🌕 Coldplay: Moon Music 🌕 | Music of the Spheres vol ii | Discussion

[elroy bo]

Pretty underwhelmed by MOTS album...

 

I somewhat admire at how Coldplay are fairly prolific, usually an album every couple of years but I suppose their albums are mostly not that long... but I think I'd prefer them to be making fewer and better albums... had to wait 5 years for Arcade Fire to reappear but it was worth it...

 

If Moon Music is as good as MOTS, perhaps it's time to say cheerio and leave some good memories...

[CP-EST]

MOTS as an album might not be their strongest, but I feel like at this point certainly more seems to have come out of it than from AHFOD. It produced several very different amazing moments for live shows. So I'd expect vol 2 concentrating on generating some more great live show moments.

While MOTS vol 1 was "From Earth With Love", vol 2 will be "Moon Music". Now, I don't expect there to be a storyline really, but I sort of expect vol 2 to be an answer or reflection to some of the stuff on vol 1. Vol 1 very much was sang from the perspective of being human on Earth, although at the end Coloratura sounds more thoughtful and wandering about in Universe. Maybe vol 2 will generally take another perspective lyrically, being more distant and telling stories/commenting.

Sonically I'd expect it to be more adventurous and heavier than vol 1. I'd expect band being instrumentally more dominant in live performances than with vol 1 songs. We already know from 2022 interviews they were working on song Robots, which they said is heavier than People of the Pride.

For live performances I definitely hope for a new strong full band rock ballad come out of it. In the end sadly they couldn't make Coloratura work in stadium shows properly. So we need some instrumentally equally great, but more concise song to get over it.

Also of course there will be some more emoji titles probably, moon emoji pretty much confirmed as one of the titles, I guess. 😄

The worst what could happen is Moon Music being a full album of sugary sweet love songs like Biutyful sang by Angel Moon and we're not going to hear Chris' actual voice this time.

[lennyrott1]

I think that's a spot on analysis of the most likely outcome with the ever-present fear of Coldplay nose-diving into a pop mess that doesn't work. But the thing about the band is that they are unpredictably predictable. They always keep us guessing -- right on the edge of thinking they'll do something really different or really poppy, but when the album drops it's safe to bet you'll have a few poppier singles (ASFOS, Magic, Orphans, Cry Cry Cry, AOAL, MU, HP) countered with a mix of pop/alternative (Coloratura, Midnight, Birds, Up&Up, TiT, Arabesque). 

With Moon Music, I predict the overall package will lean more alternative -- maybe some quieter rock ballads, a few spacier electronic songs and interludes but I they'll stick with the overall 80's pop chique established in songs like HP & MU. The rumor that they had Nile Rodgers in studio, for example, suggests a song that leans disco or funk, maybe a pop song about dancing on the moon or something that sounds like Daft Punk's Random Access Memories. We also know that they are still likely keeping Max Martin on production, which would push the sounds to be polished and less instrumentally rich. 

So I hope it ends up being a better album than MOTS or even better, I hope it just sounds drastically different, like it's own album cycle that kind of lives is the MOTS era. Because ultimately I just didn't vibe with the choices they made on album one, and I say that as a big fan of Humankind, Biutyful and Coloratura.

[TheBigBadBono]

Hey guys, haven't checked into this website in nearly a year but am coming back hopefully before the hype train officially leaves the station. Here's hoping for Moon Music to be a much better outing.

[IcebatofvalikinRRBZ8]

Excited 🌙 

[elroy bo]

"Infinity Sign" is just pointless. I don't like "People Of The Pride". And "Biutyful" has that stupid voice. 

 

I understand revisionism is pointless. But I'd be happy with say 8 songs as good as the other six. That'd have made a good short but sweet album for me...

[GamingForeverAUS]

the site's back up ! astronaut was good on snl, hh/ fix u not so much..

[Suhit]

Also just noticed that Chris has gone back to his really short haircut, and that makes me think that there's a pattern (this has possibly been pointed out before) relating his haircut to the style of the album (as hilarious as that sounds, I know! 😂).

Generally, (at least recently) shorter hair = quieter/experimental/alternative albums.

I remember Chris sporting shorter hair for Ghost stories, Everyday Life, beginning of Viva la Vida as well, I think. But I don't think he had the short haircut for Mylo Xyloto and AHFOD and MOTS.

 

Ofc, Parachutes and AROBTTH had the short haircut as well. But we can all agree that those were from another era.

So can we hope for something a little more experimental again in Moon Music?

That's it, that's my most overstretched idea for this year on Coldplaying. 😬

Edited February 7, 2023 by Suhit
P.S

[IcebatofvalikinRRBZ8]

Hope The Astronaut gets on Moon Music.

