I just look at responses about Coldplay, especially in light of the Every Teardrop single, and it seems to be so popular, like, unbelievably popular, like, I literally don't believe it.

 

Some fans have literally said they would love it nomatter what, so basically, they'd love it even if deep down they knew it was awful. This is an unfair representation of all Coldplay fans, this is just a small number, but that's harcore fangirl/boyness, and from there it's like we have different levels, let us revert to the chart:

 

I love everything Coldplay do nomatter what!

 

vvvvvvvv

 

If you don't like this you aren't a real fan

 

vvvvvvv

 

Take your time and realise how beautiful this music definitely is

 

vvvvvv

 

This is just musical progression and it's different but I like it!

 

vvvvv

 

I didn't like this at first but after strapping myself into a chair with my eyelids peeled back watching countless images of Coldplay for 30 hours while this played on loop I'm beginning to think its good

 

vvvv

 

You can't judge it until you hear it in the context of the album

 

vvv

 

I can't judge it until I hear it in the context of the album

 

vv

 

I'm disappointed

 

v

 

This is shit (Enlightened individual)

 

The reaction is overwhelmingly positive among people who are Coldplay fans, and consider themselves mainly Coldplay fans.

 

The main thing I've noticed is people who love the songs don't actually give reasons for it, like they haven't thought it through. I'm not generalising and saying all of you need to give a comprehensive bullet points as to why this stimulates your ear drums, but the main reaction I read about is "Of course this is great its Coldplay!".

 

Liking a song is one thing, and we all have opinions, but liking it because of pre-dispositions?

That's really weird. I'd have thought to be a fan of someone, you've got to be critical to at least something...but it looks like these people are close to mindless with their opinions and only see the good in the songs, it's quite scary actually! :L

I think people like and dislike songs also with pre-dispositions. Also it might be easier to articulate why you dislike a song than actually explain why you like it in details. Anyway I gave a list of reasons why I like the songs on other threads and I definitely do not like the songs because they are played by Coldplay. I have dropped many an artist because I ended up not liking their newest work, so it would not be a first for me.

 

But I think for a lot of die-hard fans, it´s a bit like being disappointed by someone you love: because of everything wonderful you shared in the past, you want to try your hardest to forgive them or see the best in them.

That's really weird. I'd have thought to be a fan of someone, you've got to be critical to at least something...but it looks like these people are close to mindless with their opinions and only see the good in the songs, it's quite scary actually! :L

 

Those few people (To be fair) who actually admit they love Coldplay's music nomatter what, and the considerably larger number of people who feel that if you don't like it you aren't a real fan, are exactly what I mean by 'cult'.

 

After that, there is still a vast number of people still trying to like it, you see it all over the Every Tear and Paradise forums when the songs were released, a "mixed" opinion, there are loads of people who seem reasonable enough who are trying to get into it. It's like, why are you trying so hard?

 

It's not as if it's Lotus Flower, these new songs are instantly understandable, basic pop music, with basic lyrics, theres no reading between the lines, it shouldn't take long to form an opinion.

 

Just like Every Tear, I'm sure the mixed opinions from people trying to get into it will suddenly click into gear and will start preaching of how great this new Paradise song is all of a sudden. For an example look at the 5th highest cult status on my rather jokey chart, those people turn into true lovers of the music.

I think people like and dislike songs also with pre-dispositions. Also it might be easier to articulate why you dislike a song than actually explain why you like it in details. Anyway I gave a list of reasons why I like the songs on other threads and I definitely do not like the songs because they are played by Coldplay. I have dropped many an artist because I ended up not liking their newest work, so it would not be a first for me.

 

But I think for a lot of die-hard fans, it´s a bit like being disappointed by someone you love: because of everything wonderful you shared in the past, you want to try your hardest to forgive them or see the best in them.

 

That is very well put, although I have to say, I've never known of such blind loyalty to a band. Maybe it's just the age of the internet- smoke and mirrors, for example U2's popularity took a downturn in the 90s, maybe if Youtube and social networking sites existed then there would seem like this strong fanbase just ploughed on, its hard to tell.

 

I will admit that Coldplay, right now, and even in the past 5 or so years, are possibly the only consistently huge band in existence in terms of mainstream popularity as well as a huge fanbase. Maybe I don't pay enough attention but to me, big acts like Muse or Kings of Lion don't compare to the amount of success Coldplay have had.

