The 'Coldplay has changed' rant

[ARushOfBuckin]

So as we have all seen this era, everyone has been complaining of how much Coldplay has changed. But I'm here to (rant) explain how Coldplay has changed from every. single. era. and not just GS to the AHFOD era.

 

First, let's get the basics of each album. Parachutes, soft rock. AROBTTH, Indie/Alt. X&Y, Alt. VLVoDAAHF, Alt. MX, Pop/Alt. GS, Alt. AHFOD, Pop/Alt.

 

Each album is different as you can see. Most of them are alternative rock, but all have a different style. I never see people complaining 'Ugh Coldplay has changed so much from Parachutes to AROBTTH!' Well they DID change from those 2 albums. Compare the song Sparks to In My Place. Totally different right? How about Shiver to Daylight? Sort of different.

 

We can't complain about new Coldplay. Yes, we are all allowed to not like a song or two (or a whole album) by the band, but that isn't fair to compare Parachutes to AHFOD or any album except AHFOD to AHFOD. We can all say 'I like this better than this' but we can't compare their styles of music. Each album is different.

 

All artists experiment. Every album, every song, every guitar riff is something new to the band. Coldplay are experimenting different styles of music right now and they are happy. Would you rather have a sad Coldplay or a Coldplay who are happy that they can still make music and perform?

 

Of course Coldplay has changed, they change with music itself. There is always a new style of music being discovered and maybe they want to try it. Without experimenting albums and songs, Coldplay would not be around.

 

It's like, would you create a company that made computers from the 1950's in 2016? No because nobody uses huge computers from the 50's anymore. And for Coldplay it would be, would you make a soft rock album in 2016? Probably not because more people like Pop now. Everyone does love some soft rock every now and then, but it's becoming outdated sadly. We all love Parachutes because we love Coldplay and that's our taste in music.

 

We should all be happy for the band that they love what they are doing. Instead of saying they have changed and I hate your new music, let's give it a chance.

 

(This was a rant of my opinion on the 'Coldplay has changed' saying. Hopefully I didn't offend anyone with this :) Also to say, you can say anything you want about Coldplay! Your opinion! Hopefully I didn't make you feel like you shouldn't voice your opinion. You totally should! Thats what makes us fans! :) )

[Mojan]

Very true!

 

The thing is, if they'd stayed the same, people would complain about them being boring. You can't please everyone.

 

Sent from my SM-A300FU using Coldplaying mobile app

[flockofbirds222]

I couldn't agree more!

[coldplayisawesome]

i think for some "Oldplayers" it is about preference and the kinds of music they attach value to. the change is also about more than just the style of music itself. and i think you're writing this under the impression that the people who don't like the newer stuff HAVEN'T already given it a chance.... especially since AHFOD has been out for the better part of a year now???

 

i personally agree that Coldplay has never seemed to have one exact style, but always bring something to the music that is uniquely Coldplay and i do love that about them. i don't agree with your computer business metaphor because i don't think Coldplay make music FOR anyone but themselves... i don't think they make music strategically in that sense. it's more that a lot of the computers on the market that they take influence from, enjoy using and want to emulate are no longer the ones from the '50s and are far more mainstream.

 

actually, the more i think about it the more i disagree with most of your argument :P of course Coldplay has changed. in some ways it may be for the better, in some ways for the worse - but that's all subjective and the people who don't like where Coldplay are at right now have every right to feel that way. why can't we complain about new Coldplay? why aren't those people allowed to voice their opinions? why does it have to be that fans can't be happy for the band being in a good place in their lives but still not like the music they're putting out now compared to their earlier stuff? or some of the band's habits when it comes to live performances? this is a forum after all, that's what this place is for :P

 

it's funny because i'm more toward your side of this, in that i love what Coldplay has done before and i love what they're doing now and will probably love whatever they do next, but i don't think it's right to tell other people they shouldn't feel the way they feel and they definitely shouldn't talk about it :\

