Kanye West + G.O.O.D. Music Album ‘Cruel Summer’ Leaks Online

As expected, Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music compilation 'Cruel Summer' leaked online Wednesday night (Sept. 12), much to the chagrin of his record label Def Jam. In recent years, album leaks on the Internet have become more exciting than the actually release date.

Several songs from the 12-track LP have already surfaced on the web and publications like SPIN and the Los Angeles Times have already offered their first-listen reviews of the collection. Fan reactions to the album on Twitter have been mixed. One follower wrote, 'Cruel Summer' may not be the greatest album ever, but it bangs so hard in the car!" while another tweeted, "I'm not even disappointed with 'Cruel Summer,' I said it would be average and it is (imo)."

However, there are some people who are waiting to cop the physical CD and don't want to tarnish their listening experience with an illegal download. "I am not going to review cruel summer till it officially comes out thats why am not goin to listen to it I dont want to kill my excitement," tweeted fashion blogger @KenyanStylista.

According to Complex, online leaks have become the new pastime for digital audiophiles to hear new music. "Leak night represents the way new music is consumed, and release day is a relic," writes Ernest Baker about the music trend. "Leak night offers an immediacy indicative of where we're at now, as modern music listeners. It's not that we don't want to buy albums anymore, but the conversation about them isn't happening in line at Tower Records anymore."

"Simply put, record labels need to start dropping their tentpole projects on iTunes and Spotify on leak night," he continues. "The audience and the artists are living in the future. Maybe the industry will catch up soon."

Which has us wondering why West didn't use the same release-date tactics that he and Jay-Z employed in 2011 for 'Watch the Throne.' When the album hit iTunes, nobody had heard it yet and everybody was able to hear the LP legally (albeit there were illegal digital copies floating around) all together at one time.

Either way, the physical copies of 'Cruel Summer' will officially hit stores on Sept. 18.

If you have heard 'Cruel Summer,' tell us what you thought about the album in the comments below. Is it pop or slop?

Watch the G.O.O.D. Music 'Cruel Summer' 30-Second Commercial