This past week I did, perhaps, the most outdated thing for a millennial : I burned a CD. I don't think I have heard of anyone else doing this since I was early high school. If anyone was wondering how long exactly that is, it's around 6 years! I feel old, but I feel justified in my love for CDs and am excited to still see them stocked on most store shelves. Here are just a few reasons why my love of CDs will never fade:

1.) Physicality of a cd

I don't know exactly what it is, but having the physical CD is still one of my favorite things. Being able to hold a physical CD and know that my favorite songs are on it is a great feeling. It feels real and I know I can bring it with me wherever since I know most places will still have a CD player. It's like having a real book vs. an audio book, there's just something special about the physical copy that isn't completely describable.

2.) The Nostalgia

As a kid, I remember going to the local Borders bookstore (r.i.p) and buying CDs when they first were first released. Playing the cd at ungodly levels of loud in the car while my mom cringed at my taste in music in the driver's seat will always be pleasant to think back on. Having CDs remind me of a simpler time where all I would do was listen to my cds in my portable cd player with my pre-historic headphones. I always would be jamming around my room to some good ole’ Jonas Brothers and then putting the CD back in its case next to the other albums. I still have my collection of CDs and love to look at them and reminisce. Having CDs still around makes me feel old but young at the same time.

3.) My need to jam in the car to my favorite songs

My cars have always been older, thus supplying a cd drive as my only option for listening to my music. Not having an aux cord may make having cds a necessity, but it makes it fun for me. I still get to use my old CDs and I have the opportunity to burn new ones. I recently burned Panic! At The Disco’s latest album “Death of a Bachelor” onto a CD and have been jamming to it in the car, so not only can I jam to my new favorite album in the car but can also tune into the aforementioned nostalgia of burning CDs. This also gives me the opportunity to make mix-CDs and play them in the car for me and my friends to enjoy. Cds provide me entertainment and nostalgic feeling together in one thing!

4.) The album artwork

I know I can view the album artwork online using iTunes, but what’s more fun than going through the album’s booklet and seeing all the artwork the artist chose for the album? It’s a mini photoshoot showcasing all the visual elements of the album and seeing it for myself physically is much more pleasing to my eyes. The colors pop out more, the feeling of sifting through the pages...it’s all wonderful. I appreciate the artwork and photographs more when I can touch the booklet, going back to my love of physical copies!

5.) The ability to also have the digital copy

This point has always been a favorite of mine about cds. Being able to have the physical copy and import it onto your computer has always blown my mind. You can technically own two copies of the same album but have only purchased it once. While I love physical copies and listening to the cd itself in the car, I do love that when I’m on my computer I can listen to the digital copy whenever I want. If I happen to leave the cd in the car or it is out of reach, I appreciate the fact that I can have a digital copy at my fingertips.