[ARushOfBuckin]

but i don't think it's right to tell other people they shouldn't feel the way they feel and they definitely shouldn't talk about it :\

 

I didn't mean to try to say how people should feel, I was just saying maybe they should give the band another chance for their new stuff! Of course it's fine to hate new coldplay, but some people hate them and don't give them any credit for trying. I totally understand your point but I just wanted to say I didn't mean it that way. Sorry if I wasn't clear on that! :\

[coldplayisawesome]

I didn't mean to try to say how people should feel, I was just saying maybe they should give the band another chance for their new stuff! Of course it's fine to hate new coldplay, but some people hate them and don't give them any credit for trying. I totally understand your point but I just wanted to say I didn't mean it that way. Sorry if I wasn't clear on that! :\

 

i get that, but like i said i think the people who are on here and feel that way about the new music have already done what they could to give it a chance. and maybe for some of them it doesn't feel like the band are trying in the same way they have done in the past. i don't quite feel that way, or it doesn't bother me at least, but i can see where they're coming from, too.

 

now, you wanna talk about the REAL Coldplay haters, that's another story. but those people definitely won't be reading your post on here. :lol::P

[ChrisMartinFan]

Lol I liked both sides of the discussion because I'm a weirdo :D

I agree mostly with Brooke but I can also see where @ARushOfBuckin is coming from. Everyone has a right to an opinion obviously and that's one of the best things about Coldplay fans, we aren't mindless followers, we all have some things we love about the band and others not so much. But there's a difference between having an opinion and trying to state your opinion as a fact :P (not that all Oldplayers do that of course)

'I don't like their new stuff'/ 'I liked them better in 2005' is an opinion. 'Their new stuff is below average' / 'They've become sellouts'/ 'They're terrible now' is not. I mean you can add an imo at the end but still :lol:

I adore older Coldplay songs but I fucking love dancing to HftW, ASfoS and AoaL and feeling euphoric singing along to Up and up's chorus. You're allowed to not like it but don't call it shit please :D

[flockofbirds222]

Lol I liked both sides of the discussion because I'm a weirdo :D

I agree mostly with Brooke but I can also see where @ARushOfBuckin is coming from. Everyone has a right to an opinion obviously and that's one of the best things about Coldplay fans, we aren't mindless followers, we all have some things we love about the band and others not so much. But there's a difference between having an opinion and trying to state your opinion as a fact :P (not that all Oldplayers do that of course)

'I don't like their new stuff'/ 'I liked them better in 2005' is an opinion. 'Their new stuff is below average' / 'They've become sellouts'/ 'They're terrible now' is not. I mean you can add an imo at the end but still :lol:

I adore older Coldplay songs but I fucking love dancing to HftW, ASfoS and AoaL and feeling euphoric singing along to Up and up's chorus. You're allowed to not like it but don't call it shit please :D

I agree, I see the point of both sides. I feel like not so many people say things like that they've become sellouts anymore though. I probably like the older stuff a tiny bit better but it depends a lot on my mood. I just think a band has to change over time, like isn't obvious that they can't be the same than 20 years ago. They're just humans as well and everyone changes a it with time. And you can tell that they've still stayed true to themselves, maybe even more than they ever have. I don't think they care too much what kind of music is popular but what they like right now.

 

But of course there's nothing wrong with stating your opinion as long as your not being mean. And I do understand that it's different when you've been a fan since back in the early days and miss the music from then .

[ChrisMartinFan]

I agree, I see the point of both sides. I feel like not so many people say things like that they've become sellouts anymore though. I probably like the older stuff a tiny bit better but it depends a lot on my mood. I just think a band has to change over time, like isn't obvious that they can't be the same than 20 years ago. They're just humans as well and everyone changes a it with time. And you can tell that they've still stayed true to themselves, maybe even more than they ever have. I don't think they care too much what kind of music is popular but what they like right now.

 

But of course there's nothing wrong with stating your opinion as long as your not being mean. And I do understand that it's different when you've been a fan since back in the early days and miss the music from then .

