It has been confirmed that Target will not carry Frank Ocean's debut album 'Channel Orange' after the record is made available on iTunes a week ahead of the scheduled July 17 release date.
- Jul 12, 2012
AceShowbiz - Singer Frank Ocean has confirmed through Twitter that his debut album, "Channel Orange", will not be sold in Target, one of the largest music retailers in the United States. In his Twitter, he writes, "Album won't be available at target. blame it on a generational gap. best buy on deck though."
In a statement, the Minneapolis-based retailer says, "At Target, we focus on offering our guests a wide assortment of physical CDs, so our selection of new releases is dedicated to physical CDs rather than titles that are released digitally in advance of the street date," responding to the album's iTunes release on the morning of July 10, a week ahead of the July 17 release for physical CDs.
There are some speculations that Target's refusal to stock Ocean's album stems from the singer's recent revelation about his sexuality. Earlier this month, the Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All member revealed through a Tumblr post that his first love was a man.
In response to the retailer's decision, Ocean's manager Christian Clancy tweeted, "Target has refused to carry Frank's album because of iTunes exclusive." He additionally says in a post that has since been deleted, "Interesting since they also donate to non-equal rights organizations."
Target denies speculation that it excludes the CD due to Ocean's sexuality. The retailer says to Billboard.biz, "The claims made about Target's decision to not carry the Frank Ocean album are absolutely false. Target supports inclusivity and diversity in every aspect of our business. Our assortment decisions are based on a number of factors, including guest demand."
"Target has a longstanding tradition of supporting music and artistry that reflects the diverse landscape of American culture. Our history of partnering with diverse artists includes recent partnerships with a variety of musicians, such as Ricky Martin, B.o.B, and Gloria Estefan."
Clancy then apologizes through another tweet, saying, "I apologize for my comments about Target. They are not carrying Frank's album because it went digital first. Not for ANY other reason."
A Def Jam release, "Channel Orange" is expected to sell anywhere from 110,000 to 125,000 copies in its first week based solely on iTunes digital sales.
