Word Of Music's non-fangirl opinion of "Christmas Lights"

[rudy_o]

A female that carries a fan wherever she goes.

[jenflor]

I enjoy the song. I think that it is well crafted and also not as over the top as I felt that a lot of the songs on VLV were. I like how the band sort of try to simplify things a bit, even though there are strings included in the song. What I really like about the song is the tempo change at the middle, and also how at one point Chris Martin's voice slightly lags behind the music to go into another verse. I feel that the melody is catchy, but also to me has a bit of a nostalgic feel for some reason.

 

I agree with pretty much all of this.

 

Coldplay are my favourite band...so I may be a bit biased.

 

 

One grumble of mine is the fact Chris sings so low at the start, it just doesn't feel Coldplay-ey, but I grew to accept it and I think it is a great Christmas song, but I have heard better. I personally enjoy 'A Great Big Sled' by The Killers more than 'Christmas Lights'

 

I actually quite like when Chris sings in his lower register. I know I'm probably one of the few, but I almost prefer it to the falsetto.

 

I never take one off Christmas singles too seriously.

I don't think you can really judge what LP5 will be like based on this.

Yes it sounds safe, but I think Christmas songs should be safe songs that are catchy, simple, and easy to remember and sing along with.

 

I think that last bit is exactly right. A Christmas single is meant to appeal to a huge range of people, not just fans... so in that vein, it kind of has to be simple, catchy and easily relateable, like Briggins said.

 

I thought it was bad. Christmas song or not, it's pretty much unlistenable to me :\

 

I think that's kind of harsh. Personally, to me, the worst you can say about it is it's bland or unmemorable (which for me, isn't the case). To rate as "unlistenable", I'd think it'd have to be offensive or just plain lacking in any musical merit. It at least has a pretty melody and I think the piano part is lovely.

[anacaren08]

If everyone loved it and we over-analysed why you wouldn't care, but because people are over-analysing and they don't like it they are being 'too picky'.

 

And yes there is something wrong with being a fangirl, opinions are almost always pro-Coldplay and there's clearly a biased view from a fangirl, and they have an incredibly hard time dealing with any negative views on Coldplay which is always annoying (Like what just happened here).

 

I wasn't referring to just coldplay, in general I just get annoyed by people who like you say over-analyze music and are too picky. Its just the type of personality I don't like, and I have to deal with those type at work all the time. I just don't see why people can't lighten up and stop looking so much at the negatives of things.but whatever.

 

And no there's nothing wrong with being a fangirl. Its just a person who truly likes an artist's music, and happy that way. If you mean we are bad because we are annoying, well picky people are a noying to me, so its pretty much even.

 

I can look at coldplay songs and see some things I don't like, i even skip a few of them. but I just don't focus on the negatives, I choose to take in the songs as they are, for their good qualities. I look at the glass half full not half empty ;)

[anacaren08]

I agree with pretty much all of this.

 

 

 

I actually quite like when Chris sings in his lower register. I know I'm probably one of the few, but I almost prefer it to the falsetto.

 

 

 

I think that last bit is exactly right. A Christmas single is meant to appeal to a huge range of people, not just fans... so in that vein, it kind of has to be simple, catchy and easily relateable, like Briggins said.

 

 

 

I think that's kind of harsh. Personally, to me, the worst you can say about it is it's bland or unmemorable (which for me, isn't the case). To rate as "unlistenable", I'd think it'd have to be offensive or just plain lacking in any musical merit. It at least has a pretty melody and I think the piano part is lovely.

 

I agree with what you say. And I also actually kind of like the lower voice he uses, at first I didn't like because it reminded me of" yes" which is not really a favorite of mine. But I thought it made the song a little bit interesting :D and wasn't overly used.

 

Haha that picture of a "fangirl" :lol:

[Guest kmm1482]

I don't know if most of you have actually listened to the song before. Or maybe briefly heard it and not really listened. It's one of the best Christmas song I've ever heard! I literally listened to it for an hour back to back to back right after I downloaded it.

[Keddie]

From a completely non-"fangirl" perspective, I thought it was a good song. Not magnificent, but very good in it's own right. It is a Christmas song after all, and honestly that makes it a bit difficult to be revolutionary with it. I'm not a fan of Christmas songs at all, so the fact that I enjoyed it proves to me that it was about average at least. I personally enjoy the drums in the song, as well as some of the lyrics, like the bit about Elvis, which I actually found funny. I also like Chris's lower voice; I don't think it sounds bad, just different. It was kind of too cheesy at times, but hey, this is Coldplay after all. Plus, you know, the whole Christmas song thing.

 

I don't think we should use this song to judge how the new album will sound. I feel like this was a completely separate endeavor. I mean, I can't really see the band working with Eno on a Christmas single. I think this song was just Coldplay being their typical nice selves.

[ivet]

^Hello beautiful :heart:

You and I, we see eye to eye

[Keddie]

^Hello beautiful :heart:

You and I, we see eye to eye

:heart:

I'm a huge fan of your sig

[Guest howyousawtheworld]

For a one off single it's fantastic. Also it being a Christmas song - HELLO! We have a Christmas song that isn't corny and is a really decent effort.