Exactly. I mean AROBTTH is always going to be my favorite album but I can't really get down to The Scientist now can I :lol:

I completely support people's rights to dislike the band's newer stuff but it just makes me a little sad when I see people referring to it as being somehow inferior. A lot of us join forums like these so we can express our love for the band without any fear of judgement. But sometimes it feels like people think being a Newplayer makes you less of a Coldplay fan or having a more inferior taste in music when they shit on the newer stuff. But then again I understand how the Oldplayers feel as well and they have a right to say whatever they want to. It's a slippery slope :shrug: Which is why I just avoid reading a few threads on the forum :D

[prospekt46]

One day I promise I will write a nice long post about this but today is not that day. But what I can give you for now is something to consider. Viva La Vida was a pretty big departure from Coldplay's previous albums but it is universally praised by nearly everyone here, old and new. MX was another departure from their comfort zone but it began the split between "Oldplay" and "Newplay", but why? When you understand the answer you'll know why Oldplayers exist.

[flockofbirds222]

One day I promise I will write a nice long post about this but today is not that day. But what I can give you for now is something to consider. Viva La Vida was a pretty big departure from Coldplay's previous albums but it is universally praised by nearly everyone here, old and new. MX was another departure from their comfort zone but it began the split between "Oldplay" and "Newplay", but why? When you understand the answer you'll know why Oldplayers exist.

I think it's maybe because Mylo Xyloto is the first album that has songs that could be considered pop, and pop is considered mainstream which is considered as a bad thing. (Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't call MX pop or mainstream though, it still has a really special style). Viva has a different style from anything they did before (like every album) but it has a more alternative rock sound than MX.

 

Just my theory though.

 

But honestly, I think this old stuff vs new stuff discussion exist with every band.

[prospekt46]

Actually you have some points I'd like to address

 

We can't complain about new Coldplay.

 

This pretty much the exact place where you can do that.

 

isn't fair to compare Parachutes to AHFOD or any album except AHFOD to AHFOD. We can all say 'I like this better than this' but we can't compare their styles of music.

 

Comparing and Contrasting is the basis that taste and preference is derived from. You can't objectively score music so instead we form opinions based on what we like and dislike. I could compare Parachutes to AHFOD pretty eloquently actually and explain why I prefer one (Parachutes) to the other.

 

Would you rather have a sad Coldplay or a Coldplay who are happy that they can still make music and perform? NEXT QUOTE: We should all be happy for the band that they love what they are doing. NEXT QUOTE: Without experimenting albums and songs, Coldplay would not be around.

 

I've seen these arguments a few times and they holds no water. It's a total appeal to emotion that tries to excuse criticism of the new albums.

 

Instead of saying they have changed and I hate your new music, let's give it a chance.

 

I'd hope that everyone gave it a couple chances as I'd assume most people on here still consider them their favorite artist. I've given each songs plenty of chances but it just wasn't for me, and what I found is that I feel that way about most tracks post VLV.

 

 

I think it's maybe because Mylo Xyloto is the first album that has songs that could be considered pop, and pop is considered mainstream which is considered as a bad thing. (Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't call MX pop or mainstream though, it still has a really special style). Viva has a different style from anything they did before (like every album) but it has a more alternative rock sound than MX.

 

Just my theory though.

 

But honestly, I think this old stuff vs new stuff discussion exist with every band.

 

The Pop influences are a very small part of it I'd say if I could speak on behalf of Oldplayers, and I also agree that most bands will have fans that prefer a time period over another. Usually because the band does change and eventually they change in a way that a particular fan doesn't like and they drop off. If anyone reads over the Oldplaying thread I think they could pick up on some of the things we like/dislike, it's a lot more nuanced than it seems.

