Apple Releases Tool to Remove Free U2 Album Songs of Innocence From iTunes

Some users, including Tyler, the Creator, were not pleased by automatic download of band's 13th album

By Rebecca Macatee Sep 16, 2014 4:14 PMTags
U2, Oscars ShowA.M.P.A.S./Michael Yada

There's no such thing as a free lunch, and while there apparently is such a thing as a free album, Apple quickly found out that surprise gifts aren't always received well.

Last Tuesday, hundreds of millions of iTunes users were gifted U2's 13th album, Songs of Innocence, ahead of its official Oct. 14 release. But, not everyone was thrilled to see Bono in their music library, particularly when the album had been downloaded to their device without permission geing granted. In response to the negative Feedback, Apple released a tool to remove Songs of Innocence from your iTunes music library and purchases. (

Nancy Kaszerman/ZUMApress; Robin Marchant/Getty Images

If you'd like to do this, follow the instructions on this support page:  http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6439)

And while many are enjoying what Bono described to Rolling Stone as "a very personable album," others will be quite pleased with Apple's easy removal tool. Rapper Tyler, The Creator, for instance, was one of those to complain, which he did through a series of "F--K YOU  BONO" tweets.

"I DONT WANT YOU ON MY PHONE," he ranted, peppering in plenty more "F--K BONO"s.  "GET OFF MY F--KING PHONE. YOU COULDNT COME UP WITH AN ACTUAL MARKETING IDEA? F--K @U2 I DONT WANT YOU. F--K BONO. I DIDNT ASK FOR YOU IM MAD."

He compared the automatic download to "WAKING UP WITH A PIMPLE OR LIKE A HERPE," writing, "WOW ITS KINDA SICK THAT THEY ARE ON PEOPLES PHONE OUT OF NO WHERE……HMMM….I KINDA LIKE THE IDEA KINDA……F--K BONO"

Based on that last tweet, it seems Tyler might have exaggerated his initial reaction to the free album popping up. "OK TO BE HONEST," he wrote, switching gears, "SAYING F--K BONO IS REALLY FUNNY TO ME."

Then, he pulled a total 180, writing, "BONO IS F--KING AWESOME GOT DAMN...BONO IS A BEAST GOT (sic) DAMN"

Let's hope he didn't delete the free album yet!