We've heard the new song Paradise. Then we heard the news that Rihanna will feature on the track Princess Of China from the forthcoming album Mylo Xyloto. It's a Coldplay day that has pleased some but fueled tension in many - certainly a day that won't be forgotten in Coldplaying circles. Some are calling it progression, others regression; it's a topic that has turned lurkers into posters. What are we talking about? We're talking about Coldplay's 'New Direction'.
We've taken many of your thoughts over the past 24 hours on this subject and combined them into the following article, which makes for very interesting reading for new and old Coldplay fans alike. (If you think there's a comprehensive post that we've missed that deserves to be published - drop us an email or PM!). Here at Coldplaying we strive to give you a balanced view of the latest goings on and whichever side of the fence you stand on on Coldplay's evolution (or sit, as the case may be) its our view that we have some well written posts that have taken effort, outlining the bigger picture, that deserve a mention. So - do away with the 'tl;dr' - grab a coffee and 30 minutes... here we go...!
Two singles on and Coldplay are on the verge of marking themselves as “sell outs”, not by the general people but by their own fans. The general public had termed them that after they became famous ages ago. It’s very easy to join the hate wagon and start criticising the change in direction that the band may be adopting. I use the word “may” because sometimes things aren’t exactly what it seems. What people have presumed from the songs that they have heard till now is that “Coldplay have gone Pop” and it’s hard to break that mould if you listen to “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall”, the lead single...
...The signs right now, for a die-hard fan is looking grim. The vibe around the built up to the album is that of doubt, fear and uncertainty. Not something new but with the news of a Rihanna collaboration the same increases many folds. Coldplay have always been mainstream and this partnership, although surprising, is not totally out of context. If the album required a female lead vocalist to act as fillers, note I say “fillers”, and if Rihanna has done that very job then there’s nothing to panic about. On the other hand, if it’s another churned pop tune for single sake it could turn lead to loss in respect and loyalty of several fans. Many bands, in this age, have lost their relevance by dishing out the same material over and over again (read ‘Nickelback’). Coldplay could have easily gone with “Parachutes 2.0” and pleased the hard-core fans and even to expect such a thing now would be nothing short of foolishness. Bands evolve; “Viva La Vida” from “X&Y” was a part of that process. Is “Mylo Xyloto” a step towards the same? The answer to that shouldn’t be given by anyone until they have heard the record completely. Even to judge it by singles that has been out is nothing short of throwing a dart in the dark. Because if the released songs are to taken into consideration Coldplay can be headed two ways – U2’s “Achtung Baby” era where they increased their versatility (while still maintaining relevance) several notches up or they descend into “Pop” era where they hit an all-time low in creativity. [thanks Saketblitz] [read more]
Everyone on this site has the right to their own opinion and if a life-long fan doesn't like a song, they are entitled to feel that way. As a fan since Parachutes, I have loved every direction (sh*t, even X&Y is great in retrospect) the band has taken and I LOVE a band that takes risks. With that being stated, I am seriously worried about this record. I have finally heard the REAL version of "Paradise" and it TRIES WAY TOO HARD. The "refrain" (which I thought was the chorus) is good, but the rest is mediocre bubblegum pop. I can't say anything other than I feel like Christmas morning and I didn't get the present I wanted (after staring at it for a week). [thanks john_crawford44]
This is a different album and they are experimenting with new sounds. Yes I'm glad they are using Jonny more and he is great. They band as a whole are working great together on Hurts Like Heaven, Charlie Brown, ETIAW. After three listens I'm still not feeling it. Chris' singing at points remind me of A Rush of Blood to the Head but they lyrics always working for me. Para Para Paradide...every time I hear that I think of ella ella ella and then I remember Rihanna is going to be on the album... I know they wanted more fans and for people not to hate on Coldplay but I don't approve of this path. I'm hoping I will love the rest of the album afterall this is just one song. There's always a song or two that people don't like on an album. The comment I read somewhere about Moving to Mars being their most Coldplay like sounding song and it not being on the album is true. I love it. Shame it wasn't paradise. [thanks coldplayfan24]
