• About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
The Wellesley News -
  • News and Features
    • The Wellesley (COVID) 100
      The Wellesley (COVID) 100
    • In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays
      In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays
    • Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint
      Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint
    • News
      • News in Brief
      • Nation & World
      • President’s Corner
      • Senate Report
    • Features
      • Alumnae Spotlight
      • Eye on Science
      • Faculty Focus
      • LGBTQIA+ Column
  • Opinions
    • The News in Conversation: Wellesley Against Mass Incarceration
      The News in Conversation: Wellesley Against Mass Incarceration
    • Editorial Board calls for keeping up trans flag murals
      Editorial Board calls for keeping up trans flag murals
    • No, Elon Musk’s Twitter will not restore free speech
      No, Elon Musk’s Twitter will not restore free speech
    • Staff Editorial
    • Letters to the Editor
    • The Elephant in the Room
  • Arts
    • Be/longing Centers Connection and Care
      Be/longing Centers Connection and Care
    • No image
      Birds Falling Upwards: Wellesley College Theater’s The Moors is a Must-See
    • No image
      Sometimes you just need to read a YA “Groundhog Day” to feel something
    • Arts In The News
    • Reviews
    • Music Peek
    • Books Before Boys
  • Health and Wellness
    • February Student Athlete of the Month
      February Student Athlete of the Month
    • Athletics Update
      Athletics Update
    • Victoria Garrick Speaks on Mental Health
      Victoria Garrick Speaks on Mental Health
    • Athlete of the Week
    • Boston Sports Update
    • The Vegan Digest
    • The SHE Corner
  • The Wellesley Snooze
    • Wellesley News Leadership Changes Completely Peacefully Without Any Suspicious Disappearances At All
      Wellesley News Leadership Changes Completely Peacefully Without Any Suspicious Disappearances At All
    • Solve Your Connection Problems With Wellesley Insecure
      Solve Your Connection Problems With Wellesley Insecure
    • Mayhem strikes Wellesley as paper towels removed from campus
      Mayhem strikes Wellesley as paper towels removed from campus
  • Miscellanea
    • President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
      President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
    • Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
      Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
    • 50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
      50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
    • The Dose
    • The Olive Branch
    • Multimedia
      • Galleries
      • Infographics
      • Videos
By Celina Reynes ArtsSeptember 26, 2014

Complaints surround Apple’s distribution of the latest U2 album

ame, U2’s latest album “Songs of Innocence” explores the ways in which childhood and adolescence shape the individual. As a result, the album is more personal than the Irish rock band’s previous work.

“The whole album is first journeys,” Bono told
Rolling Stone’s Gus Wenner in a press conference before its
surprise release. “First journeys geographically,
spiritually, sexually. And that’s hard. But we went there.”

However, the album has received mixed reactions from the public. Much of the focus hasn’t been on the music itself, but on the controversy surrounding its distribution — a very different kind of “first.”

Last week, Apple distributed Irish rock band U2’s
latest album, “Songs of Innocence,” by uploading it to the “recently purchased” folders of over 500 million iTunes subscribers. For subscribers that automatically sync their “recently purchased” folders with their devices, the
album appeared without warning in their libraries
whether they wanted it or not.

According to Bono in a discussion with BBC2
presenter Jo Whiley, this was intended to be a form of guerrilla marketing: an essentially “punk” move.
However, for nearly three decades, U2 has been one of the biggest rock bands in the world. Their last world tour grossed over $700 million in profits, demonstrating their continued mainstream commercial success. They didn’t have to force their album on half a billion iTunes
subscribers to get people to notice them.

Various media outlets have been quick to point out the arrogance behind the album’s release — after all, not
everybody likes U2’s music, even if Tim Cook thinks they should. The backlash is testament to how out-of-touch Apple’s new CEO is; less than a week passed
before Apple was scrambling to produce an application that made getting rid of the offending album easier.

Because a significant number of iTunes subscribers weren’t given the option of choosing not to download the album, many people felt as if their privacy had been
violated. But did Apple really cross the line?

The relationship between consumer and company has become increasingly blurred, especially over the last half-decade. Facebook analyzes our search history for targeted advertising. Spotify mines similar data and
repays us with music suggestions based on our interests. In cases like these, we forfeit our privacy in return for a more customized and streamlined social experience.

However, even as technology increases the influence that big companies have over our lives (everything from our tastes to our purchasing patterns), we still have certain expectations about what companies should and shouldn’t do with our private information. For instance, when we purchase an iPod, tablet or computer, we assume that we control the content on those devices. For music lovers, a carefully-organized digital library is something to take pride in, and we are generally disturbed to discover that a company like Apple, without our consent, can control what goes in it.

But there is a broader issue at stake here. After all, if Apple can purchase the rights to distribute U2’s music at no cost to us, what does that say about the value of music in general? Is it zero? Is it fixed? And what should less-popular bands do to compete if a successful band like U2 has access to this kind of corporate sponsorship?

These questions remain unanswered mostly because the fate of the music industry is still undecided.
Whether or not you agree with U2’s strategy, they should be given credit for trying something new. After all, in an age where many people refuse to pay for music, bands should be looking for as many innovative and untested ways to profit as possible. If anything, the failure of U2 and Apple’s marketing strategy only shows that in terms of solutions, the music industry still hasn’t found what it’s looking for.

Share on

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google +
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Previous articleMore than the MFA: Boston’s diverse art offerings
Next articleArts in the News

You may also like

Be/longing Centers Connection and Care

Birds Falling Upwards: Wellesley College Theater’s The Moors is a Must-See

Sometimes you just need to read a YA “Groundhog Day” to feel something

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

Top Articles

Sorry. No data so far.

Recent Tweets

Tweets by @Wellesley_News

The independent student newspaper of Wellesley College since 1901.

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

  • About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
COPYRIGHT © 2022 THE WELLESLEY NEWS
Back to top