Bad World is BAD Now
The company that reinvented collectible vinyl may now be trapped by its own gimmicks
I think Bad World Records may have finally pushed vinyl collectors too far.
Over Memorial Day weekend, the UK based vinyl company released a new Olivia Rodrigo 12 inch pressing for her latest single “The Cure,” pressed on “exclusive red string.”
And when I saw the announcement video, my immediate reaction was: what the fuck is this?
Now, if you don’t know what Bad World Records is, it is a UK-based vinyl company that specializes in liquid filled and special effect LPs. It’s the scaled up production arm of Blood Records, which is known for limited, hand numbered special vinyl pressings that changed how collectors view special editions.
Bad World Records didn’t become famous just because they made weird vinyl pressings. They became famous because they made collectors feel like they were seeing the future of vinyl collecting.
Their infamous Saltburn liquid pressing looked like something straight out of the bathtub scene in the movie (if you know, you know...), and it instantly became one of the most talked about vinyl releases online. Then there was the YUNGBLUD Idols pressing that included his actual blood. It was shocking, weird, excessive, and unlike anything most collectors had ever seen before.
What Bad World Records did was give the middle finger to standard vinyl pressings. They pushed boundaries in a space that, for years, had become incredibly predictable.
At first, it felt like art.
But eventually, it became something else entirely.
As the company grew bigger on social media, the releases stopped feeling like simple vinyl drops and started feeling like events. They would tease countdowns on Instagram stories, people on Reddit would try decoding clues about upcoming releases, and collectors would race against each other to secure copies before they sold out. Some pressings were limited to only a few hundred copies, while others stretched into the thousands, but the urgency always felt the same.
And that’s where the culture around Bad World Records really exploded.
Collectors weren’t just buying records anymore; they were buying rarity. The fear of missing out became part of the product itself.
But the problem with constantly trying to top yourself is that eventually every release has to become more shocking, more viral, and more outrageous than the last one.
And I think collectors are finally starting to feel exhausted by it.
Which brings us back to the Olivia Rodrigo “The Cure” pressing.
When I saw the mockups, I genuinely thought this might be the ugliest vinyl record Bad World has ever released. And the craziest part? They were charging £45 for a 12 inch single…not even a full album. Once you convert that price to U.S. dollars and include shipping, you’re looking at nearly $80 for one song!
What makes it worse is that this release immediately reminded me of another Bad World pressing that already caused controversy: Chappell Roan’s “The Subway.”
Last year, Bad World released a pressing that included strands of hair inside the vinyl, inspired by the music video. And honestly, the promo images looked beautiful. The concept felt weird but creative, which is exactly what people loved about the company in the first place.
But when collectors finally received the records, many people online felt disappointed because the final product looked nothing like what was shown in the photos.
If I had to describe it, it looked like they bought a bunch of cheap wigs off Amazon, chopped them up, pressed them into vinyl, and said “£45, please.”
And that’s where the bigger issue starts to appear.
The problem isn’t that these records are weird. Weird is exactly what made Bad World Records exciting in the first place. The problem is that the gimmick now feels more important than the actual execution.
At this point, collectors are starting to ask themselves uncomfortable questions:
Does the final product actually match the price?
Just from my own experience, I bought the Lady Gaga Mayhem liquid pressing because I thought it would finally be my first Bad World release. After months of waiting and delays, I was excited for it to arrive — especially because the promotional videos made it look incredible. But when I finally opened it, there was barely any liquid inside.
I remember thinking: this is what I waited months for?
And judging by the reactions online surrounding releases like Chappell Roan’s “The Subway,” I’m clearly not the only collector starting to feel this way.
What once felt innovative is now starting to feel gimmicky.
And maybe that was inevitable.
Because when every release has to go viral, shock people, and outperform the last drop on social media, eventually the actual music becomes secondary to the spectacle. Collectors become conditioned to accept insane prices, expensive shipping costs, long delays, and the constant anxiety of missing out because the culture around these releases normalized it.
At first, it felt exciting.
Now, it feels exhausting.
Of course, there will always be collectors who love the chaos, the exclusivity, and the creativity of these releases. Bad World Records still has an incredibly loyal fanbase, and some of their splatter pressings are still genuinely beautiful.
But I think more collectors are starting to experience gimmick fatigue.
Because at some point, vinyl collectors stop asking “How rare is it?” and start asking “Why does this even exist?”
And honestly, I think Bad World Records may have finally reached that point.