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Track 12 - Coloratura | Music of the Spheres


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My profile picture finally has paid off. I don't know y'all this is just too much to take right now. TLDR: My love for this song couldn't be more. I had accepted that Everyday Life might be one of the last moments this band would stay within my music taste, but I never expected this. It's absurdly incredible, it's everything that the band has worked to achieve and in many ways it feels like their singular magnum opus, so far. 

Longer winding reaction, just like the song:

Spoiler

I grew up listening to Elton John and Pink Floyd and David Bowie, and when I first heard the VLV album something clicked for me. Coldplay was one of the few modern bands carrying the torch of making pop music with real artistic sensibility. I've been a huge fan for a while now, but as I get older and my music taste expands, I guess I never quite thought Coldplay could recapture my emotion in a raw way. But every once in a while, it happens. It happened with Midnight, then it happened again with Up&Up, then again with Sunrise and Arabesque. 

Now with Coloratura I feel a huge swell of emotion again, but bigger than I was expecting. The opening piano is singularly the best I've heard from Coldplay maybe ever. It's right up there with Postcards From Far Away and Bani Adam. The strings, the glitchy synths, all of it is overwhelmingly beautiful. And the core song itself is classy AF and feels like a legitimately legendary progressive rock song. Jonny delivers potentially his best solo ever on a technical level, and Guy's bass is extremely impressive throughout the song. Meanwhile Will has complex mix ups in his drumming tempo. The glockenspiel moment is jaw-dropping, and the accompanying strings during the "oh oh oh oh" are just a gut punch. I've always argued with other music lovers "Seriously guys, Coldplay is super talented and can write amazing songs" and now it feels like all of their talent, their production value, their influence, their willingness to let go and explore new sounds has added up to a new height in their career coming off of the fantastic Everyday Life Album. 

At this point, this has entered the conversation as a top ever Coldplay song for me. I think MOTS may have some songs I don't feel great about. HP is pretty solid, Human Heart is lovely, but not amazing, and MU is really fun but by no means an instant classic. I'm super excited to hear other tracks and hope they deliver just some of the production value and musicality of Coloratura... but at this point this is an instantly amazing moment that deserves all the love and praise that can get thrown at it. Coldplay's back. Better than ever. 

 

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What a journey this song is! Love all the little throwbacks to different eras, which makes it feel like a love letter to their whole carreer. Bar the stuff from Everyday Life, this might become my favorite Coldplay song since Moving to Mars.

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40 minutes ago, JM-42 said:

What a journey this song is! Love all the little throwbacks to different eras, which makes it feel like a love letter to their whole carreer. Bar the stuff from Everyday Life, this might become my favorite Coldplay song since Moving to Mars.

 

Speaking of Moving to Mars, I could definitey say that the guitar riff is inspired on the guitar riff that Jonny plays there! 

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I was so shocked when I got to listen to the new track, I couldn't believe it.

It's so motivational when an artist is constantly evolving, and one as a follower, can experiment alongside them that evolution through the albums.

They reached a peak with Everyday Life I honestly thought they couldn't overpass, and then they elaborate this epic ten minutes long adventure that shows 12 years of experimentation, evolution, failures, and creativeness that no other band has developed during these past decades. 

Because all of what I just pointed out, I do think they just have given us their greatest theme of all. They just presented us their final thesis, after years of experimentation. And I cannot be more overwhelmed and proud to be alive at this moment of human history, where we get to have this for free. For free. Wow.

 

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I'm floored by this. I have the same feeling I had when I first heard Arabesque, in that I know after 1 listen this is up there as one of their absolute best.

If we are talking inspiration and references, the biggest vibes I got were Pink Floyd - who are no doubt in the top 3 bands ever to record. The chorus reminds me so much of Brain Damage.

It's almost like they took Moving to Mars (one of my favourite Coldplay songs) and turned it into a 10 minute epic space opera, complete with lush strings, ambient sounds, stirring guitar and the lyrics to match.

Just brilliant.

Also, as a space nerd, this era is already delivering. 

Edited by Yes?
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I woke up and listened to it again to check if i was not dreaming last night... this is just a miracle.

Plus it makes the other songs of the album shine so much more. It gave more depth and sense to HP and HH because we know the end of the journey and where it leads to. 

Edited by Eskapist
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1 minute ago, Eskapist said:

I woke up and listened to it again to check if i was not dreaming last night... this is just a miracle.

Plus it makes the other songs of the album shine so much more. It gave more depth and sense to HP and HH because we know the end of the journey and where it leads two. 

I kind of agree with this, I went through Higher Power, Human Heart and My Universe after this and they were even more enjoyable.

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I dont know what can be said that hasn't already been but

 

For starters, this is the first time in a long time that I've cried hearing a song on first listen. It's just like. All of the frustration of knowing people know Coldplay for terrible songs like Magic, Hymn for the Weekend and to a lesser extent but still true Paradise and Something Just Like This. It might sound strange but this is like the ultimate reckoning for all of that generic pop music they've put out in recent years.

 

Like many people have said, the first two things that came to mind were Pink Floyd and Moving to Mars. PF isn't known for pianos but the rest is very much like them. I remember how upset I was when Moving to Mars was somehow left off MX for other mediocre songs like PoC and Paradise, yet here we are. 

 

Everything is gorgeous, the piano melody (which sounds unusually complex for Coldplay), that Jonny killer solo, the strings and overall atmosphere. I love the lyrics, so unique on the verse and then something more universal on the chorus. It's not even a song, it's like, "an experience man." 

 

As much as I love Birds and EL in general, this has to be the best song I've heard since Touch by Daft Punk in 2013. People who know me know that's also my favorite song. Best Coldplay song since at least Death and All His Friends in 2008. Not only possibly Coldplay's best song period but one of the best songs I've ever heard. Just incredible. I'm floored. 