[ChrisMartinFan]

One day I promise I will write a nice long post about this but today is not that day. But what I can give you for now is something to consider. Viva La Vida was a pretty big departure from Coldplay's previous albums but it is universally praised by nearly everyone here, old and new. MX was another departure from their comfort zone but it began the split between "Oldplay" and "Newplay", but why? When you understand the answer you'll know why Oldplayers exist.

I'll be looking forward to that post :D

 

Actually you have some points I'd like to address

 

 

 

This pretty much the exact place where you can do that.

 

 

 

Comparing and Contrasting is the basis that taste and preference is derived from. You can't objectively score music so instead we form opinions based on what we like and dislike. I could compare Parachutes to AHFOD pretty eloquently actually and explain why I prefer one (Parachutes) to the other.

 

 

 

I've seen these arguments a few times and they holds no water. It's a total appeal to emotion that tries to excuse criticism of the new albums.

 

 

 

I'd hope that everyone gave it a couple chances as I'd assume most people on here still consider them their favorite artist. I've given each songs plenty of chances but it just wasn't for me, and what I found is that I feel that way about most tracks post VLV.

 

 

 

 

The Pop influences are a very small part of it I'd say if I could speak on behalf of Oldplayers, and I also agree that most bands will have fans that prefer a time period over another. Usually because the band does change and eventually they change in a way that a particular fan doesn't like and they drop off. If anyone reads over the Oldplaying thread I think they could pick up on some of the things we like/dislike, it's a lot more nuanced than it seems.

While I really like the newer stuff as well, I love your post for its clarity and openness to discussion :D

No one would have any issues if everyone put forth their opinions in a similar manner. It just saddens us 'Allplayers'(? :P) when people resort to calling the newer stuff inferior or subpar. It might not be your thing but that doesn't make it crap. You posting why exactly you prefer something else to it meanwhile is absolutely welcome :D

Not saying everyone does it of course but I've seen a fair few posts like that around the site :c

[coldplayisawesome]

thank you for your post @prospekt46 . i was hoping one of the Oldplayers would show up :D

 

One day I promise I will write a nice long post about this but today is not that day. But what I can give you for now is something to consider. Viva La Vida was a pretty big departure from Coldplay's previous albums but it is universally praised by nearly everyone here, old and new. MX was another departure from their comfort zone but it began the split between "Oldplay" and "Newplay", but why? When you understand the answer you'll know why Oldplayers exist.

 

i think another thing to note, from someone who was around during the VIVA era, is that when that album was released there was a rush of people complaining about the new music and comparing it to Parachutes/AROBTTH (not so much X&Y - if anything people still disliked that album a lot as well) and talking about how the band had changed... so while these opinions are all valid no matter what, this is not something exclusive to the current era and will probably continue forever :P

 

It just saddens us 'Allplayers'(? :P) when people resort to calling the newer stuff inferior or subpar

 

here is how i approach this: don't feel sad if other people don't like the music that you like. music is personal; their dislike of the music is not a personal strike against YOU. i think it's easy to feel this way without even realizing it, that if someone says the music you like is not good, then it feels like they're saying something about you yourself. try to recognize when you're reacting to comments in this way and be able to talk yourself out of it. i don't mean you specifically of course, and this could be applied when talking to anyone, whether they're on here or not... and really about any music, Coldplay or not :P

[prospekt46]

While I really like the newer stuff as well, I love your post for its clarity and openness to discussion :D

No one would have any issues if everyone put forth their opinions in a similar manner. It just saddens us 'Allplayers'(? :P) when people resort to calling the newer stuff inferior or subpar. It might not be your thing but that doesn't make it crap. You posting why exactly you prefer something else to it meanwhile is absolutely welcome :D

Not saying everyone does it of course but I've seen a fair few posts like that around the site :c

 

Yeah I'm sure I've come off worse in other posts but I don't think there's anyone on here that genuinely despises the band or takes the new music personally. I had a very good time at the AHFOD concert regardless of what my ideal setlist would look like.