[Doomotron]

What's The Astronaut?

[nowayme]

3 hours ago, Doomotron said:

What's The Astronaut?

Since wikipedia's story is shaped after the story that the labels want people to believe, or to be fair just the parts they want people to know, here's the real full story. Astronaut is a very-late-in-production track they were working on Mylo Xyloto sessions with the late Johann Johhannsson (I think it was a pre-existing arrangement or something of him), that went dormant until AHFOD(? I don't have proof for that but I think some people reading do) and then was handled to Kygo/Max Martin/Bill Rahko on MOTS and was eventually handled to Jin from BTS. I wouldn't be fully surprised if they'd release a version as a metaphorical answer to Jin and his situation, but atleast so far I'm not aware of such thing.

Edited February 7, 2023 by nowayme

[Doomotron]

I just listened to it, it's actually rather nice. Hopefully the rest of the tracks as good or better than this.

[CP-EST]

The Astronaut being on Moon Music wouldn't be that bad, but not the greatest idea in my opinion. That would just make it seem, like they use it as a filler track, because they couldn't come up with enough songs. Also it would just be a little bit weird as well, giving a song to Jin, but then later taking it back. At least I wouldn't get it, but it wouldn't matter that much if it sounds ok in album context.

In recent performances hearing that Chris' voice is quite out of shape and it's so noticeable, despite of having a supporting backing track and a choir behind him. Honestly, I'm hoping they actually start using backing singers and maybe even some additional musicians on stage while touring. The hard truth is that Chris' voice just won't carry those high long notes anymore. It would suit well for Coldplay to have their stage more crowded and have some backing vocalists with them on tour.

Otherwise nice performances on SNL, Coldplay version of The Astronaut is nice, but Chris just doesn't do a good job singing it. It probably doesn't suit him, but otherwise it would suit well to their concert as we have seen already.

Also did Chris hit that guy's helmet at 2:05? It seems and sounds so much like that😆

 

[Doomotron]

11 hours ago, CP-EST said:

Also it would just be a little bit weird as well, giving a song to Jin, but then later taking it back.

They've done this before, when they covered their own song, Gravity, which they'd previously given to Embrace who released it in a completely different style.

It is interesting that Coldplay would perform The Astronaut alone, and it suggests they might release it as their own song... Why perform a song days after announcing a new album that isn't for said new album?

The Astronaut gives me a clear image in my head, particularly Coldplay's version. I imagine it being played at the end of a sad film when the tone changes and everyone will be alright as the credits start to roll.

Edited February 8, 2023 by Doomotron

[TheBigBadBono]

If the Astronaut was released as a single already then I don't think the band would put their version on the album, they did this with Gravity and in a similar vein with Lukas. Maybe as a B-Side?

[lennyrott1]

On 2/7/2023 at 4:26 AM, nowayme said:

Since wikipedia's story is shaped after the story that the labels want people to believe, or to be fair just the parts they want people to know, here's the real full story. Astronaut is a very-late-in-production track they were working on Mylo Xyloto sessions with the late Johann Johhannsson (I think it was a pre-existing arrangement or something of him), that went dormant until AHFOD(? I don't have proof for that but I think some people reading do) and then was handled to Kygo/Max Martin/Bill Rahko on MOTS and was eventually handled to Jin from BTS. I wouldn't be fully surprised if they'd release a version as a metaphorical answer to Jin and his situation, but atleast so far I'm not aware of such thing.

Yes and to clarify something, Johann Johhannsson's soundtrack for the film Arrival is sampled subtely in the background of song. Specifically the song Kangaru, which features a really cool rhythmic "nanananana" that sounds very alien and hypnotising. 

I don't think it will be on Moon Music. I think they performed it as a one-off shout out to Jin in this era. It just seems that if they wanted to drop it as a single, they would have by now. If anything, we might get an official release of the live performance with Jin as a bonus track (think Something Just Like This live in Japan)

[nowayme]

They released "Something Just Like This" in exacty the same way, on the EP of an Album (AHFOD -> Kaleidoscope) so they have a history of doing that back and forth thing.

Edited February 9, 2023 by nowayme

[GamingForeverAUS]

3 hours ago, lennyrott1 said:

Yes and to clarify something, Johann Johhannsson's soundtrack for the film Arrival is sampled subtely in the background of song. Specifically the song Kangaru, which features a really cool rhythmic "nanananana" that sounds very alien and hypnotising. 

I don't think it will be on Moon Music. I think they performed it as a one-off shout out to Jin in this era. It just seems that if they wanted to drop it as a single, they would have by now. If anything, we might get an official release of the live performance with Jin as a bonus track (think Something Just Like This live i"n Japan)

the 'nanananana' has also been sampled on this tour's format of Fix You [though its hard to hear, check IEM recordings], and on certain performances of Biutfyul [mainly during NA] - I wonder why they love that sample so much

Edited February 8, 2023 by GamingForeverAUS

[TheLostColdplayer]

Hi guys! Nice to be back here.

