iTunes users can't live with or without U2

Apple triggered universal swoons, as usual, with its latest product launch showcasing larger iPhones and a new smart watch. But the announcement that generated the most buzz had nothing to do with cool new hardware. As part of the iPhone 6 celebration, Apple released the new album from pop icon U2 for free to 500 million iTunes users worldwide.

U2’s performance at the launch party was already expected. Indeed, Apple and U2 have had a long working relationship, since the iPod days. At last week’s event, U2 performed a new single from its first studio album in five years, after which Apple CEO Tim Cook fawned, “Wasn’t that the most incredible single you ever heard? I would love to hear a whole album of that,” according to a report in Forbes. Bono wondered aloud how they might get the music to as wide an audience as possible, at which point Cook announced the entire album would be available immediately on iTunes for free.

Social media outlets went berserk. Some iPhone users could not contain their delight. The Washington Post featured a variety of tweets from fans, including one user who gushed, “FREE CD!!!!!!!...U2 ARE GODS!!!!!!!” Another Twitter user cried, “This is why I LOVE Apple. U2’s new album automatically downloaded onto my iTunes.”

But some people (presumably not U2 fans) considered the automatic download a violation of their privacy. “U2’s new album being automatically added to our iTunes library is the most disgusting invasion of personal space by technology in history,” Matt Binder wrote. “Can I pay the full price of the U2 album NOT to have it automatically added to my iTunes library?” Jonathan Barnbrook asked.

Huffington Post grumbled about how “Apple spent what can only be described as a ridiculous amount of money to secure the rights to the new album, from a band that is basically only cool in the eyes of middle-aged white guys. (Remember Apple is predominantly run by middle-aged white guys.)”

Users lodged enough complaints that Apple released special instructions to help people easily delete the music from their accounts. But overall, the strategy seems to have worked. Apple reported recently that more than 33 million users have accessed the album. Senior Vice President Eddy Cue claimed the number was record-breaking, though he didn’t give specifics.

On the band’s website, Bono simply marveled at the technology which could create such a “mind-blowing, head-scratching, 21st century situation. Over 500 million people … that’s a billion ears. And for the people out there who have no interest in checking us out, look at it this way … the blood, sweat, and tears of some Irish guys are in your junk mail.”

U2 manager Guy Oseary likewise brushed off the criticism: “It’s a gift from Apple. If someone doesn’t like the gift they should delete it,” he said, according to Mashable.com. Oseary insisted the net effect was hugely positive and pointed to the band’s sudden spike on the iTunes “Top 200” album list: “A day before the Apple event there was not one U2 album on the iTunes chart. Two days later, there’s 26, so that’s very exciting for me to think that new people are discovering this band and some are rediscovering it.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.