Pre-ordered iTunes album not downloading without Apple Music subscription

You are absolutely correct. There is ZERO reason that they demand an additional subscription for something that you have paid for. I think the legal term is extortion. I’m in the same boat with an album I purchased in advance. It doesn’t release until September, but there are several songs that have been released and Apple will not let me download them unless I sign up for a trial subscription that will become a paid subscription if I don’t remember to cancel it (which probably requires something else onerous or hoops to needlessly jump through).

If apple is going to start extorting its customers that have paid tens-of-thousands of $ to them…….

I think I’ve found a way around their grift. I used my vehicle’s CarPlay to play the song. Doing so automatically downloaded the song, so it’s now in my phone and available.