U2 went from Joshua Tree to Achtung Baby which wasnt dancy but was modern and quite garagy and heavy and was/ is still a classic. The POP album came a few years later after Zooropa. POP and Zooropa were not well recieved so they went back to their roots with ATYCLB. I think the problem most people have is Coldplay seem to be purposly heading in a direction that is chart friendly and literally designed for teenagers. [thanks Choldplayer]
Well, I don't know if this has been said before or anything, but this just occurred to me. If Coldplay hadn't changed AT ALL. If everything was still all AROBTTH and Parachutes, would we not be bitching about how they have NOT changed? Maybe they're not moving in the direction WE want them to, but they are moving, and they are STILL making music that sounds like no one else's. I remember when U2 went through that whole 'disco disco' phase in the late 90's. They went from The Joshua Tree to THAT. And they came back with All That You Can't Leave Behind. Coldplay will come out of this. In the meantime, lets just enjoy this phase. It will be over one day. Maybe this is just their "disco" phase (NOT LITERALLY). I don't know. Maybe this makes no sense, and is stupid or whatever. But there's nothing we can do about it, and bitching is just going to make everyone feel worse. So lets just embrace it. Sorry if this is like...wrong in any way. [thanks playingcolder]
Listening to Paradise, I'm waiting to hear that cringe-inducing yelp of Timbaland in the background.... I have been a fan ever since I saw them perform "Yellow" on TV ages ago. I can recall thinking, "Who is this?" and started to become a fan of theirs after that point... It wasn't really until A Rush of Blood to the Head came out though, and I listened to the album and instantly said, "WOW" to myself. It completely blew me away. After that point I fell head over heels in love with Coldplay. I honestly think AROBTTH is one of the greatest rock albums of all time, and it made me fall in love with Parachutes so much more. I remember that summer very fondly, finally falling in love with a band that was all "mine" and not the Beatles or another band that had disbanded decades ago that I would never see live...
...As soon as I heard the buzzy synth bass and electronic snare on Paradise today I was like, "Oh Jesus". I gave it a shot and listened to it a few times through, soaking in it's repetitive chords over and over again. I think if you showed this song to the guys back in their Parachutes/AROBTTH era and told them they were going to write this a decade later, they would have laughed at you and said they're not trying to be the Backstreet Boys...
...THIS IS WHAT COLDPLAY SOUNDS LIKE NOW? I realize not all their songs are going to sound like this -- the other new stuff they released so far is ok. Not anywhere near as good as their early days, but still ok. This Paradise song makes Every Tear Drop A Waterfall seem like "I Am the Walrus" in comparison to how generic this is. Funny how "Moving to Mars", their most "classic Coldplay" sounding song out of the 3, didn't make the cut...
...I've pretty much given up on Coldplay. Have they lost their minds? They're always going to have a special place in my heart, but ... they've let all their original, longstanding fans down. And what's with all the people saying, "Oh stop hatin, this song is a 10/10", trying to defend it and make us look like fools. You do realize they were an amazing, deep organic sounding band before you discovered them last year on your NOW THIS IS WHAT I CALL MUSIC VOL 245 cd, right? That we have been listening to their beautiful melodies for years now and this simply does not hold up whatsoever to classics like, "Everything is Not Lost", "Amsterdam", "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face", "Spies", "Clocks", "Trouble" and so on. Someone in a previous post said they have regressed in songwriting, using Amsterdam as a comparison (I 100% agree) and someone said, "No, they just changed their sound" and to get over it. You're trying to tell us that a song like Amsterdam with that mind-blowing ending and lush, deep dark piano chords that are cleverly written, is not a MILLION miles above this repetitive tween crap? It's just average for a pop song anyway; it's no man's land in terms of its appeal. If I didn't know them and I heard it on the radio, I would just change the channel. It makes me sad to say that, because I've never done that to a Coldplay song before. I would kill to go back to the days of X&Y. Everyone made fun of that album but it still was Coldplay and organic. It's strange because I love Eno but he somehow totally destroyed this band's sound and essence. Viva La Vida had some cool parts in it and some lovely songs but it felt cold, soulless and overcompressed and overproduced. Coldplay's music used to remind me of laidback foggy mornings in the countryside. Now they remind me of Glee marathons or music that should be played during an ABC Family montage...