I didn't like this at first but after strapping myself into a chair with my eyelids peeled back watching countless images of Coldplay for 30 hours while this played on loop I'm beginning to think its good

 

vvvv

Geez this sounds like a new method of torture :stunned:

 

Oh and back to the topic:

 

I haven't read all the post here but for me it seems that Coldplay itself isn't a cult, but some of these rather freaky fans (like the one who you've quoted above) make it seem like one.

And I also don't understand why people force themselves to like the new songs. It's not like it's a rule to LOVE them, where are the critical abilities of those people? Maybe they feel like they have to love everything Coldplay does so that they don't feel bad about it, I dunno :shrug:

 

Sorry for any possible confusion, I haven't slept in a while <__<

Geez this sounds like a new method of torture :stunned:

 

Well yeah, it was the jokey part of my post. And that isn't a new method of torture, just an exaggerated step people will reach to like these songs.

 

I haven't read all the post here but for me it seems that Coldplay itself isn't a cult' date=' but some of these rather freaky fans (like the one who you've quoted above) make it seem like one.[/quote']

 

That's why I said it seems like "Kindof a cult". But it's not just the freaky fans, it is also people who want to like the new stuff desperately, that spreads over a lot of fans.

do you feel like some people genuinely do like their new music?

I think it's crap, but there could be people that actually like it. I don't think we can say that they need to dislike it too..

do you feel like some people genuinely do like their new music?

 

This is what I'm wondering too. Now I don't like a song just because of the reason that it's Coldplay. But Reilly you sound like you're targeting people who do genuinely like the song. I know this probably isn't your intention as you mentioned but it may not be so clear sometimes.

Why can't people just like the song without being criticized for liking it? Maybe some Colplay fans like the synthesizer, like the hip hop beat. It's music...it's art. It speaks differently to everyone. We don't own Coldplay. They are under no legal contract to make a new version of Parachutes every two years.

 

I hate Britney Spears, but who am I to judge others that do like it? What if one of her songs makes someone cry or makes them really happy? I think it's crap, but if her autotone voice brings happiness to another human, why should that upset me?

do you feel like some people genuinely do like their new music?

 

In this forum many people don't like their news songs but in real life people love!

I hate Britney Spears, but who am I to judge others that do like it? What if one of her songs makes someone cry or makes them really happy? I think it's crap, but if her autotone voice brings happiness to another human, why should that upset me?

 

The point is that people are equating any amount of criticism as "hate" for the band. And when we ask why they love a song like Paradise, many of them give a response along the lines of: "it's Coldplay so we should love it. How dare you be rude to say something bad about their efforts!"

 

The only people getting "upset" are ironically the fiercest defendants of the band, those who haven't been able to articulate why they enjoy the new songs so much. Instead of joining in the debate with some independent thoughts of their own, they're resorting to creating new threads and calling names. This is cultlike behavior.

Someone posted that we're supposed to like Coldplay's songs. And many people have said that MX will be an amazing album even if it hasn't been released. So yeah.

Why can't people just like the song without being criticized for liking it? Maybe some Colplay fans like the synthesizer, like the hip hop beat. It's music...it's art. It speaks differently to everyone. We don't own Coldplay. They are under no legal contract to make a new version of Parachutes every two years.

 

I hate Britney Spears, but who am I to judge others that do like it? What if one of her songs makes someone cry or makes them really happy? I think it's crap, but if her autotone voice brings happiness to another human, why should that upset me?

 

But this is not the point of this thread at all.

That debate is all over every other thread of this forum, no need to drag it here too.

The point is that people are equating any amount of criticism as "hate" for the band. And when we ask why they love a song like Paradise, many of them give a response along the lines of: "it's Coldplay so we should love it. How dare you be rude to say something bad about their efforts!"

 

The only people getting "upset" are ironically the fiercest defendants of the band, those who haven't been able to articulate why they enjoy the new songs so much. Instead of joining in the debate with some independent thoughts of their own, they're resorting to creating new threads and calling names. This is cultlike behavior.

 

 

I can't speak for anyone else, but the only criticism I took issue with is that which was founded around arguments that contained statements which were objectively untrue (ie. coldplay wasn't a massive, commercial band prior to 2008 or that Chris hasn't always had a love for pop music and expressed his love for said publicly and frequently), or who assumed that "no one" could possibly like Paradise or ETDIAWF

 

As to why I like Paradise:

 

-I find the bassline to be pretty damn awesome.

