Coldplay on the cover of Portuguese music magazine Blitz (January issue).

"Coldplay interview - Bigger than life"

From what's on the website, the interview will be a translated version of the Q Magazine article (the Niall Doherty one) and will also include a history of Coldplay's shows in Portugal with some reports from fans who attended them.

http://www.blitz.sapo.pt/inicio/modal/destaques/artigo/99121

The issue is now available. I'm definitely going to look for it [emoji6]

I agree. Up&Up has the massive sound but the production really limits it. Hymn For The Weekend is soaring, and will most likely be the biggest one on the album, but it isn't Viva or Paradise or ASFOS-soaring. Who knows, maybe Fun might do it. Or, if the title track gets released as a single, maybe that'll do it. But this era definetely feels different from all the others.... it doesn't "fit in" for some reason. It's starting to gain some identity now and I think it's because we need to let it sink in, and it's starting to. But there seems to be something missing from this era. This might just be their wake-up call alerting them to change direction once yet again, even though this is a very experimental album, it still falls in the poppier category and they've been doing that for three albums straight. So I think we can all agree that the general theme of the albums need to change. :D

 

Ghost was radically different from AHFOD and both are different from Mylo, so not sure that I can say they´ve done the same thing, but I do agree with you that they have incorporated pop into their latest albums much more than the ones before. On some level I can see what you mean that perhaps people might like them less because they are less rock and more pop, it may be true, but on the other hand they´ve had great hits with precisely the very songs that are deemed too mainstream hehe (and of course their successful live shows which have only gotten so great since Viva, which arguably included their very first really poppish song "Lost feat. Jay Z" hehe)

 

As for this album being different, I dont know its too early to tell imo. I honestly did not think Paradise would grow to be such a hit when it came out and also ASFOS. They have seemed to me both slow burners...so I guess lets wait a year or so, see how these songs grow with people. It may be different or just too early :)

Coldplay on the cover of Portuguese music magazine Blitz (January issue).

"Coldplay interview - Bigger than life"

From what's on the website, the interview will be a translated version of the Q Magazine article (the Niall Doherty one) and will also include a history of Coldplay's shows in Portugal with some reports from fans who attended them.

http://www.blitz.sapo.pt/inicio/modal/destaques/artigo/99121

The issue is now available. I'm definitely going to look for it [emoji6]

 

God I just LOVE that shot of them , all coloured up :)

Some songs on AHFOD could have been big hits but they lack something. Maybe a better production and more creativity in the writing and the melody. I always loved Coldplay for their melodies and I can't find any great and memorable melody on this album apart perhaps Amazing Day and Everglow.

God I just LOVE that shot of them , all coloured up :)

Me too. This era's photography is really cool [emoji1]

IMO the big hit on the album is birds it's the only song that have the Coldplay feeling on the album

IMO the big hit on the album is birds it's the only song that have the Coldplay feeling on the album

It's just not a hit single though, it'd bomb in the charts.

It's just not a hit single though, it'd bomb in the charts.

Well that's how I feel about this song

I've been listening to Viva album again cause I've got bored of the new album. The difference in quality is AMAZING! Even the EP Prospekts March is much better, seriously.

 

How can they make an album like that and then just nothing even close to that after that.

 

What happened to Coldplay the last seven years.

I've been listening to Viva album again cause I've got bored of the new album. The difference in quality is AMAZING! Even the EP Prospekts March is much better, seriously.

 

How can they make an album like that and then just nothing even close to that after that.

 

What happened to Coldplay the last seven years.

 

Its certainly a quite different mood than Viva! I wonder if you liked Mylo Xyloto? There was quite a mix of styles in there with a lot of Viva-like tracks like Up with the Birds, UFO, Us Against the World, Charlie Brown, Major Minus, Moving to Mars, (b-side but still same era), Dont let it break your heart,... ok too many to mention LOL

 

I think the quality tunes are still there, however the sound and production have changed a lot on this album (following the stripped down GS), so maybe thats why you feel Viva is much more listenable? I´d say if its organic sound you prioritise I totally get what you mean, but I´d say Mylo was quite organic too.