...And yes -- I KNOW bands change their sound and grow. I grew up with Radiohead too. This is not growth. This is regression, like the other person said. This is not better. Coldplay opened up a whole new world with me when I learned their early songs on guitar and all their unique chord progression and endless weird tunings. I got all their chord books and was blown away by how clever and original their songwriting was. I bought the Viva La Vida songbook and all the chords stared becoming predictable, no alternate tunings, and it's come to a full stop now. The majority of their new songs lack any of that slightly dark, mellow, humble beauty that the old Coldplay songs had. I've always felt that Coldplay has done a horrible job of looking at themselves as a band, objectively & subjectively. Their B-sides like Animals, Murder, I Ran Away, 3.16, One I Love, Ladder to the Sun, Help is Round the Corner, Poor Me, Gravity, How You See the World, etc were all absolutely BRILLIANT and should have been included on their respectable albums. I feel like these songs got cut because they probably felt like they were too "outside the box". Which they aren't at all. But I felt like they knew the labels/mainstream wouldn't like them as much and cut them off. I always try to show people the Coldplay b-sides because it shows a cooler, darker vibe from them. I feel like if they had showed off more of these types of songs, it would have given them more of a mainstream-Radiohead-esque type of approachability and charm...instead of always choosing the most poppy, predictable songs to make the ends of their album cuts (a la "The Hardest Part")... they just come off like they're always trying too hard to please everyone. On top of that they let the negative criticism get to them too much after X&Y. They got so popular people started belittling them (NY Times article calling them "most insufferable band ever") and then Chris Martin said "We won't be seeing you around for a while" at that awards show, with his tale tucked between his legs. He should have told them all to fuck off and stuck to his guns. I remember reading interviews of them after that point, talking how they were embarrassed and didn't know what to do with themselves... and then they hired Eno. Rest is history. Funny how they were embarrassed after X&Y, but aren't embarrassed to wear these silly matching outfits with the cheap-looking decals ironed onto their clothes, looking like a poor man's version of Sgt. Pepper, singing trite songs like Paradise. What happened to the UK blokes that wore jeans and just cared about making beautiful music? Oh yeah, I forgot, they got money. That's not to say being rich makes you a bad musician, however as we've seen throughout history over and over again, a lot of times the passion/originality is never the same. Well that's my rant and I could give two shits if you don't like it. But I'm sorry, Coldplay are a joke of what they used to be, and what their potential during their early days had been. You see bands like Radiohead, who write music the way they want to, no apologies, and the fans flock in droves...Coldplay could have had that, but instead they sold out for Top 40 collaborations with Rihanna (are you serious?)...
...And finally, let me add, I don't mind pop music. I love synths and certain electronica music and sounds, and i'm not really against Coldplay meshing that in. I loved the drum synth playing underneath Chris Martin's piano chords during Animals. It sounded unique, classy. This just sounds vacuous and generic, and the chords are boring. You can write pop music and still be original, avant garde, new. Coldplay have never been the best lyricists, but at least they had great song structures and melodies. Now they have none of that. Even as vague as some of their early lyrics were, it still had a symbolic prettiness to it. Their lyrics are getting cheesy here. I used to have a few friends that loved Coldplay in highschool along with me... now most are too embarrassed to even admit they used to like them. I'm always the one defending Coldplay from those who call them boring, whiny, etc but now it's at a point where I don't even know how to defend this anymore.... I know this'll never happen but they should just get back to the basics. [thanks mark55]
I think the criticism of X&Y (which I think was completely unjust as X&Y is my absolute favorite Coldplay album) really effected Coldplay's direction. I can't blame the guys at all, as with that amount of criticism I'd probably be looking to do something drastic too, but they seemed to abandon everything that made them *them*. The heavenly sounds of Clocks, the epic ballads of Fix You and What If...I could go on. I remember when I first listened to Viva la Vida after the long 3 year wait...I couldn't help but feel like everything I once loved about them was gone. That they'd never be another song like Amsterdam or Everything's Not Lost. But despite all that, I think Coldplay still make amazing songs. They will never have the effect of their previous work, but they are still one of the best bands out there. I learnt to love their new music. - Paradise may be poppy to it's core, but it still shows how amazing these 4 musicians are. But, I'm also hoping I might be shocked and Up in Flames or another MX track will have an essence of the old Coldplay! [thanks Vitamin Z]