-I prefer Chris' voice when he sings in his lower register

-I like the string arangements and the way they gradually build to something that IMHO is pretty sweeping and majestic

-I think that same sense of sweeping combined with the chanted para-para-dise chorus will make the song absolutely stomping when played live.

 

It's not my favorite Coldplay song (and I think Charlie Brown and Hurts Like Heaven would have both made MUCH better singles), but I do like it.

I generally like Coldplay songs because of their lyrical depth and ability to draw me into a story. I try not to read opinions about certain songs or albums in general before I listen to them, positive or negative, because they are completely irrelevant to my own experience. Although if someone's opinion gives an interesting perspective to a song or concept I will appreciate it and enjoy it that much more.

one of the key indicators of a cult is blind idolatry. some of those posts you've mentioned do display that tendency

i understood the title as if coldplay was a cult band. :uhoh:

 

indeed some people seem to follow a band/artist as if they were their gods to worship and so, not only with coldplay.

i guess is what modern society has lead us to, i don't know.

but for me coldplay and no other artist is my God, i can like a song very much but that's not gonna rule my life or acts, as a cult/religion does, a piece can influence me, i won't deny it, but the whole work as a blind, never.

i guess is good too know that from your sentences levels i'm some point between the 3rd and 2nd from the down.

I suppose with any popular group, there's always going to be the diehard fans who like everything no matter what. But I see your point, the fans should be at least slightly objective.

one of the key indicators of a cult is blind idolatry. some of those posts you've mentioned do display that tendency

 

 

But that's pretty much true of any band. There's a segment of the fanbase that will like anything the band puts out, because they feel invested in some way in the band.

I suppose with any popular group, there's always going to be the diehard fans who like everything no matter what. But I see your point, the fans should be at least slightly objective.

 

I totally agree. It's not because we like Coldplay that we like all their songs and all they do.

I think it is also the part of the fans to say what they like and dislike to their idol who listen them or not for the future

As someone mentioned, any popular group/artist have some real FANatics, who will love them no matter what and follow them religiously. I have never understood that kind of fanatism (unless you are a teen: I´ve been there myself :). I think it does not matter to us as fans, but I would imagine as an artist, it must be hard to meet and see people that idolize you in such a manner: I would find it downright scary.

T'was once a time where I was rocketing way up to Stage 3, but now I am at the enlightenment. So remember, they can change!

The 'englightened individual' comment was a joke of course, and this relates to the person who responded on the last page (coldplayisawesome), yes I do believe people genuinely like it as well, of course, I think the general consensus from reading into these replies is that few people don't make up for the majority. I have made a thread in the Paradise forum about hilarious or over the top responses from fans on youtube, and from going back to the Paradise youtube page I would say that a significant portion of posts appear to be from some idiot saying "This is Paradise!" or "I hit 'like' before I hit play :D".

 

This just shows 'blind idiocy' as Jenjie puts it, and before I mentioned that Coldplay right now are the only huge mainstream band (Consistently over a number of albums) with a strong fan base, so with millions of fans of course you're going to get some people acting like idiots and thinking that being THE BIGGEST Coldplay fan means being unobjective and you wear this medal with pride so you have to show the extremes as to how much you like Coldplay. But I don't remember this happening when, for example, Radiohead's last album coming out. I don't remember reading youtube comments and laughing at how stupid people are for just embracing something regardless of actually thinking it through.

 

In fact even the most positive initial responses weren't positive at all, at the best people were still trying to get into it, and I would say many people didn't end up getting it at all, it's not known among fans as their best work or anywhere near that really. But already I've seen so many comments that literally have said "THIS IS THE BEST SONG EVER" or "Coldplays best song yet thumbs up!" and it's like, firstly, you can't seriously think that, secondly, even if you do, will you honestly still feel the same way next week?

 

Coldplay do have more fans then Radiohead, and you could say I'm biased being a RH fan, but I think online Coldplay fans are much more embarrassing then RH. It's possibly because they are more mainstream right now, if you really think about it RH haven't had a song that regularly circulates on music channels or radio since 1998, 'There There' is probably the closest since but its popularity can't be compared with pretty much all of Coldplay's singles in the last decade.

 

So what I'm saying is that it is probably inevitable when a band has a gigantic amount of fans, the ones who try to show just how big of a fan they are tend to stand out as pure morons, and they make Coldplay look like a "cult".