Target Decides Not To Offer Frank Ocean's New Album

With all the hoopla surrounding Frank Ocean’s personal life and the almost universal acclaim bestowed on his new album, it seems likely Channel Orange will sell a ton of copies when it’s officially released July 17, but even if it does, none of those physical discs will come from Target. As payback for impulsively releasing his music on iTunes a week before the street date, the giant retailer has decided it will not stock his album when it hits the market.

To some, the move is being taken as a savvy warning from Target to future artists not to give preference to new media over standard retailers, but to some, including Ocean’s manager, it’s being seen as a clear response to how the singer chooses to live his life. Last week, the rising star posted a touching and honest story on his personal website in which he recounted how he fell in love with a man. His decision was met with tons of well-wishes, but assumedly, there are a few bigots out there who do not approve.

Regardless, Target is now trying to make it clear it is not to be seen as one of those bigots. In response to a Tweet Ocean’s manager has since deleted calling out Target, the company issued a statement to MTV outlining its long support for artists of all ethnicities and sexualities. Considering the chain stocks Adam Lambert, Ricky Martin and scores of others, it’s hard to logically see this as anything more than a business decision.