 

Btw I love VLV. That album is dear to me especially because they released Prospekts March haha I so wish we had EPs from each era now that B-sides are all but dead :/

Regretfully, I cannot agree. There are some gems on it but the rest of it feels pretty shallow to my ears so far...

 

So, I used to review a lot of albums before and read like a shit ton of reviews of all bands (I even wrote for NME when they were in the “KASABIAN-IS-THE-NEXT-OASIS" phase). I genuinely think that it is a really good pop-rock album, like way better than Maroon 5 or Imagine Dragons or One Republic. One trend to notice is that publications which have started reviewing pop music seriously over the last few years have given good reviews (Rolling Stone, Q, NME or even New York Times) and for others whose reviewers must be from the rock staff will find it too hollow. Now, I'm not saying this album is perfect - far from it (the lyrics can be waaayyy better) but it's still a solid 4/5 for me. I think Coldplay have embraced pop completely in this album rather than “should we shouldn't we" phase and if there's good pop music out there in the world, it's only making that genre better.

 

Personally, for me, nothing can eclipse rock. I'll forever be attached to arcade fire, Sigur Ros, Sufjan etc. I do think that Coldplay still have it in them to churn out amazing rock songs but they choose not to. Why? Cos I don't think they are making music for us, they are doing what they like best and have fun doing and right now, it's all Beyonce and Stargate.

 

If this is not their last album, and they do continue after 2-3 years, I think they will keep continuing with new music and that's what will make their legacy different than U2. I would personally want a song like “One" from them but I think they will give us something more like “Army of One" (which I like too)

So, I used to review a lot of albums before and read like a shit ton of reviews of all bands (I even wrote for NME when they were in the “KASABIAN-IS-THE-NEXT-OASIS" phase). I genuinely think that it is a really good pop-rock album, like way better than Maroon 5 or Imagine Dragons or One Republic. One trend to notice is that publications which have started reviewing pop music seriously over the last few years have given good reviews (Rolling Stone, Q, NME or even New York Times) and for others whose reviewers must be from the rock staff will find it too hollow. Now, I'm not saying this album is perfect - far from it (the lyrics can be waaayyy better) but it's still a solid 4/5 for me. I think Coldplay have embraced pop completely in this album rather than “should we shouldn't we" phase and if there's good pop music out there in the world, it's only making that genre better.

 

Personally, for me, nothing can eclipse rock. I'll forever be attached to arcade fire, Sigur Ros, Sufjan etc. I do think that Coldplay still have it in them to churn out amazing rock songs but they choose not to. Why? Cos I don't think they are making music for us, they are doing what they like best and have fun doing and right now, it's all Beyonce and Stargate.

 

If this is not their last album, and they do continue after 2-3 years, I think they will keep continuing with new music and that's what will make their legacy different than U2. I would personally want a song like “One" from them but I think they will give us something more like “Army of One" (which I like too)

My condolences for writing for the NME ;-)

 

I think magazines such as Rolling Stone etc are giving it higher star reviews is because it's almost popular to do so, as you said look at the great reviews and fawning Kasabian were getting in their earlier days or even the reviews Oasis got for Be Here Now when it was released, they ultimately turned out to be poor. I think the same is happening (to an extent) with AHFOD (although it's got a lower score on Metacritic).

 

Anyway, I probably agree that Chris is writing music that he enjoys and wants to. The question I'd have to ask is, how when he grew up with influences such as The Bunnymen, U2 etc could he shift so dramatically into a pop style of songwriting? The answer probably lies in the fact he's mixing it with Bieber and Beyonce and living in LA. I disagree with you that this is a good pop/rock album, I don't think the songwriting is good at all lyrically or musically and there is a large amount of laziness in it,the chord progression, the incredible amount of woh ohhs etc.Take Army Of One for example, it starts out fairly catchy but fades away quickly into a repetitive nothingness or even Everglow, a nice piano riff and melody that is ruined by its dull repetitive decent into a fairly bland song. Utterly lazy songwriting.

Coldplay won't be remembered for this album as it is very throwaway and full of mostly forgettable songs. Again I'd have to ask, why would Chris Martin follow this route? Why would he want to be remember for taking the band down such a bland manufactured sounding pop route? As a lover of rock music I really don't understand it as I could never see myself wanting to produce such bland plastic music. Ultimately Coldplay legacy at the moment is their first 4 albums which is sad as I think they've have the potential to produce great music which they seem to be wasting.

