Lorde’s latest album Virgin was released with much fanfare and excitement until fans discovered their CD players couldn’t read the clear discs.
The pop star’s decision to release her new album on a clear plastic CD created a wave of confusion and frustration. Although the design looks sleek and modern, it poses a big problem: many older CD players can’t read the disc at all. As a result, social media lit up with complaints and questions from disappointed fans.
Almost immediately after the album’s physical release, fans began reporting issues. Their older car stereos, Discmans, and even some laptops refused to recognize the disc. For many, it seemed like nothing more than an expensive piece of plastic.
Why Lorde’s clear CD doesn’t work on older players
The root of the issue lies in the material, as several people pointed out. Clear discs reflect much less light than traditional silver-backed CDs. Because of this, older CD players, which rely on strong laser reflections to read the disc, struggle or fail entirely.
To make matters worse, the compatibility wasn’t predictable. Some users found success with a modern Blu-ray player, while others failed using brand-new CD drives. It depended heavily on the strength of the laser, the cleanliness of the optical lens, and the build quality of the player. Consequently, getting the CD to work felt more like a lottery than a music experience to fans of the musician.
@elyxirtalkssmack yeah so the Lorde CD doesn’t work on CD players, particularly car ones and walkmans because the design ain’t fit for purpose and Lorde doesn’t offer any other CD options. So back to JB Hi Fi I’ll have to go for a refund. @LordFoxPuppy any way we can get a not clear disc, or do we have permission to burn it onto a disc we can actually read. ##lorde #cd #cdplayer #music ♬ Man Of The Year – Lorde
“The worst part is that this is the only version of the CD that Lorde is offering. So I just have to go and return it and get my money back and just not actively support her music. Because the team can’t make a fit-for-function CD for aesthetics,” TikToker @elyxirtalkssmack pointed out. “Can you like fix this and do a CD that’s not completely redundant for old tech? CDs are for older tech. CDs aren’t a new thing. You need to create CDs that are fit for purpose for the medium in which they are played on. Which is older technology.”
@marchshay6 Somebody help please #lorde #newalbum #cd #music #newrelease #fy #fyp #help #fyipシ ♬ STRIPPING IN THE CLUB HNM MEGAMIX – LEOPARD
Nevertheless, some fans shrugged it off. “Personally, I would only purchase the CD for collecting purposes,” one Reddit user posted. Others were less forgiving, returning the CDs to the store for refunds since they couldn’t play them.
Meanwhile, tech-savvy users suggested workarounds. One solution posed by Redditor u/latexfistmassacre involved buying the digital album and burning it onto a standard CD using a cheap external burner. While not ideal, it would allow people to enjoy Virgin the old-fashioned way.
However, many fans questioned why the physical CD wasn’t more accessible. After all, part of the appeal of CDs is their tangibility and plug-and-play reliability. A release that didn’t actually play felt more like an art piece than a music format.
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