Ok, I've never written on here but today I've read some ridiculous responses to the release of Paradise. To say that Coldplay are taking a 'new direction' (pop) based on 2 songs is a bit wide of the mark. Yes, ETIAW and Paradise are a new, different sound, but people have been quick to forget all the great songs played at the festivals; CB, HLH and to a lesser extent MM are great songs, and a development from the Viva era. I think they'll make CB the lead single of the album, and in my view it represents what MX is about, along with HLH. UATW sounds more like classic Coldplay, and I'm sure other songs on the album will be similar. I know it's become a bit cliche, but I think it's good they're trying something different, it's testament to their talent that they can produce songs from a variety of genres. I just think it's a huge overreaction to say they've 'sold out'. I admit Paradise was a bit of a disappointment, but I think the rest of the album will make up for it. Even AROBTTH, my favourite album, and by the rhetoric of today's posts the embodiment of 'real Coldplay music', had its bad songs. In my view, every song on that album is a classic apart from Daylight and A Whisper, ironically my least favourite Coldplay songs. I probably wouldn't even have them downloaded if they weren't written by Coldplay. So before condemning them, listen to the album. I bet come October you'll all be raving about how good it is anyway. [thanks CartoonHeart42]
I've never written in this forum, but just read all of your comments and now I need to write something. I can understand your disappoiment watchin' your favorite band turnin' into something you don't like, it's sad because you'd really like to love what they're doing. But I think that you're just overreacting, I mean you're talkin' about regression,why? they started playing the music they liked and kept on trying not to repeating themselves and not always doing another Parachutes or AROBTTH. They decided to take this path, trying to create music that is not in their "DNA" and doing it in a good way, not everyone might like it but at least it's something new and fresh.Just for this, as a coldplay fan,you should be proud of them. I know you may not like this new era, but you should appreciate their effort to do different things, even if it's pop music and it's not so "Coldplay style". Plus, I don't get why people are embarrassed saying they like/liked Coldplay, they're one of the greatest band in the world and make good music, I'm always so proud to say I'm a fan! [thanks Valentina]
I'm very pro-X&Y. I loved that album and I may go as far to say that it is my favourite Coldplay album. I disagreed with all the 'bashing' that went with it because I thought that even though it wasn't the most cohesive album... It had some real beautiful tracks on there (Talk, White Shadows, Fix You). I had hoped that VLV would follow that formula; obviously it didn't. But I accepted that sound and even if it did feel a little more clinical than previous albums, I enjoyed it. I could enjoy MX if it was an VLV rehash. I just think the direction they've taken now is far too extreme and yeah. Basically you put it in a way my brain fails to formulate being as disappointed as I am now. Thank you for the extremely coherent and well written piece. I agree with you 100%. It disappoints me a lot too, because I loved the older Coldplay. I feel like they're trying to recapture the youth of experimentation as a band they never got to have because they immediately became massive. [thanks Nattatouille]
They did evolve, on songs such us Hurts Like Heaven, Us Against The World, Charlie Brown and Princess of China. Paradise was simply a question of not putting any effort in. .. I don't get the people treating them as if Coldplay are your children, where you "love them no matter what". They're a band, they make their money from providing music of a certain quality to an audience, the higher the quality, the better their popularity and fame, and the more money they make. I don't get the people posting here today criticising the people complaining with a mentality of "I love the song, because it's by Coldplay" - if that's the case, they may as well save themselves the hassle and record themselves playing a triangle for 5 minutes because either way you're going to love it. IMO it's good that the fans who don't like the song are being this critical of it, because it then gets picked up and they learn from their mistakes, and it shapes their future music. In my opinion it's a ghastly single compared to other contenders which I personally believe would (and will) fare better than Paradise on radio and to a mainstream audience. And please all Paradise-likers stop with the "Get with the times, you all want old coldplay, well this is a new direction, so stop criticising" - Yes we know it's a new direction, I don't think anybody on here dislikes Charlie Brown, Hurts Like Heaven, Us Against The World or Princess of China (minus future Rihanna inclusion that is), so no, we don't dislike it because Coldplay are moving on, because other songs they have produced are fantastic, but because Paradise is very poor both on its own and in comparison to them. [thanks DukeNewcomb]