I just can't help but keep wondering, what got left off of the album because of Stargate's ultimatum policy?

 

Because I could sit here and listen to Moving to Mars and spend the rest of my life guessing as to why that, one of my favorite songs all-time, wasn't on MX.

 

It blows my mind that they would throw away all of those songs ("eight or nine for every one they accepted") at the behest of someone completely outside of the band. Who knows what we lost in the process... it hurts to even think about it.

I just can't help but keep wondering, what got left off of the album because of Stargate's ultimatum policy?

 

Because I could sit here and listen to Moving to Mars and spend the rest of my life guessing as to why that, one of my favorite songs all-time, wasn't on MX.

 

It blows my mind that they would throw away all of those songs ("eight or nine for every one they accepted") at the behest of someone completely outside of the band. Who knows what we lost in the process... it hurts to even think about it.

 

I hope they never work with Stargate again.

 

Imagine, we could have got a rock ballad with superb lyrics like With Or Without You:(

We could have gotten a glitchy electronic song like The Gloaming but with cool ambient instrumentation like Treefingers:(

And an actual good collab, like Noel singing as well as guitar.

Or maybe a little piano demo like First Steps.

 

But no. They throw on Army Of One, X Marks The Spot (which is ok I guess) and Hymn (which is starting to bug me).

 

#ColdplayToDumpStargate

I hope they never work with Stargate again.

 

Imagine, we could have got a rock ballad with superb lyrics like With Or Without You:(

We could have gotten a glitchy electronic song like The Gloaming but with cool ambient instrumentation like Treefingers:(

And an actual good collab, like Noel singing as well as guitar.

Or maybe a little piano demo like First Steps.

 

But no. They throw on Army Of One, X Marks The Spot (which is ok I guess) and Hymn (which is starting to bug me).

 

#ColdplayToDumpStargate

And Chris said he had to audition songs before they agreed they'd produce them, whaaat?

 

 

I can't listen to AHFOD anymore, it's just grates and is pretty boring.

^ It's starting to lose some of its sparkle for me also. I started out thinking it was an okay album--better than GS and MX--but now the only songs I listen to are AHFoD, Birds, Kaleidoscope, and sometimes Up&Up and Fun.

 

I'm forever saddened that the rest of AoaL isn't as good as that fantastic riff.

^ It's starting to lose some of its sparkle for me also. I started out thinking it was an okay album--better than GS and MX--but now the only songs I listen to are AHFoD, Birds, Kaleidoscope, and sometimes Up&Up and Fun.

 

I'm forever saddened that the rest of AoaL isn't as good as that fantastic riff.

 

I listen to all of these plus Colour Spectrum (it's a cool transition between some songs on my playlist) and the amazing imo AOAL. AHFOD is unforgettable and so colourful, I just wish the rest of the album was like this. Not overproduced, just right for Coldplay (this song was getting compared to U2 for gods sake)

After listening to it many times after its release, I have now stopped listening to it altogether...

When will the AHFOD elimination game happen?

When will the AHFOD elimination game happen?

 

I'm not its owner (@thetwinparadox is) but I can recall us discussing early January as a possible date.

I haven't listened to it for a week! Might give Birds a listen every now and then but that's about it. I too sense this era feels quite different, the beginning of an end somehow.

 

The album is as irrelevant and unnecessary as they come. I can only hope the band takes a few years off after the tour to seriously contemplate on their output for the past 8 years.

I've been listening to it for a while but now the songs that I find quite boring are Everglow and AOAL. I enjoy HFTW but everytime I hear Beyonce it makes me want to hate the song.

[MEDIA=instagram]_kgUwnHqNH[/MEDIA]

Mobile Link: https://instagram.com/p/_kgUwnHqNH/

 

Coldplay are vinestars now

[MEDIA=instagram]_kgUwnHqNH[/MEDIA]

Mobile Link: https://instagram.com/p/_kgUwnHqNH/

 

Coldplay are vinestars now

Wow, that's horrible and just embarrassing.

Wow, that's horrible and just embarrassing.

Relax, I think that was the purpose of the Monkey M/V.