Bono Admits U2 'Went Too Far' On Controversial iTunes Album Giveaway

Bono admitted that U2 went too far with one of the most controversial album releases in music history.

In a new interview with The New York Times, the U2 frontman reflected on the band's 2014 release of Songs of Innocence, which Apple automatically added to the iTunes libraries of more than 500 million users without their permission.

"I went too far on that one," Bono told the outlet, taking responsibility. "That was all on me."

Bono said both Apple CEO Tim Cook and U2's longtime manager Paul McGuinness questioned the plan before it launched. McGuinness reportedly warned him, "You spent your whole life getting people to pay for music. Why would you want to give something away free?"

Bono explained that the band was experimenting with a model in which Apple or another company would pay for music and distribute it to listeners, partly out of concern over how little artists earn.

However, the strategy all but backfired. The unsolicited album sparked widespread criticism, eventually prompting Apple to create a tool allowing users to remove it from their libraries.

Still, the legendary group's guitarist The Edge was less apologetic. "We take risks," he told the outlet. "We have to."