What you say is really interesting. I also heard that they brought back several Wedding Album / Mylo Xyloto era tracks during the Everyday Life sessions ("Arabesque" obviously, but also others).

How did you discover about "The Astronaut", by the way?

P.S. 100% agree with what has been said on the SNL performances.

Edited February 9, 2023 by TheLostColdplayer

[Admirice]

On 2/7/2023 at 7:26 PM, nowayme said:

Since wikipedia's story is shaped after the story that the labels want people to believe, or to be fair just the parts they want people to know, here's the real full story. Astronaut is a very-late-in-production track they were working on Mylo Xyloto sessions with the late Johann Johhannsson (I think it was a pre-existing arrangement or something of him), that went dormant until AHFOD(? I don't have proof for that but I think some people reading do) and then was handled to Kygo/Max Martin/Bill Rahko on MOTS and was eventually handled to Jin from BTS. I wouldn't be fully surprised if they'd release a version as a metaphorical answer to Jin and his situation, but atleast so far I'm not aware of such thing.

Yes, this is the right real full story, TA was originally from 2011.

[The Adversary]

Very quiet here on this website, I’d say many old school type fans have just given up on them at this stage. If this new album is just going to be more of the same pop dirge I’ll be giving it a wide berth.

I was so disappointed in the direction they went in after EL, Thought they might have turned a corner and reigned some of the pop nonsense back in but alas it was not to be.

[I ran away]

1 hour ago, The Adversary said:

Very quiet here on this website, I’d say many old school type fans have just given up on them at this stage. If this new album is just going to be more of the same pop dirge I’ll be giving it a wide berth.

I was so disappointed in the direction they went in after EL, Thought they might have turned a corner and reigned some of the pop nonsense back in but alas it was not to be.

Fancy seeing you here after all this time!

I feel that Moon Music will be more MOTS style pop too. What do you think about Coloratura though?

[The Adversary]

39 minutes ago, I ran away said:

Fancy seeing you here after all this time!

I feel that Moon Music will be more MOTS style pop too. What do you think about Coloratura though?

Yes it has been a long time. To quote an oft-sung Smashmouth song “The years start coming and they simply do not stop coming” lol. Had to think hard for a moment to remember my password.

I like Coloratura for what it is but doesn’t give me the Old Coldplay “wow” feeling that the piano driven Viva and PM songs do for example. Also the fact they used the American spelling of colour instead of the British version irks me but that’s just a petty point from me.

I can’t even remember the rest of the album, I listened to it once and pretty much decided that I was completely giving up on the band going forward apart from cherishing the older stuff obviously.

[Doomotron]

14 hours ago, The Adversary said:

Yes it has been a long time. To quote an oft-sung Smashmouth song “The years start coming and they simply do not stop coming” lol. Had to think hard for a moment to remember my password.

I like Coloratura for what it is but doesn’t give me the Old Coldplay “wow” feeling that the piano driven Viva and PM songs do for example. Also the fact they used the American spelling of colour instead of the British version irks me but that’s just a petty point from me.

I can’t even remember the rest of the album, I listened to it once and pretty much decided that I was completely giving up on the band going forward apart from cherishing the older stuff obviously.

Coloratura is the correct spelling. A coloratura has absolutely nothing to do with colours.

"Coloratura is an elaborate melody with runs, trills, wide leaps, or similar virtuoso-like material, or a passage of such music."

[dxm3557]

17 hours ago, The Adversary said:

Very quiet here on this website, I’d say many old school type fans have just given up on them at this stage. If this new album is just going to be more of the same pop dirge I’ll be giving it a wide berth.

I was so disappointed in the direction they went in after EL, Thought they might have turned a corner and reigned some of the pop nonsense back in but alas it was not to be.

This forum is so ancient and that's why I love it. Seeing old, old fans here after all this time always baffles me. I hope this forum stands the test of time, even with its good and bad days, it's a gem of the internet as it was practically formed around the Parachutes Era.

Now, I've been a massive fan since 2009 (I use to say they're my religion lol) and even though I'm a sucker for the Parachutes — Viva la Vida period, I still love them and listen to regularly everything they put out, from Major Minus to Something Just Like This, and Arabesque to X Marks the Spot cause even their pop stuff stand out from the other pop acts in the musical industry currently. 

Also, they're still a rock band, as it encompasses 80% of their discography. What they do is usually experimenting with pop and even on that you can still find rock elements here and there. What I basically want to say is: please don't give up on them lol