Remember those months of speculation that Apple Music would launch with a barrage of big-name exclusives? For now, the company is keeping its powder dry – and while The Weeknd debuted a new song during the new streaming service’s unveiling at WWDC, it was quickly available on rivals. Yesterday, we got a first sniff at an Apple Music exclusive though: Pharrell Williams’ new single ‘Freedom’ which – perhaps ironically, given the title – is being trailed as being “only on Apple Music” when both launch on 30 June.
What’s missing are further details of exactly what this means, and when ‘Freedom’ might appear outside Apple Music. A promotional video for Apple’s new Beats 1 radio station sees DJ Zane Lowe cueing up “brand new Pharrell”, raising the prospect that this could be a radio premiere rather than an on-demand exclusive. Given the inclusion of other streaming services in charts in several key countries around the world, it would be extremely surprising for a big pop single to remain on just one service for more than a week – and there’s also the question of whether Pharrell’s song will have a YouTube/Vevo video from launch, in “lyric video” or official form.
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