Apple Music autoplay reset and app stops playing via HomePod

I am having a persistent issue with Apple Music, my iPhone, and my HomePod.

If I start a song and allow "autoplay" where it plays similar songs afterwards and airplay from HomePod instead of iPhone speaker, when I return to the Apple Music app hours later, the playlist is right back to the beginning of my previous listening session. So I will have to go through the entire autoplay playlist again to get back to the song I left the app on during my previous listening session. This is the most persistent. Happens every single time. And the songs I listened to during my previous listening session aren't listed in my listening history either. It's making it REALLY hard to discover new music and I feel like new music discovery is the whole point of autoplay! *edit* Adding that when I use a bluetooth based speaker like a Beats Pill, the issue is not present. The autoplay playlist remains exactly how I left it and my listening history in the app is accurate.

Also, sometimes while I am listening to music via Apple Music but airplaying to HomePod, the Apple Music app will randomly stop playing entirely but the music continues playing through speaker via the Home app. I have to open the home app, go to my homepod and manually turn off the music via that app. I never initiate listening via the Home app so I don't know why this happens.

Is there a setting I am missing? Or is this operating as designed?

Under the "Airplay & Continuity" settings, I have everything disabled.