let’s face it – bad game It’s not as hot as it used to be.
Certainly not when “yellow,” “watches” and “Viva La Viva” – their Grammy-winning single, which topped the charts in 2008 – were some of the defining alt-rock hits of the aughts.
But then again, the same can be said for any middle-aged act that ruled the 2000s. Except, of course, Beyoncé.
so a little sad to hear this chris martin And the crew — who released their 10th studio album, “Moon Music” on Friday — were only going to make two more LPs after that.
That’s right – will be the biggest band of the 21st century retiring from recording,
Martin, 47, said, “We’re only going to make 12 proper albums, and that’s realistic.” told Zane Lowe of Apple Music. Earlier this week. “It’s really important that we have that range.
“Having that limitation means the quality control is just so much higher,” he continued, “and it’s almost impossible to make it to a song, which is great. And so where we can coast, we try to improve. Trying to.
However, “Moon Music” can hardly be seen as an improvement over classic Coldplay albums such as 2000’s “Parachutes”, 2002’s “A Rush of Blood to the Head” and 2008’s “Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends”. Will be seen.
It’s a tale of two – or possibly three – Coldplay.
There’s Coldplay, still committed to the album format – as much as they’ve gone the way of the dinosaur in the streaming age – and the artistic atmosphere that marked their earlier work.
You can hear that Coldplay on the title track which opens the album with a sweeping orchestral grandeur that gives way to moody piano balladry. It seems as if it’s meant to tell you that you’re going on some kind of trip – maybe to the moon? – prog-rock with goals that shake heads pink Floyd: “Maybe I’m just crazy/I should just be a brick in the wall,” sings Martin at his most melancholy.
But on the very next track – the album’s first feel-good single “FeelsLikeImfallingInLove” – there’s another Coldplay, the band that became more pop than rock In the last few years. The band paired with Avicii and the Chainsmokers for the EDM moves of 2014’s “A Sky Full of Stars” and 2017’s “Something Just Like This”, respectively, and then BTS for the K-pop bop. “my universe” In 2021.
The latter was produced by Max Martin – hitmaker for everyone from Britney Spears and Pink to Taylor Swift and The Weeknd – and it became Coldplay’s second No. 1 single at the time when they were counted out from the top of the chart. Was. again. So it’s no surprise that Martin is back as the producer of “Moon Music.”
And it can’t be denied that he brings pop charm to tracks like “Feels Like Falling in Love” In which Martin, even at the age of 47, invests with all his sincerity. “You’re giving me a lifeline,” he croons, as if waiting for another hit along with a new love.
The truth is, “FeelsLikeI’mFallingInLove” deserves to be a bigger hit than it already is. But it probably alienates older Coldplay fans as much as it keeps them relevant – for better or worse – with a new generation.
The same applies to “Good Feelings” – featuring Nigerian singer Ayra Starr – which has a soul-disco swagger with Maroon 5-like moves. Yes, Maroon 5,
But as Coldplay descends into their pop shamelessness, “Moon Music” gets weird again on the six-minute “Rainbow,” another largely instrumental, more experimental excursion that engages their spacey side – Maya Angelou. Complete with spoken word samples. Yes, Maya Angelou.
Ultimately, though, moments like “Moon Music” feel more like an extended intro/interlude – or, in the case of closer “One World”, an outro. It’s hard to tell where his heart is.
At times, on tracks like “Jupiter” there is a mix of old and new school Coldplay, matched by strumming guitars. “Yellow” With children’s choir. And “Eterna” takes the EDM harken back to the alt-rock grooves of 2005’s “X&Y.”
And then something completely different can happen: “we pray” – featuring British rapper Little Simz, Afrobeats phenom burna boyPalestinian-Chilean singer Eliana and Argentinian star Tini – are ambitious in their effort to deliver a message to world music. No surprise since Martin has been the curator of Global Citizen Festival Since 2015.
Whatever you want to say about them, sometimes Coldplay can still create the kind of magic that only Coldplay can do. This occurs on “All My Love” – a Beatles-esque piano ballad co-written by Moses Martin, Chris’s 18-year-old son and ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow.
“Whether it’s raining or pouring rain, I’m all yours,” sings Martin with emotion flowing.
Coldplay may no longer get all the love they used to, but they can still bring the hearts – if not the heat.
