REPORTS OFF-TARGET, SAYS TARGET

It now appears that Target’s proverbial knickers are not in a twist about the adoption of a worldwide Friday release date. A spokesperson from the retailer states that "Target completely supports the music industry’s efforts to fight piracy, and we are aligned on having one global release date. Target has absolutely no plans to stop selling music in our stores or on Target.com.

“Music has long been an important part of Target’s brand,” the statement continues, “and we have a history of collaborating with world-class musicians across a variety of genres. A recent example of this is our collaboration with Imagine Dragons. Through this partnership, Target brought music fans #moremusic by delivering a live performance during a commercial break of this year’s Grammy Awards. In addition, Target is the only place music fans can get their hands on four bonus tracks from the band’s new album, Smoke + Mirrors. Previous partnerships with artists including Justin Timberlake, Shakira, Taylor Swift and Coldplay have resulted in unparalleled experiences and access to these artists—and there will be more to come.”