 

Sure I have misgivings about the overdub of Chris Martin's voice in the main section (why do they have to do that? It completely takes the charm out of his voice.) but I think the piano work is beautiful.

[Guest howyousawtheworld]

Plus I thought Wedding Bells was incredibly UNDERWHELMING when CM played it at the Apple Keynote conference so Christmas Lights was a relief!

[gioinlove]

it´s no the best work of Coldplay..but it´s a very nice song, i think it have a beautiful meaning. ..just open your mind and your heart and enjoy the song

[Keddie]

^^Agreed

[Megalomania]

From a completely non-"fangirl" perspective, I thought it was a good song. Not magnificent, but very good in it's own right. It is a Christmas song after all, and honestly that makes it a bit difficult to be revolutionary with it. I'm not a fan of Christmas songs at all, so the fact that I enjoyed it proves to me that it was about average at least. I personally enjoy the drums in the song, as well as some of the lyrics, like the bit about Elvis, which I actually found funny. I also like Chris's lower voice; I don't think it sounds bad, just different. It was kind of too cheesy at times, but hey, this is Coldplay after all. Plus, you know, the whole Christmas song thing.

 

I don't think we should use this song to judge how the new album will sound. I feel like this was a completely separate endeavor. I mean, I can't really see the band working with Eno on a Christmas single. I think this song was just Coldplay being their typical nice selves.

 

I agree with you, except for the part about the drums. . . they were kind of simple. Although I guess if they had done something more complicated there would have been too much in the song. ..

[Keddie]

I agree with you, except for the part about the drums. . . they were kind of simple. Although I guess if they had done something more complicated there would have been too much in the song. ..

I'm not saying they were complex (I honestly wouldn't know, I don't know/care about the technicalities of music), I just like them for some reason :)

[Megalomania]

Oh, yeah, sometimes the simplest things are the best. :nice:

[tauiwi]

it´s no the best work of Coldplay..but it´s a very nice song, i think it have a beautiful meaning. ..just open your mind and your heart and enjoy the song

 

DO YOU WANT TO SOUND ANY MORE LIKE A FANGIRL

 

OUT!

[nothingtoseehere]

I was extremely underwhelmed with Wedding Bells. I thought that tiny bit Chris played on the South Bank Show was better than the full song he played recently at that Apple event...

 

So anyway. Now that the hype around Christmas Lights is over and the fangirl in me has completely gone back to hibernation, I can unbiasedly comment on the song. I think it's a great Christmas song. It makes me a bit sad and nostalgic more than anything, maybe because it gives me memories of Christmas in the UK where I spent my childhood...

 

It's Christmassy enough. Images of snow-covered streets and lights (of course!) pop up in my head. And do I hear the sound of jingle bells in the second half? Those always make a song sound winter-festive!

 

I really like the folksy sound the song has. I know the song was written way back in the Viva era, but I hope the folksy sound stays and they bring it into LP5. When did they record Christmas Lights anyway?

 

I can't compare this song to other Coldplay songs precisely because it's a Christmas song, but as far as Christmas songs go, this one's a great one.

[a2iel]

I was extremely underwhelmed with Wedding Bells. I thought that tiny bit Chris played on the South Bank Show was better than the full song he played recently at that Apple event...

 

Totally am with you. I also preferred the little snipped of Wedding Bells from South Bank show over the little snipped of Christmas Lights on 60 minutes. As stated before it is a Christmas song which makes it a bit hard to get through, and musically I have trouble enjoying 6/8 songs. I love the whole first part of it though! And I think it's really interesting how they slow the beginnings of the chorus?

[ivet]

:heart:

I'm a huge fan of your sig

 

I'm a huge fan of you

:heart:

[gioinlove]

DO YOU WANT TO SOUND ANY MORE LIKE A FANGIRL

 

OUT!

 

:D if you want to call it fangirl yes i am a fangirl..however as i said before is not the best work of coldplay obviously..its just a christmas single

[Prospekt.]

Yeah not too impressed. Hoping it's just a Christmas song and not an indication of things to come.

 

I don't hate it though.

[Loki0012]

^ you should its amazing xmas song

[MosesTheMarshmallow]

I've decided upon quite a few listens I love the first half - it has the makings of a mellow song that calls back a little bit of AROBTTH mellowness and VLV sort of folksy sound.

 

But I'm not a big fan of the 2nd half though. I hate when the song practically stops, and Chris gets up (oh that's a pet peeve of mine...when the pianist stops playing the piano but the piano keeps playing in a music video; see: Queen - Don't Stop Me Now). No but my point here is the 2nd half feels too tacked on. The 2nd half feels like a cheesy carol to me, which is probably intentional but that doesn't mean I have to like it; I guess I appreciate it though.

 

Also, whoever pointed out the similarity to the video to Tonight Tonight by Smashing Pumpkins - KUDOS! :)

 

All in all though, I think this is still a song that I love. The ending is a little too grand for my taste, but this is still Coldplay with true Coldplay style.

[i'maveryneatMonster.']

I love how fangirls still posted here with a fangirl opinion.

 

I hate the oh's so much, but hey, Martin is obsessed with them and thought they'd be magnificent like the shit song VLV.

[rudy_o]

It's neither amazing nor impressive, but it's good.

 

And apparently some fangirls failed to read the title of this thread.