 

thank you for your post @prospekt46 . i was hoping one of the Oldplayers would show up :D

 

i think another thing to note, from someone who was around during the VIVA era, is that when that album was released there was a rush of people complaining about the new music and comparing it to Parachutes/AROBTTH and talking about how the band had changed... so while these opinions are all valid no matter what, this is not something exclusive to the current era and will probably continue forever :P

 

I only really read coldplaying for a while without an account, but I reread some old threads about the tracks and it's interesting to see what people have to say when they were the ones waiting in anticipation. Expectations can build to unreasonable heights when you're waiting years for a new album.

[coldplayisawesome]

I only really read coldplaying for a while without an account, but I reread some old threads about the tracks and it's interesting to see what people have to say when they were the ones waiting in anticipation. Expectations can build to unreasonable heights when you're waiting years for a new album.

 

it's very interesting! expectations build up in the moment and then as time goes on things start to shift into perspective.

and obviously a lot of the people who didn't like VLV so much aren't on here anymore (along with a lot of people who did like VLV :P), and i have a feeling they probably fell off of the Coldplay train altogether, so that also skews the majority opinion. maybe the people who complained back then simply aren't fans anymore, so those around now are the people who love it :P

[prospekt46]

it's very interesting! expectations build up in the moment and then as time goes on things start to shift into perspective.

and obviously a lot of the people who didn't like VLV so much aren't on here anymore (along with a lot of people who did like VLV :P), and i have a feeling they probably fell off of the Coldplay train altogether, so that also skews the majority opinion. maybe the people who complained back then simply aren't fans anymore, so those around now are the people who love it :P

 

Well I can safely say that each new album has taken at minimum a year for me to really come around to it. Just recently I've been a little more accepting of True Love.

[ARushOfBuckin]

I'm an Oldplayer but I like all of Coldplay's music. I can totally understand where everyone comes from, liking the old stuff over the new :P But the point of the post was to understand Coldplay has changed and we can't do much about it. No, we don't have to like it, but maybe give it a chance (to the people who haven't given it a chance.) I know the album will be close to a year old, but you never know. Hopefully everyone knows you're all entitled to your opinions here of course and my post was my opinion on some people who say they have changed (and never give the new stuff a chance) :)

[cameidoscope]

Each Album they had is an individual unique project, with it's own theme, colors, similar music, even outfits. You can even see it in the tour: AHFOD has the most colors, GS is mainly blue/ white / grey / purple, the way Chris sings depending on from which album the song is, etc. I think it's very impressive that they've had this variation throughout their career, especially shifting between Rock and the 'new' Pop. Each Album represents a phase, a mood, an idea, whatever you wanna call it. No one stays the same throughout their lives, and therefore the music doesn't stay the same. Also, not many bands have been able to make music that you can relate to in so many different situations. Wanna dance? AOAL. Angry? Politik. Heartbroken? Ghoststory.

So people should appreciate that a band has been able to present that huge variety.

 

Also, not many bands have been able to sell out stadiums for at least 10 years! And that's mainly because their audience has grown so much, if you look at the crowd from this year's tour you'll find people from all age groups.

 

So yeah, "new" Coldplay is different, but it's not bad. There's a huge difference between both words. There are some people who do not relate to the new albums, which is normal. Buut, there are people who've known the band for over a decade who like the style now more, and there are people who randomly decided to go a Coldplay Concert a couple of weeks ago, and then decided to listen to some old stuff and found Brothers & Sisters incredible. Everything is possible! And at the end of the day, regardless of the album, the song, we all love the same band, the same 4 guys - so you have to realize that we're all part of one big fandom, just with different branches (:

[coldplayisawesome]

we're all part of one big fandom, just with different branches (:

 

i think your sentiment would make Chris Martin proud :P :wacky:

[cameidoscope]

i think your sentiment would make Chris Martin proud :P :wacky:

 

I learned from the best :rolleyes:

[cp3176]

I agree with most of your post, although one thing, I don't think GS is "alt" lol... that's definetely a mainly pop album, perhaps with alt influences.