Music is all about opinions, right, I get that, but so much of the stuff I've seen posted about Paradise on here today has been nothing short of BS, essentially accusing the band of selling out and laying claws into Brian Eno. Why? Sure this song is more poppy than the stuff from Parachutes, but so what? Coldplay have changed as a band, 11 years is a long time in music and every band that has been successful for a prolonged period has changed its style along the way. Muse and Radiohead most recently spring to mind, and thank the good lord Coldplay aren't going down the road of attempting acid-jazz like King of Limbs, or playing an almost entirely unheard set to soaked fans at Glastonbury who waited hours for a good position at the Park stage (I'm not bitter...), right? The most glaring error that seems to be taken as a logical conclusion is that mainstream = selling out. I don't believe Coldplay ever set out to be different from the status quo in the same way they're wavering to and from it as they develop. If you think they're trying to be too much like the charts, I present to you Us Against the World & Major Minus and ask if you still have the same view. If you don't like it, fine. I can't honestly believe there is a single person who likes everything Coldplay have ever produced, it doesn't happen. To level personal insults at the band, the record label, large swathes of the music industry & listening public and Brian Eno is way too far and completely unfair. If you're that angry about it I'm sure you'll be ignoring the rest of the singles, album and tour as Coldplay have 'sold out to the mainstream', right? Thought not. edit: to clear up any confusion... I don't have any issue with disliking the song as I made clear in the very first sentence of my OP! Some of the reasonings coming out and conspiracy theories are ridiculous, this is the issue. [thanks Ronnabe]
You know the biggest problem I have with it? If this was a natural progression for them, whilst still not liking it, I'd still have some respect for them. But (and this is just my opnion here) I don't think it is, it seems forced, it seems like they're going against every natural instinct they have as songwriters. [thanks Mimixxx]
It's just that in the personal opinion of many Coldplayers, Paradise is the weakest single of Coldplay's history. The lyrics are horrible, in my opinion. I celebrate the fact that they are evolving and making something different, but I guess that this is not what Coldplay fans were expecting. As stated by NME while reviewing Paradise: ‘Paradise’ feels both slightly listless and muddled. The “hip” new sonic treatments sound out of date (there's a mid-noughties vibe about the whole thing) and the chorus comes off as a weak facsimile of what Coldplay have done effortlessly in the past; specifically that people-uniting aspect. Whilst Coldplay’s pop makeover may be - for them at least- quite revelatory, it feels like Chris Martin’s populist songwriting tendencies have been clipped. Ultimately it feels like a few steps back rather than forward. Coldplay was amazing, precisely because they made GREAT songs which ended being commercial because they were GREAT, not the other way around. [thanks the_escapist]
Im a total fangirl, and I do like the new song.....but, it makes me sad that they are headed in this direction. I wish they could go to their basics. I know people say that's dumb, and they need to change and grow. But im not saying to make a parachutes copy, just to remember where they came from. Im still looking forward to the album (preordered it already), I like the other new songs like charlie brown . Im so nervous now about princess of china though. Im gonna hold on for coldplay because I love them, and holding on to hope that ill actually love the album, and that the next is a little more emo like they used to be called lol. (Missing the viva era right now). [thanks anacaren08]
I think it´s definitely evolution as we saw this coming a few years ago...just the natural course they wanted to take with their music. And people not disliking change but disliking what they change into: this is a risk you take when you like a band that loves changing, so why blame THEM for it? Rather admit you don´t like the change and move on. And no effort put into Paradise? Long-time coldplay fans know more than anyone else how hard these guys work, how much they tinker and how selective they are. To say no effort was put in what they chose as their leading single is quite unfair. You might not like the song, but I am sure they worked hard on it as on all other tracks if past indications are anything to go by. MX got really the community divided, which I guess it´s a sign that it WAS a bold move on Coldplay´s part. As Chris said in the interview, they knew this was going to happen. I also think some critics will pan Paradise and maybe even MX. I hope it´s gonna be critically successful, but they are taking a big gamble on this one. I will always be a proud MXer though. [thanks valypan]
