Although it's not officially a Coldplay song, I guess it's fair to say it's very much a Coldplay song, just given away as a gift for Jin to sing and co-write lyrics. If I may say so, it actually does feel more like a "Coldplay song" than My Universe did feel at first. Also I'm confident to say, this is belongs to MOTS, although again - not officially. Just my opinions, if anyone disagrees, feel free to prove your point. 🙂 

My thoughts so far: It's a damn good pop song, there is magic in how vocals and background vocals are produced/mixed. Any thoughts, if this song gives away something about what's coming next in MOTS era? Working more with Kygo etc?

Anyone else noticed that little ambient sound texture at the beginning seems pretty damn similar to the one the use for Biutyful live intro?

Not sure if it gives anything away for the next era... Definitely feels like a MOTS-produced song based on the vocal and instrumental production, for better & worse. I wish the mixing was just a touch more focused on the instruments instead of the pop vocals. I think if MOTS Vol. 2 had more songs with this vibe, it could definitely be an improvement. 

I don't hear that intro from Biuyitful live! Was that the Johan Johannsen track from the Arrival soundtrack this apparently samples? Maybe that's the distorted alien-like vocal at the beginning? 

Here are my thoughts in spoilers so I don't take up too much room: 

Spoiler

I really like the groove established at 1:20 and then at the outro are fantastic. The chord progression is great and feels classic coldplay, it reminds me a bit of meloncholy hill by gorillaz. This feels like it could have been a true indie Coldplay song as good as a Champion of the World and some of the hooks are fantastic, like "I feel this way I've never felt" with Chris singing in that vocal range he uses on Miracles.

That said, I do think the song is a bit clunky. In recent years, thanks to tik tok & attention spans, a lot of pop music has lost the bridge into the chorus. So the verses are okay here but feel very standard and bland for a pop song -- Guy's bass feels turned down & the interesting parts of Jonny's guitar is also turned down. The synths also are surprisingly quiet. Then the chorus kind of just pops in out of nowhere, over and over, with some awkward "Ooo O O O O O O's" from Chris. Like it's catchy, just like My Universe, but the chorus doesn't offer some sort of interesting change in the instrumental. Like just a bigger synth, or a saxaphone, or something to spice things up.

Mind you, this is the same criticism I have with most of MOTS. The whole album feels like decent songs neutered in the production. Higher Power barely changes the instrumental or guitar by the end. MU has the cool outro but the rest of the song is one big repetition. The guitar solo on POTP is barely audible and the whole track is very static & repetitive, yes, like a truck commercial. A great stadium track like Humankind also lacks much diversity from beginning to end, but is saved by the great chorus and energy. 

If Coldplay had recorded the Astronaut, I think I would have liked it more and it could have fit really nicely on MOTS instead of the dull Let Somebody Go or the incredibly clunky and anti-climatctic Infite Sign. That's just my take. For now I'd put this track on par with other solid Coldplay one-off tracks and b-sides.

 

Edited October 28, 20223 yr by lennyrott1

9 hours ago, lennyrott1 said:

Mind you, this is the same criticism I have with most of MOTS. The whole album feels like decent songs neutered in the production. Higher Power barely changes the instrumental or guitar by the end. MU has the cool outro but the rest of the song is one big repetition. The guitar solo on POTP is barely audible and the whole track is very static & repetitive, yes, like a truck commercial. A great stadium track like Humankind also lacks much diversity from beginning to end, but is saved by the great chorus and energy. 

Exactly this. I personally love The Astronaut, it's a great pop song! But like HP and MU it feels like it lacks the buildup/dynamics that Coldplay have classically done so well (e.g. Politik, Fix You, many more), it just repeats with little change and of course Jonny is muted again.

On 10/28/2022 at 8:29 PM, lennyrott1 said:

Not sure if it gives anything away for the next era... Definitely feels like a MOTS-produced song based on the vocal and instrumental production, for better & worse. I wish the mixing was just a touch more focused on the instruments instead of the pop vocals. I think if MOTS Vol. 2 had more songs with this vibe, it could definitely be an improvement. 

I don't hear that intro from Biuyitful live! Was that the Johan Johannsen track from the Arrival soundtrack this apparently samples? Maybe that's the distorted alien-like vocal at the beginning? 

Here are my thoughts in spoilers so I don't take up too much room: 

  Reveal hidden contents

I really like the groove established at 1:20 and then at the outro are fantastic. The chord progression is great and feels classic coldplay, it reminds me a bit of meloncholy hill by gorillaz. This feels like it could have been a true indie Coldplay song as good as a Champion of the World and some of the hooks are fantastic, like "I feel this way I've never felt" with Chris singing in that vocal range he uses on Miracles.

That said, I do think the song is a bit clunky. In recent years, thanks to tik tok & attention spans, a lot of pop music has lost the bridge into the chorus. So the verses are okay here but feel very standard and bland for a pop song -- Guy's bass feels turned down & the interesting parts of Jonny's guitar is also turned down. The synths also are surprisingly quiet. Then the chorus kind of just pops in out of nowhere, over and over, with some awkward "Ooo O O O O O O's" from Chris. Like it's catchy, just like My Universe, but the chorus doesn't offer some sort of interesting change in the instrumental. Like just a bigger synth, or a saxaphone, or something to spice things up.

Mind you, this is the same criticism I have with most of MOTS. The whole album feels like decent songs neutered in the production. Higher Power barely changes the instrumental or guitar by the end. MU has the cool outro but the rest of the song is one big repetition. The guitar solo on POTP is barely audible and the whole track is very static & repetitive, yes, like a truck commercial. A great stadium track like Humankind also lacks much diversity from beginning to end, but is saved by the great chorus and energy. 

If Coldplay had recorded the Astronaut, I think I would have liked it more and it could have fit really nicely on MOTS instead of the dull Let Somebody Go or the incredibly clunky and anti-climatctic Infite Sign. That's just my take. For now I'd put this track on par with other solid Coldplay one-off tracks and b-sides.

 

Agree on that, the mix and instrumentation is adapted for easy pop song and vocals are more in front. In that way it's a bit different to what Coldplay would do.

That similar intro sound of Biutyful live version is playing very quietly in background. Would call it a distorted alien sound yes - it just sounded very similar in The Astronaut studio version. Still I'm not really sure how Johann Johannsen sample is used exactly.

Not among my favourite songs,  but not a song I would skip if it came on while listening something else. 

Obviously, that's my opinion🥰

Did some digging and found the track that was sampled. I think it's the faint vocals in the back you can hear in the intro of the Astronaut.

You can hear it clearly in the IEM recordings of the MOTS Tour shows - not only in the Biutyful intro, but also in the Fix You into mixed in with the Midnight sounds.

1 hour ago, I ran away said:

Did some digging and found the track that was sampled. I think it's the faint vocals in the back you can hear in the intro of the Astronaut.

You can hear it clearly in the IEM recordings of the MOTS Tour shows - not only in the Biutyful intro, but also in the Fix You into mixed in with the Midnight sounds.

thats def it - i wonder what, if any relation, this had to cp

I'm not a musician but I kept hearing similar notes to Coldplay's Daddy in this song.

Let me listen again... yeah, when he  sings, "there is no one esle" [1 min. 6 sec. timestamp into the music video]

 

Daddy music video at this part reminds me the same notes just slowed down.[1 min. 22 seconds] 

I just received the 2 versions of the cd single (Fnac Versions).
It's just the title track, no instrumental, no remixes.

22 hours ago, Famous Old Painter said:

THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!!