So does this mean Universal Music Group is getting the last laugh (UMG has reportedly banned its artists from exclusive music deals after Ocean supposedly released the Tom Sachs-led Endless as a way of fulfilling his UMG contract, thus making Blonde an independent, non-Def Jam release)? Well, not exactly: despite all of the illegal downloads, Ocean’s LP is expected to top the charts in both the United States and UK for the week ending August 25. Since Blonde was released August 20, that means that those illegal downloads came in less than a week’s time. According to Music Business Worldwide, data shared by “piracy audience reconnection specialist” MUSO shows that the Apple Music exclusive had been illegally downloaded 753,849 times as of 12 p.m.
Frank Ocean’s Blonde is getting similar treatment from listeners.
