It sounds to me like the author has already drawn a conclusion and is coming up with arguments to support it. Maybe it's true that everyone at Spotify really did like the new design (I'm sure most folks at Ford liked the Edsel), but it's also a very selective sample.

Personally, I am all for the style refreshes Spotify has been doing, but honestly, the instant it updated for me and changed to the mint-green, I really did think it was ugly (perhaps I am biased too?).