Last week, Apple turned into everyone’s uncool aunt by giving them the gift of the new U2 album. “Your mom told me you like music!” Apple said, handing over the band’s Songs Of Innocence to the iCloud accounts of around 500 million users, then waiting expectantly for the thanks that would confirm that they’re still pretty hip—and maybe allow them to tell the story of the time they saw the Joshua Tree tour. (Bet you never knew that your computer manufacturer also liked to rock!) Unfortunately, that attempt at making a connection failed, as the world took the album, collectively rolled its eyes, and roundly mocked Apple on Twitter.
“Tyler The Creator said, ‘It’s legit like waking up with a pimple or like a herpes,’” they laughed. “Oh… Does… Does he go to your school?” an embarrassed Apple stammered.
Now, after some 2 million voluntary downloads, and many more millions of complaints from people whose phones downloaded the album automatically, Apple is saying fine. It’s created a tool that will let you remove Songs Of Innocence from your iTunes account—if that’s really what you want—with a single click.
“If you later decide you want the album, you will need to get it again,” Apple’s accompanying statement reads, in the cold remove that it guesses will just be your relationship from now on. The album will be here waiting for you until October 13, but if you decide that your storage space or need to protect yourself against corporate branding strategies is more important than Apple’s feelings, then here you go…
“It’s a gift from Apple,” U2 manager Guy Oseary recently told Mashable, employing the passive-aggressive guilt of many an Irish mother. “If someone doesn’t like the gift, they should delete it.” Bono took a similar tack on the band’s website, saying, “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.” He then donned his darkest sunglasses, insisting that he wasn’t crying—he was just headed indoors.