Lorde Faces Backlash as ‘Virgin’ CD Fails to Play in Stereos — And That’s Not the Only Controversy

Lorde’s bold new era with her fourth studio album, Virgin, has been met with admiration, curiosity, and now, technical trouble. Several fans have reported that the transparent CD version of Virgin doesn’t work in standard CD players, leaving them with a sleek-looking but silent disc. The issue has gone viral, adding to the growing list of controversies surrounding the provocative release.

Released on June 27, Virgin marked Lorde’s long-awaited return to music, debuting alongside a surprise Glastonbury performance. But the buzz quickly shifted when fans, including TikTok user Max, revealed that their transparent Lorde CDs wouldn’t play.

“I’m all for it being an aesthetic thing,” Max said in a BBC interview, “but I buy CDs to listen to them.” Their TikTok video about the issue racked up over 200,000 views, revealing that many other fans were experiencing the same playback failure.

CDs rely on a reflective surface to allow laser readers to interpret audio data. Lorde’s artistic choice — a fully clear disc with no reflective backing — appears to have sacrificed function for form. While some fans managed to get their copies working on gaming consoles like PlayStation, most reported that traditional stereos couldn’t recognize the disc at all.

Transparency isn’t just a visual gimmick — it’s a running theme throughout Virgin. The Lorde album CD artwork features an X-ray image believed to be Lorde’s own pelvis, complete with a visible contraceptive coil, while thevinyl edition includes nude and semi-nude imagery. Lorde’s raw aesthetic has drawn applause from fans embracing body honesty, but also criticism for what some see as shock value overtaking substance.

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Adding fuel to the controversy, the song “Current Affairs” has drawn backlash for referencing Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s infamous sex tape. Critics slammed the lyric as “ignorant” and “narcissistic,” while others defended it as an artistic reflection on fame, love, and exploitation. Lorde herself admitted in a Rolling Stone interview that the track was inspired by a psychedelic therapy session where she found the tape “so beautiful” — a comment that inflamed further debate.

Lorde Announces Bold New Album ‘Virgin,’ Set for June 27 Release

Despite the drama, Lorde maintains that Virgin is meant to challenge norms and shatter expectations. “I’m not trying to be a good girl anymore,” she told Rolling Stone. “For some people, I’ll finally be where they always hoped I’d be.”

As of now, Universal Music Group has not officially commented on the CD malfunction. Some affected fans have received return offers, but many are still hoping for a playable edition of Virgin to enjoy.