 

I fall into the minority of Oldplayers that actually love Mylo Xyloto. Mainly I see most Oldplayers on here only like Viva la Vida and before. For me Coldplay's was strongest from Mylo and before that. I don't know what it is about the pop/EDM from 2011-2012 but I love it so much, I mean it all feels honest, real and genuine, something about today's mainstream pop scene is just not the same, the way the tracks are layered together feels much more fake and plastic now then it did back then, and the lyrics are also much worse. One of the greatest examples I can think of from 2012 is that "Dont You Worry Child" song, sure it's a big dance track and stuff but it feels so joyful and genuine, the melody is amazing, the tracks feel like they're layered together properly, it's not overproduced, etc.

And hey I don't even have a problem with the stuff after Mylo Xyloto. Ghost Stories and AHFOD for me are both really good albums especially when compared to the rest of the mainstream stuff. I can say with confidence though that the depth and honesty from their earlier days aren't there in these newer works. Of course some of it is still there. But something just feels missing and it's hard to exactly pinpoint what it is. It feels really weird.

One more thing, Oldplayers say it's not change that they're against, it's the nature of the change. I can see that, of course there was a massive change in some songs from Parachutes to A Rush but they still like both of those kinds of music. However the change from Viva to Mylo was one that some didn't like.

So that's my opinion on this whole "Newplay vs Oldplay" thing.

[JM-42]

Oldplayers say it's not change that they're against, it's the nature of the change. I can see that, of course there was a massive change in some songs from Parachutes to A Rush but they still like both of those kinds of music. However the change from Viva to Mylo was one that some didn't like.

 

I wanted to point that out too. The nature of the change is what drove some of us off.

 

As for me, I have nothing against pop music. If that's what the band feels like doing, there's no reason they shouldn't go for it. But, in my opinion, MX is a good pop album, and AHFOD is not.

[cp3176]

I wanted to point that out too. The nature of the change is what drove some of us off.

 

As for me, I have nothing against pop music. If that's what the band feels like doing, there's no reason they shouldn't go for it. But, in my opinion, MX is a good pop album, and AHFOD is not.

True that! I agree with your statement on MX being a good pop album and AHFOD not. Although IMO it's more MX being outstanding and AHFOD just... good.

 

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Coldplaying mobile app

[I ran away]

Just read through this thread. I could type out a long response addressing a lot of points, which I'm not gonna do now because it is very redundant to stuff that I feel has been said over and over again (and I'm on mobile).

 

So just a few keywords (not every Oldplayer may agree with this, it's my personal views)

 

- overproduction, more 'plastic' rather than organic feeling, fake drums

- influences - regardless of genre, it used to be critically acclaimed / artsy ones (Radiohead, Bunnymen, Travis, Sigur Ros, Arcade Fire, Jeff Buckley, Kraftwerk, U2..), nowadays artists who are generally perceived as commercial, superficial (Drake, Rihanna, Selena Gomez,...)

- focus on show and gimmicks rather than the music itself (Chris bouncing around instead of delivering a better vocal performance; not to mention lip-sync scandal; use of backing tracks not sparsely any more but backing tracks literally make up a significant part of the show now !)

- less enchanting melodies, sometimes paired with sub-par lyrics, especially on GS

- product placement in music video...something that the old band categorically denied to ever happen, a long time ago

- this neat and subtle, unassuming layering that makes the first 3/4 albums such a delight to listen to is missing. Partly probably through production, partly through songwriting

- Chris's singing style - he used to draw out words, especially in emotionally charged lyrics, now he sings more like a rapper/hiphopper, making the words sound as short as possible. Applies to older songs in new live performances as well - example:

Come up to meeeeet youuuu, tell you I'm soooorrryy

NOW:

Come up to meetyu, tell you I'msorry

Its a very lazy singing style that doesn't do these songs justice.

 

All in all, much of the authenticity and things that used to set Coldplay apart from your average rock or pop band have gotten lost on the way.