Clean the CD first, then check the player.

Yes, it’s almost certainly a dirty disc or a finicky player, not a manufacturing defect.

Julia Jacklin’s Hiro has that beautiful, quiet piano intro, and that’s exactly where a CD will skip if there’s a smudge, a scratch, or a bit of dust. The laser has to read a subtle, sparse signal, so any gunk throws it off. First thing: wipe the CD from the center outward with a soft, lint-free cloth. Try a microfiber glasses cloth. Don’t wipe in circles—that pushes debris along the track.

If it still skips, try a different CD player. Some players are more sensitive than others. If it plays fine on another player, your main player’s laser might be aging or dirty. Then it’s time for a lens cleaner disc or a new player.

If it skips on every player you own, then yeah, maybe that copy is bad. But nine times out of ten, it’s just a dirty disc.

You don’t want to miss that gut-punch piano part. Clean it.