Coldplay have finally unveiled the Charlie Brown video, which features the Xylobands first seen during the recent European tour and The X Factor final last year. In another vivid video, shot in London, Coldplay are seen performing in the middle of a jumping crowd of fans who are all wearing the Xylobands that light up in time to the music.
Coldplay once again teamed up with Mat Whitecross who directed the shoot. English actress Antonia Thomas and Shameless‘ Elliott Tittensor star as a young couple in love throughout the video. Misfits' Antonia Thomas can be seen walking to the show while a hooded figure leaps over rooftops, steals a car and then comes to whisk her away to the venue where the band are performing. Misfits fans will be reminded of the character Simon, who was Alesha's (played by Thomas) love interest who was often seen wearing a hoodie during the E4 show. The show gets rowdy with couples locking lips in the crowd and the audience getting showered in neon-coloured paint.
Let us know what you thought of the video at the Charlie Brown sub-forum (don't forget to vote on the poll!). Can't access YouTube? You can download the mp4 version of the video as well as over 1400 screen captures from the Multimedia forum now. We'll have the poll results and best comments from Coldplayers soon, but for now below is a collection of media/blog reviews from around the globe today...
MTV: When we think Coldplay videos, we think melodramatic slow-motion visuals (see: "Fix You") that ache with so much emotion you want to re-think every decision you've ever made in your life. But their latest, "Charlie Brown," ditches sad, philosophical dramatics for a crazy night out at a glow-in-the-dark club. The infamous "Peanuts" character that shares the song's name doesn't make an appearance, but instead we get clips of a young couple on a mission to find each other. Quick glimpses offer the pair racing through the city to meet while montages of the band rocking out in full rave attire -- glow paint, glow sticks and glowing instruments -- are interspersed between the suspenseful narrative. Later, the couple whoops it up while recklessly speeding in a car, and that's when we learn why they were in such a rush: they're running late to the band's concert, duh. No one wants to be tardy for a Coldplay party.
Billboard: It seems music stars have voted Feb. 3 the perfect date to release new videos, with Madonna, Drake, Adam Lambert, M.I.A. and now Coldplay debuting fresh clips today. In Coldplay's clip for third "Mylo Xyloto" single "Charlie Brown," Chris Martin and the boys lead a black light rave comprised of mischievous teens covered in neon paint. It's a little less warm and fuzzy than, say, the globe-trotting elephant of their "Paradise" video, but less of a downer than the eternally cool clip for "The Scientist." If it weren't for the shots of Martin spiritedly strumming his acoustic guitar on the dance floor (right, because raves are typically soundtracked by feel-good pop rock), the video plays like a scene straight out of U.K. TV hit "Skins." Good-looking teens making out and partying? Check. Spray paint-related vandalism? Check.
PopCrush: It doesn’t include any cartoons or Vince Guaraldi piano, but Coldplay‘s new video clip for ‘Charlie Brown,’ their latest single from the chart-topping ‘Mylo Xyloto,’ does feature plenty of eye-catching visuals — along with all the soaring melody you’ve come to expect from the band. Helmed by Mat Whitecross, who directed the 2006 documentary ‘The Road to Guantanamo,’ the ‘Charlie Brown’ video depicts the band playing in the middle of a rowdy crowd, most of whom are bedecked with glowing wristbands that light up in time to the music, with pulsing neon lights strobing the audience. Interspersed with the rave clips are scenes of a young couple (the female played by Antonia Thomas from the British sci-fi series ‘Misfits’) who make romance on the streets of London. The third single from ‘Mylo Xyloto,’ ‘Charlie Brown’ finds Coldplay in urgent, uptempo form, and singer Chris Martin indicated it was one of his favorite tracks from the record last year, when he told NME “We know our lyrics are a bit s— … But the ones for ‘Charlie Brown,’ I like them a lot.”
PrefixMag: “Charlie Brown” is the third single to be lifted from Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto, and it follows in the breezy footsteps of the prior “Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall.” Anyone who prefers Chris Martin’s band in bittersweet “Yellow” mode isn’t going to find what they’re looking for here—this is the kind of bombastic pop that feels specifically tailored for gigantic stadium and arena audiences. The video features the band playing at the most sanitized rave you’ll ever see in your life, complete with lasers, glow sticks, face paint and a few make-out sessions. Martin jumps up and down like a wild-eyed bobblehead doll for most of it, perhaps in an attempt to relive his pre-Gwynnie youth.
