Lorde’s new album Virgin has sparked a wave of frustration among fans — but not because of the music.
The singer’s crystal-clear CD release, promoted for its recyclable design and sleek aesthetic, is reportedly not functioning in many CD players, according to fans across social media.
TikTok users have shared multiple videos attempting to play the translucent CD, only to be met with errors or silence. “Seems like they didn’t account for this,” one fan wrote. “My new Lorde transparent CD doesn’t work in this stereo! Seems like older models with older sensors won’t play it. pretty disappointing, I know it was for an aesthetic, but at least press it on normal CDs.”
Lorde’s website lists only one CD version — the clear, recyclable edition — which is currently sold out. Multiple vinyl variants of Virgin are also available, but for CD collectors, there’s currently no other option.
Fans on Reddit echoed the same issue, with one user writing, “Tried to put the disc into my car CD player and it didn’t register at all. I tested another CD and it worked, so it’s definitely the disc.”
In an attempt to understand the problem, one TikTok creator hypothesized that the clear CD’s lack of a printed label layer may be confusing older optical sensors, which typically rely on reflections and light patterns to read discs. So far, Lorde’s team has not publicly addressed the issue.
The physical design choice — while artistically striking — has left fans calling for a more traditional CD pressing, especially for an album expected to have a long-lasting legacy.
Virgin arrived on June 27 and marked Lorde’s return with a new, ambient-influenced sonic direction.
On June 30, Lorde shared the album artwork and a breakdown of the album’s creation on Instagram, offering insight into the process behind the 11-track record. She revealed that “David” was the first song she started and one of the last she finished, while “Clearblue” was the last track she began. The most difficult song to complete was “Favourite Daughter.”
“Hardest song was FD, to write, to produce, to sing,” Lorde shared. “Kicked my a–.”
Recently, she teased unreleased B-sides and hinted at a deluxe edition in the future, which could offer an opportunity to course-correct with a more playable CD format.
