we aren't really sure if this is a thing yet.

How Tidal's Twitter feed sounds kinda like the Capitol in The Hunger Games.

And sorry to be real with you, but...

So what do you think -- are you going to surf the Tidal wave, or jump ship? We're sorry. Jay Z please pay less for water.

Now, please allow a younger Jay Z to reintroduce himself in this flashback video.

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