Dose: So your Friday night plans involve stealing a Volvo, picking up your hot ASBO girlfriend and making out 'til dawn at some underground dance party. But hey -- it's OK, it's cool, it's as chill as a '90s Chill Out compilation. It's not like your mom will be sitting home, crying over your preschool graduation photos and Googling the title of the new Madonna album, trying to figure out where you went astray. Or at least she won't once you show her Coldplay's new video for "Charlie Brown." All raves involve nice, adult, superfamous British chaperones, don't you know? (We're referring to Coldplay, of course, who perform their latest Mylo Xyloto single from the middle of a glow-stick-illuminated club full of kids.) But Coldplay's good, clean, soft-rocking fun isn't all that's going on in the Mat Whitecross-directed clip. (Fun fact: Whitecross and the band go way back; he directed their first-ever video, "Bigger Stronger"). Just like Mylo Xyloto, the video for "Charlie Brown" is a sorta vague love story, and fans of UK sci-fi series Misfits will recognize Antonia Thomas as the female romantic lead -- the Xyoloto (?) to one wiry, hoodied thug's Mylo.
Huffington Post: It's not every day you get to attend a rave headlined by Coldplay. Raves are for young folk, and young folk aren't going to Coldplay concerts anymore. They're at, like Kreayshawn house parties or something? But in this shiny new video for "Charlie Brown," off last year's Mylo Xyloto, Chris Martin is officially the coolest cat at what Prefix rightly calls "the most sanitized rave you'll ever see in your life." It kind of looks like a Lite-Brite exploded in everyone's face at this rave, and you know what? It's kind of nice! The kids look happy and healthy, and they're wearing nice practical sneakers, and sure, there's some young love, but it looks responsible. And meanwhile, Chris Martin is in his own world of one, spinning in a circle while no one tries to violate him in any way, having a grand ol' time. So sure, if this is the rave Coldplay wants to play their most dollhousey jam at, we're down. One no-drug, pure sugar pixie stick over here, please!
Hit Fix: For all their yearning ballads and poetic imagery, it turns out that Coldplay just wants to dance. Chris Martin and co. travel to a colorful U.K. rave in their latest video, for the new single "Charlie Brown," although the music itself is very un-rave like. "Charlie" is as Coldplay as it gets: Soaring melodies powered by a catchy circular riff meshing jangly guitars and high-pitched keyboards give way to Martin's sexy croon, as he sings about going out at night to get his freak on. It also includes a lyric that wouldn't sound out-of-place in a Craig Finn song: "Took a car downtown/where the lost boys meet/took a car downtown/and took what they offered me." Things slow down and get acoustic so the hot young couple at the center of the video can make out. Then the video explodes again -- literally -- as they watch fireworks and maybe vandalize a car (it's hard to tell). It's all a bit too silly and overly earnest, but in a very inoffensive way (like Coldplay themselves).
Idolator: If new videos from Madonna, Adam Lambert, and M.I.A. weren’t quite enough for you on this clip-heavy Friday, then we are sorry you’re so picky, but perhaps Coldplay is more your speed. The boys behind Mylo Xyloto may not be the first to spring to mind when you think of a dark club with plenty of fluorescent lights and hanky panky, but that’s exactly what they deliver in “Charlie Brown,” which manages to depict what looks like an awesome, fun-filled romantic night out and still leave us feeling a little glum in the end (in the best way, most Coldplay-ish way possible). So get your Snoopy dance ready and watch Mr. Paltrow & co. in “Charlie Brown” below. Per usual, Coldplay makes us feel ecstatic, energized, and melancholy all at the same time in this appropriately beautiful video for such a haunting track. Which might be exactly what the titular Peanuts character meant when he always said: “Good grief.” But hey, at least the colors are bright!
