A Musical Memory by Asten Clarke
Once upon a time, before Spotify playlists and TikTok virality, there was only one way to discover new music: free CDs sellotaped to the front of a magazine.
And one day, I hit the jackpot.
A Polly Pocket CD.
Yes — that Polly Pocket. Tiny outfits, plastic playsets, and now apparently? Pop music curator. I don’t even remember where it came from — probably Girl Talk or Mizz — but I remember the feeling of peeling that plastic off and sliding it into my chunky CD player like I was about to discover the next Britney.
🎶 What Was Even On It?
I can’t remember the exact tracklist, but I know it was a chaotic mix of mid-2000s bops. Probably included:
- Something by Atomic Kitten
- A girl group who didn’t make it past 2007
- Maybe even a bonus remix that made no sense but slapped anyway
- And definitely one track that I decided was my personality for about 3 weeks
It was giving glitter. It was giving low bitrate MP3 energy. It was giving ✨main character of the Year 7 disco✨.
🗯️ Daisy’s Corner: “If Polly Pocket Had a Tour, I Would’ve Been Front Row”
“I don’t care what anyone says — those freebie CDs changed lives.
I once learned an entire dance routine to Track 3 and forced Amber to film it on her flip phone.
Polly Pocket didn’t just make music. She made MOVES.
And if anyone finds that CD now? Run. I will pay you actual money.”
— Daisy, Y2K pop fangirl and menace
💭 Final Thoughts
I may not remember every song on that Polly Pocket CD, but I remember how it made me feel: cool, unstoppable, and very, very glittery.
And honestly? Isn’t that the whole point of pop music?
Asten Does Nostalgia 
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