Yea I Still Buy CDs

By Rachel Sunday August 30, 2009

I went to The Cathay today to watch the new-ish Jack Neo film ‘Where Got Ghost?’ earlier today. And while that movie wasn’t showing there anymore, a display in the Gramophone windows got me very excited. “Ohmigawd Colbie’s new album is out!!” I shrieked. Yes, I am on first name basis with Colbie Caillat, and Hayley from Paramore and Cher and Madonna. I’d gone to a couple of CD shops on August 25 hoping to buy the album the day it was released in the US, but unfortunately, it didn’t occur to me that we aren’t in the US. Duh.

I’m not normally a CD buyer, having found a quicker, cheaper and more convenient way of getting my music: Rapidshare. Besides, I’d run out of shelf space for physical CDs somewhere in 2003. And everyone I know gets their music for pretty much free nowadays. It just seems a little silly to be forking out tens of dollars for music you can get from someone else. But when it comes to artistes I really really like, and know are gonna produce awesome albums, I will spare no expense.

So I ran in, grabbed the deluxe edition and paid up. On the way out, I spied the Arctic Monkeys’ new album and knowing that my brother is a huge fan, and being the wonderful sister that I am, I called him: “Hey! I’m at Gramophone now, holding the Arctic Monkeys album. You want it?”

“How much is it?”

“Err… $16.95, after discount,” I said, thinking it was pretty cheap compared to the $20 CD I was clutching in my other hand.

“What?!! So expensive. I already downloaded 5 of the songs from that album leh,” he complained. “And why did you buy the Colbie Caillat album? Didn’t Becky already download it?”

Becky is my younger sister, and she had already downloaded the album when it was released in Europe a week ago. I had adamantly refused to listen to it and take part in robbing Colbie of money from CD sales. “Wah lau, if you like them then you should support them! The music industry is dying cos of people like you!” I yelled down the phone. “So do you want it?”

“Is there a booklet in it? Yes? Okay fine get it get it.”

“Okay I’m paying for it now, don’t change your mind,” I said, taking the phone away from my ear to hang up. And then as I make to press the ‘end call’ button, I hear a little metallic voice from the phone:

“Wah lau so waste money!”