Coldplay's music is not as good as it has been. I've only listened to Paradise twice but I could hardly recognize Coldplay - and not in a good way. It seems too poppy and repetitive - a repetition I previously admired Coldplay for avoiding. The chord progression doesn't give me the excitement that Coldplay's chords usually do at all. I don't want to judge the whole album by that so I'll leave it at that for now. I am torn, though, so I will try not to take it all too seriously. This isn't life or death. It's one album. Sure, they will probably not make as good music as they have previously but one could hope that this is just an unfortunate one. I will not write myself off the fanlist and I will try not to get too carried away with all you "giving up" on Coldplay now. Relax and let's see what happens. The thought of not being a Coldplay fan breaks my heart, so I will personally not let it happen over an unheard album and a bad single. [thanks Clocks In My Place]
Remember when a young and depressed Chris Martin used to sing "We never change, do we"? Well, believe it or not, Coldplay have changed. For the worst. He longed for a world where "making more friends would be easy". Wish granted. Now he hangs out with Beyonce and husband, Kanye West, Kylie Minogue and now, apparently, even Rihanna (are you kidding me?). He said he'd always be waiting in line for the love of his life. Done. Ten years after he's married to a movie star, with two kids. Seriously, what more could you ask for? It's fair if you don't have anything to say. After all Coldplay is the most sincere band in the world. Unlike Radiohead, superstars who've been whining for years and have elevated slackness to lifestyle for no reason at all except for the sake of it (and yet they're still producing great songs, just hear the last three tracks on "King Of Limbs"). So, Coldplay have had nothing to say since "A Rush Of Blood To The Head", which is and, as it seems right now (unfortunately) will always remain their masterwork. Yes, X&Y was fine. VIVA was great, Prospekts' March even better. But now? Now we're left with wa-wa-waterfalls and para-para-paradise (lost?). They're still unable to write completely awful tunes; as it turns out "Paradise" and ETIAW are kind of listenable, but shallow as a soup bowl (to quote Prospekt's March). Geez, even "The Nappies" is a more inspired song than that. These first two singles from MX depict the sad situation of a band that's not in touch with their feelings anymore, or even their own tastes. How could they write the soulful, beautiful "Moving To Mars" and then let it rot as a download-only C-Side? Maybe if they weren't surrounded by corporate morons, sycophants and Yes-men who approve everything they come up with... They're not infallible. They must find someone who says "No" once in a while. It used to be Will, but apparently he's given up...
...Brian Eno is partially to blame, IMO. Overproduction or plain uninspired production are some of the problems with the new tracks, and in VIVA as well. Let's take "Major Minus"... I've no problems with the vocal effects, but, for instance... where the f**k are DRUMS? I just hear goddamn "clicks"! What are we left with? UATW is indeed great, worthy of "Parachutes". "Hurts Like Heaven" is fine, great guitar solos. But it's almost autoplagiarism! Come on, it sounds exactly like the third part of "42"! "Charlie Brown" is a remake of "Life in Technicolor II", but a pop masterpiece nonetheless. Princess of China" sounded like the best of the bunch, so Coldplay felt the need to ruin it with Rihanna (at leat hire Beyonce, for God's sake, if you hang out together!). So we just need to wait for the last three "full" songs of the record: "DLIBYH" (and the title doesn't bode well...), "Up in flames" and "Up with the birds". Then, considering the band's interviews about a concise album (under 50 minutes) and the lengths of the known songs I expect "Mylo Xyloto", "M.M.I.X.", "U.F.O." and "A hopeful transmission" to be short, maybe instrumental pieces... and you know which other "singers" stuff their albums with short songs to inflate the tracklist? As I recall hip-hop artists do that... thanks Kanye, thanks Jay-Z. First Lost+, then Paradise's drumbeat and now THIS? Next live show Chris Martin will be calling the princess of China a HO. But maybe Coldplay really haven't changed that much, inside. They're still looking for approval, they want to be loved by the audience (sadly not "their" audience, but the widest possible, with the risk of alienating everybody). They NEED approval. They want people around he world to sing or hum their songs, and for the last few years they've tried and made it all the more easy: think about the ever growing rate of stadium oooooohs... because oooohs are universal, anyone can sing a ooooh. But it has to stop. They need to stop being obsessed with pleasing every single listener in the world. So, this is a call to arms. Coldplay need our help. They desperately need a commercial flop to get back on track. So buy the album for yourself (I know I will, the whole package) but don't buy it as a present for friends and family (I contributed 5 copies of VIVA...). Seriously, let's just hope for the best. I count on "Up in flames" to restore my shaky faith. [thanks Coldplay1987]
