Lorde has made a surprise appearance on the Aotearoa Music Awards red carpet tonight after releasing a new music video this afternoon. Video / Carson Bluck
Fans wanting to purchase a physical version of Lorde’s new album may have better luck streaming it following a rise in complaints that Virgin’s see-through disc isn’t compatible with all CD players.
Elyxir, an Australian artist living in Melbourne, took to TikTok over the weekend after she received her pre-orderedVirgin CD, which is made of completely transparent and recyclable plastic.
“Whoever decided to design this is an idiot, because it’s a clear CD,” she said.
“Do you know what that means? It means that cars can’t read this CD. Walkmans cannot read this CD.”
Elyxir demonstrated by inserting a CD into her car’s stereo that bore the aluminium layer typically used in disc production.
She then tried to insert Virgin’s clear disc, but it was rejected and pushed back out.
The CD version of Lorde's new album, 'Virgin', is made of transparent and recyclable plastic.
CDs require reflective layers – usually made of metal – so that a CD player’s laser beam can scan data encoded on the disc and return it to its laser reader.
“The worst part is that this is the only version of the CD,” Elyxir said.
“You need to create CDs that are fit-for-purpose for the medium in which they are played on, which is older technology.”
Having gained particular attention on social media, other TikTok users reported the same issues while trying to insert their discs into various different CD players.
“Seems like they didn’t account for this,” one person said.
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
Lorde, pictured at the Aotearoa Music Awards on May 29, released 'Virgin' last week. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
They claimed the CD fell short of the Red Book audio standard that ensures music can be read on the majority of CD players.
“[It] should ... be removed from the market. It’s nothing more than a collectible now for a lot of people.”
Several Reddit users said the situation made the artist’s departure from her last album’s ethos even more obvious.
Described by her as “a celebration of the natural world”, Lorde opted not to sell jewel case CD versions of 2021’s Solar Power as she wanted to avoid making something that would “end up in a landfill in two years”.
“It’s so ironic ... cuz during Solar Power, she didn’t release CDs because she thought they were wasteful and harmed the environment,” one wrote.
“Yet, these are completely useless hunks of plastic.”
