An Open Letter: Easy Target

In this digital age, why should anyone care that Target is refusing to carry Frank Ocean's Channel Orange? Hell, most fans already have it synced onto their iPods (I know I do). My issue with Target's ban on Channel Orange is not the fact that it hinders the album's availability, but that it signifies corporate America's complete and utter inability to adapt to this new age of music distribution and ethical values. 

Let us ignore the rumors about Target's anti-gay agenda for a moment and entertain the idea that the company may have genuinely refused to stock Channel Orange because it was released on iTunes a week before its physical release date. I find this very peculiar considering that Target sells Jay-Z & Kanye West's Watch The Throne, even though it was also released exclusively through iTunes approximately a week before the physical version. Not only is Target missing out on a huge opportunity to cash-in on arguably the biggest album of the summer (evident in Tuesday's trending topics on Twitter) but they are contradicting their previous retail methods... please, Target, at least try to cover up your tracks.

So what is the deal here? Personally, I believe Target is refusing to endorse Frank Ocean's courageous honesty concerning his sexual orientation. As stated before, Target has donated to multiple non-equal rights organizations. Furthermore, in 2011, Target backed out of a 10 million dollar television campaign for Lady Gaga's Born This Way because of "differences over the company's support for political candidates opposed to gay rights." I find it interesting that Target is so adherent to their values concerning Gay Rights, but yet, they have blatantly contradicted their past retail methods.

It's quite clear that Target is stuck in an antiquated rhythm. This is not just due to their ridiculous policy on digital releases, but it is also evident in their unwillingness to adapt to the morally progressive times we live in. They exemplify exactly why the corporate mindset is irrelevant in the world of music today. The internet allows us to live in a time of musical and ethical liberty; artists can publicly express themselves any way they want. There are no guidelines artists have to follow in order to distribute their work; they establish their own rules. 

I have already begun to say my farewells to companies similar to Target, which refuse to adapt to the age of digital distribution and ethical progression. They will be left in the dust.

Target wins nothing in this situation. In fact, in the process of missing out on a huge monetary opportunity, they have lost my respect.

To each their own, I suppose, but me? I'm just gonna return to blasting Channel Orange for about the twentieth time.

-Ziya Smallens