I bought Parachutes the day it came out; own the Blue Room EP and have loved Coldplay since I first heard them in 2000. I would class myself as an old school fan. Above all, I love the band for their music - simple as. They do melody like no-one else can - they are artisans, geniuses at this. No other artist in recent times has such a massive back catalogue of songs with such complex chord sequences or lingering melodies that are so beautifully shaped to produce such wonderful, emotive work. The production and manner in which they deliver this has changed over the years, but to me that's a positive not something to fear. But the melody, the beautiful melody, is there at its core in everything they do. If you can't hear that within the punchy electro orchestration of Paradise to its lilting piano close, or the soaringly uplifting Every Teardrop... then more fool you. The rest of us will listen and enjoy every lovingly created second, appreciating these are stepping stones to the new material and not meant to usurp Fix You, Yellow etc. I wait in eager anticipation for studio versions of the epic Hurts Like Heaven and Charlie Brown, and other gems that no doubt await on MX (maybe even Princess of China with Rihanna's much maligned, but as yet unheard, cameo?!) ...My post count will indicate that I'm a visitor here rather than an active participant. But I have posted this because I'm frankly shocked at the extreme over-reaction on this forum which has even found its way onto site pieces on the front page. Where is the balance? I considered this to be a safe haven from typical 'net trolls and moaners - how wrong could I be. We are all entitled to our opinion; and thoughts about the band's "evolution" are clearly up for discussion on this forum. But some of you think the band owe you Parachutes or AROBTTH pt 2. If your taste can't accommodate the MX era then I'm truly sorry for you. The only thing I can recommend is sticking on the old LPs and recalling old times. To criticise the band, Eno, Rihanna or whoever without even hearing the new album, is frankly pompous and premature. It also disrespects the people on this board (and around the world) who are loving this new stuff. [thanks IpsRich]
I have been a gigantic fan of Coldplay since 2003, when I listened to AROBTTH for the first time...and hated it. Only to come running back 2 months later to completely wear the cd out. I have seen consistent evolution in the band with each album cycle. Rush of blood is my favorite album, viva a close second, followed by Parachutes, and leaving x&y a distant 4th. I wouldn't say I am unbiased with the critiques I am about to give about the new sound, because I have listened to 1000s of hours of this band am sincerely emotionally invested. I sincerely love "Every Teardrop...", and have a couple hundred listens already in the books. Having waited on pins and needles for "Paradise", while I am not worried, I am anxious to hear the sounds of the other songs on the album that we havent heard, and I hope they do not all sound like this song. Charlie Brown, Hurts Like Heaven, and Us Against seem to be instant classics. I tend to think, as much as Coldplay thinks decisions through, that Paradise was released because of its mainstream sound and ability to get airplay and expand the fanbase. The 3 previously mentioned songs would all be top 10 hits, and would've been easy to release and allow the band to remain at the same elevation in their career. Coldplay has never been ok with remaining at the same level though, and I believe Mylo Xyloto might end up being their best yet. We trust them right? They've never led us astray. [thanks codlbeliever47]
Been a literal massive fan of this band for years now, been to multiple shows as have alot of you. The people who are complaining to no end about the direction of MX need to stop acting like such pretentious assholes who swear they're these mega fans that have been listening to Coldplay "before they decided to go mainstream and put Rihanna on a record". First things first, Coldplay has been a massive mainstream success since Yellow came out, if they never put that song out, this forum would not exist. At this point in time the band is even more massive, when they first started out 10 years ago their sound was very stripped down, because they were a brand new band and didn't have the resources like they do now. This is quite obvious if you look at the lineage of the band and the albums. The sound CLEARLY matures. Parachutes was super stripped down, AROBTTH was definitely a louder album with them showing more tricks off, X&Y was the first time they really started experimenting with synth and such, and Viva la Vida was as close to a stadium rock / pop album as they had gotten to at that point. For those wishing they would go back to the "good ole days" the "Parachutes / AROBTTH days" your dreaming. Thank god they aren't. The albums were fantastic, some of my favorites and the content was clearly from a group of young kids who hadn't figured much of the world out yet and had nothing lose. I do NOT want a couple of 33 year old millionaires married to Gwyneth Paltrow writing a Parachutes. And for those who cry "no we dont wan't that, we just dont like this!" your either lying, or not giving them a chance...