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39 minutes ago, HowCouldIForget said:

I dont know what can be said that hasn't already been but

 

For starters, this is the first time in a long time that I've cried hearing a song on first listen. It's just like. All of the frustration of knowing people know Coldplay for terrible songs like Magic, Hymn for the Weekend and to a lesser extent but still true Paradise and Something Just Like This. It might sound strange but this is like the ultimate reckoning for all of that generic pop music they've put out in recent years.

 

Like many people have said, the first two things that came to mind were Pink Floyd and Moving to Mars. PF isn't known for pianos but the rest is very much like them. I remember how upset I was when Moving to Mars was somehow left off MX for other mediocre songs like PoC and Paradise, yet here we are. 

 

Everything is gorgeous, the piano melody (which sounds unusually complex for Coldplay), that Jonny killer solo, the strings and overall atmosphere. I love the lyrics, so unique on the verse and then something more universal on the chorus. It's not even a song, it's like, "an experience man." 

 

As much as I love Birds and EL in general, this has to be the best song I've heard since Touch by Daft Punk in 2013. People who know me know that's also my favorite song. Best Coldplay song since at least Death and All His Friends in 2008. Not only possibly Coldplay's best song period but one of the best songs I've ever heard. Just incredible. I'm floored. 

Yeah when I heard this I felt a bit sad as well because I think they waste their talent sometimes.

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The Part when Jonnys guitar kicks in until the last "ohohohoh" is the BEST they have done for years. Simple as that.The "it's a crazy world it's true"-line is just so heartfelt and honest.Awesome.

 

Imagining this being played live when it's all dark outside - Shivers everywhere

Edited by Westminster
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2 hours ago, HowCouldIForget said:

I dont know what can be said that hasn't already been but

 

For starters, this is the first time in a long time that I've cried hearing a song on first listen. It's just like. All of the frustration of knowing people know Coldplay for terrible songs like Magic, Hymn for the Weekend and to a lesser extent but still true Paradise and Something Just Like This. It might sound strange but this is like the ultimate reckoning for all of that generic pop music they've put out in recent years.

 

Like many people have said, the first two things that came to mind were Pink Floyd and Moving to Mars. PF isn't known for pianos but the rest is very much like them. I remember how upset I was when Moving to Mars was somehow left off MX for other mediocre songs like PoC and Paradise, yet here we are. 

 

Everything is gorgeous, the piano melody (which sounds unusually complex for Coldplay), that Jonny killer solo, the strings and overall atmosphere. I love the lyrics, so unique on the verse and then something more universal on the chorus. It's not even a song, it's like, "an experience man." 

 

As much as I love Birds and EL in general, this has to be the best song I've heard since Touch by Daft Punk in 2013. People who know me know that's also my favorite song. Best Coldplay song since at least Death and All His Friends in 2008. Not only possibly Coldplay's best song period but one of the best songs I've ever heard. Just incredible. I'm floored. 

Finally someone mentioned Touch and Paul Williams! This song reminded me so much of that, as well as Pink Floyd's Us and Them. There's a part in the middle of Coloratura which reminded me of the disco/dancey segment in the middle of Touch.

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Oh my lord — seconding all of the sentiments above. I know I haven’t been a longtime member on here, but I’ve been a “lurker,” and Coldplay fan since day one.

Cried on first listen. The Moving to Mars influence is VERY real in this. Piano in the beginning made me think of “Daddy,” and the overall harmonic/chromatic harmonies are just amazing. Orchestral influence. Classical influence. Pink Floyd influence. Is there anything Coldplay can’t do?!
 

In the Top 5 for me. If not, Top 1!

To add: I know they’ve got something planned with FFTF2024, but this honestly feels like such an “ending” to a lifetime of music from them. Like if they didn’t do anything else after this, this would be such a phenomenal song to close the doors of their career on. 

Edited by Tony Manfredonia
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What a brilliant song in every possible way! My only complaint is Jonny's solo is a bit short. But my first few thoughts:

-The refugee-centric narrative becomes more clear here. MOTSvol1 sounds like a journey for an alien to somewhere that welcomes them. 

-The lyrics have an interesting common thread with SJLT and Flags, in which there's a lot of naming-of-historical-figures (if you count superheroes as historical figures). It's not my instant favourite way of being as compared to early Coldplay's vague angst, VLV era vague 1800s angst, or Up&Up which is full of fun imagery/literary references. But it works and it's cool. 

Various stylistic thoughts:

-What an interesting evolution of Moving to Mars, Gravity, Daddy in particular. The harps and strings are a great touch. I hope they can recreate all of that live!! Common to MTM and Coloratura and also HP is how much heavy lifting Will does vocally. He sounds GREAT. 

-A lot of Lydian mode is used in Coloratura, ie if you have a piano in front of you, play an F-to-F scale only on the white keys (as opposed to having a B-flat). You know what else is in Lydian mode? the theme to Back to the Future (and also the Simpsons lol). 

-Jonny tweeted on the CP Q+A that he was experimenting with a Meris Enzo pedal, which is a synth pedal. You can really hear it in the 1st chorus and a few other spots where the guitar is super um, synth-like. Eg the tremolo effect with shifting filter. And later he plays a melody that sounds like a synth but pretty sure it's generated from the guitar. SUPER COOL.

-The bassline is so cool! Phil tweeted and referred to it as "waterfall". It reminds me a lot of Explorers by Muse:

 

-The piano is obviously very good. A lot of chromaticism and interesting chord changes very reminiscent of Bohemian Rhapsdody and also United States of Eurasia by Muse:

 

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