On March 14, MMA Fighter Payton Talbott posted a Youtube video titled, “BPPV IX,” where he shared the aftermath of a UFC 311 loss, ending a nine win streak. In that video, fans noticed a 35-second clip suspected to be from musician Frank Ocean, making it the first time he released something following singles “Dear April” and “Cayendo” in 2020.
Small releases from artists such as Frank Ocean excites fans and creates optimism for future releases. While the snippet was presumably approved with Talbott, songs and albums being leaked can result in strained relationships between fans and the artists.
In 2017, ahead of the release of singer Charli XCX’s third album, the project was leaked online by a hacker. The whole album ended up being scrapped after Charli expressed the betrayal it caused. Following the leak, she reflected on the moment with Noisey, and discussed how she jumped back from the moment.
“My email got hacked and people leaked most of it, so I think I’m just going to start again,” Charli said. “But that’s fun for me, anyway. I write fast so I’m not really worried about anything.”
However, since the interview, she discussed her changing perspective on the moment.
“It felt like an invasion of my life, my personal space, my personal property. It was just really sad, and I was really hurt,” Charli said in an interview with ES Magazine in 2019.
This is not the only time an artist has had their work stolen by hackers or fans anticipating work from the artist. Popular artists must face the worry that their work will be hacked and released to the public ahead of anticipated releases.
In an interview with Zach Sang in 2024, pop singer Ariana Grande discussed her unreleased song “Fantasize,” which was ultimately leaked to the public as well. She expressed why she didn’t want the song to be released.
“So ‘Fantasize’ was stolen, these pirates. I’ll pay you more to put it away and to get it back,” Grande said. “Well that wasn’t my song, for me it was like a parody of a 90s girl group vibe, but [fans] loved it.”
As a result of the praise for the song, she incorporated similar sounds to her new album, “eternal sunshine.” Although the release was against Grande’s approval, the support for the song led to more creative projection in her new album.
Billie Eilish expressed her reaction to the leak of a verse in her song “Ken.” The snippet was a verse that she made when she was 14 with two other producers. She discussed the incident in an interview with Stationhead in 2024.
“Gotta love ya — it’s all love,” Eilish said when addressing her fans. “Imagine you had something you made like a thousand years ago and no one was ever supposed to hear it. Now it’s viral on TikTok — it’s hilarious.”
While these small releases may feed fans who admire their favorite artists, musicians must face the fear of their work being released without their consent—just to satisfy listeners.