...The path they are taking is no mistake, they are trying to adapt to a larger audience, one day this band is going to be performing mega stadium concerts and they need the ammo. For crying out loud U2 is one of Chris Martins main influence and look at the path that band has taken, so why does this surprise you? A good amount of you will say then that they aren't making music for the real fans or the old fans anymore then, these are a bunch of grown men with a job, with a different life then they had when they wrote every other album, every album evolves and keeps up with them, accept it. If you don't like the, feel free not to listen, you wont be alone. [thanks ebarker77]
I have to say that I generally agree with pretty much everything the original poster said. I haven't hidden the fact on the forum that even though I might actually enjoy all of the songs to some extent (besides Paradise, which just makes me shake my head and wonder who the hell they are), I don't really like anything they've done lately for any of the reasons that I originally fell in love with Coldplay. That's the part that really makes me sad, because most other bands I like that have been around for just as long as Coldplay have certainly grown and changed like Coldplay has, but has retained some sort of thread of sonic similarity and maintained the same goals and outlook throughout the years. I don't feel the same is true with Coldplay anymore, but that's just my opinion. To be honest, I started to feel this way back in 2008 with VLV, even though I think that's a great, solid album. I just started to feel their shift then, and I guess in that sense, I'm not at all surprised by what's happening now. This is the thing, though. I definitely get fed up of people expressing their opinions in either direction like they're definitively exactly what's going on. The only thing we all know is that they're changing--beyond that, it's all opinions. I'm just as guilty of this as everyone else, but in the end, we don't know their motives for doing what they're doing. I have my suspicions that the band is letting the people who really rely on them to make money have a big part in the decision-making, but who knows? We can't really say what "them" is. A huge change in direction doesn't necessarily mean they've lost themselves. What it comes down to is that for whatever reason, I'm not a big supporter of the change in direction, not because it's change, but because I don't like the particular direction. A good example of this is X&Y--I find that album to be pretty different than the first two, but I still love it because I so happened to like that direction (and it also seemed to fit my opinion of what "Coldplay" is, whereas VLV didn't as much, and the sounds of MX really don't). I certainly don't think we should box an artist, and I think some of us are. But I also think we're within our rights to want certain things from them, whether or not we receive them. I wasn't around for the AROBTTH release, but this is definitely true. It all comes down to personal taste, in the end. It's just that this time around, I find it interesting that so many fans are feeling the same way--with other eras, there were certainly a few that gave up and left, some eras more than others, but this time it seems to be more of a mass exodus, or at least a very large group of people that are on the verge of giving up if the album turns out in a certain way and if the band does certain things. This is what interests me--I don't think any band wants this to happen, for such huge sections of their fanbase to be dissatisfied to the point of giving up, even if they are gaining new fans from other places. Given the types of new fans they seem to be aiming for, they should realize that the way the industry is and the theories on what this up-and-coming generation is like these days, it's much harder to hold fans' attention and keep them for the long run. This isn't to say that they should create music just to keep us all happy, because they don't owe us a thing. But it's an interesting, risky choice, I think. The bottom line is that I don't think it's about the band making the same record over and over, because we'd be whining just as much about that. Personally, I think it's about striking a balance between change and progression while still carrying on with the original things you set out to do and be. [thanks ApproximatelyInfinite]
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