Spin: Coldplay know how to please a crowd, which isn't as easy or unimportant as snobs would have you think, or else everybody could do it. If there's any justice in the world, "Charlie Brown" will be the most crowd-pleasing song from last year's Mylo Xyloto. Yes, Chris Martin and the lads sound like they're trying to please us — there's one of those whirling "Clocks"-style intro, a language-transcending "woo ooh" hook, and a trace of Arcade Fire's harrowed urgency in the verses — but it'd be churlish to deny how much they succeed. With Valentine's Day approaching, Coldplay has revealed a "Charlie Brown" video that shows exuberant young love in a rave's neon light. Which, as it happily turns out, is yet another hugely appealing way to encounter this song. The MDMA-friendly day-glo color scheme fits the "we'll be glowing in the dark" hook and the swirling vocal intro that recalls the first time electronic dance music was supposed to conquer the States. And the giddy couples tumbling head over heels for each other speak to the sappy, old-fashioned romantic at the heart of every good Coldplay song. Pass the box of chocolates, or the Ecstasy, whichever's handier, and stick around for the piano-and-strings slow dance at the end. [Editor's note: Coldplay went all-out with the editing on this one, attempting to make us feel like we're in the rave with a bazillion quick cuts. There isn't one shot in this video longer than a split second, which we learned while trying to nab a screengrab. Thanks for making our lives hard, Coldplay!]
Exclaim!: Despite Top 40 favourites Coldplay's relatively squeaky clean image, things get hot and heavy in the new vid for Mylo Xyloto track "Charlie Brown." The soft rock anthem has the band rocking out in a small club with a bunch of glow-stick wavers, with Chris Martin pogoing into the frosh with an acoustic guitar in tow, but it's the cut scenes that supply the scandal. In it, a young, romantic, hoodied hooligan pulls off some rooftop acrobatics before smashing a car window to grab his ride for the night. He then picks up his girlfriend (Misfits star Antonia-Rose Laura Thomas), and they canoodle for a bit before heading out to the concert spot. Beneath the lasers, they party it up, and then every neon-paint-smeared patron starts making out. As exciting as it all seems, we can't help but notice we're always seated in the sexless 30-somethings section each time we catch the band in action. In fact, this vid is almost the exact opposite of an actual Coldplay concert.
The NJ Underground: Coldplay have let go the official music video for their new single "Charlie Brown". The track originally appears on the UK group's fifth studio album, Mylo Xyloto, which hit stores back in October via Parlophone Records. The Mat Whitecross-directed visual was filmed in London and seems to capitalize on the resurging rave culture. It's about those times when you stay out all night partying at a club that has an internationally known rock band performing in the middle of the dance floor, instead of just a DJ spinning records.
Screenshots from the Charlie Brown (studio) video, released on 3rd February 2012:
Don't forget to check out your tour discussion thread if you are getting Coldplay tickets or just getting excited for the European & North American 2012 shows and other forthcoming appearances:
FEBRUARY 2012
7 Los Angeles, CA @ Jimmy Kimmel Live [discussion] [NEW!]
8 Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia (iHeartRadio) [discussion] [NEW!]
10 Los Angeles, CA @ GRAMMY Week MusiCares Person of the Year tribute [discussion] [NEW!]
12 Los Angeles, CA @ 54th Grammy Awards, Staples Center [discussion] [NEW!]
16 Sydney, Australia @ 2DayFM, Mobile Live Set (intimate show) [discussion] [NEW!]
17 Sydney, Australia @ Sunrise (intimate show) [discussion] [NEW!]
21 London @ Brit Awards 2012, O2 Arena [discussion] [NEW!]
MARCH 2012
4 New York, NY @ The Secret Policeman's Ball, Radio City Music Hall (Amnesty International) [discussion] [NEW!]
APRIL 2012
17 Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place [discussion]
18 Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome [discussion]
20 Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena [discussion]
21 Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena [discussion]
24 Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena [discussion]
25 Seattle, WA @ KeyArena [discussion]
27 San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion At San Jose [discussion]
28 San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion At San Jose [discussion]
MAY 2012
1 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]
2 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]
4 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion] [NEW!]
18 Porto, Portugal @ Dragao Stadium [discussion]
20 Madrid, Spain @ Estadio Vicente Calderón [discussion]
22 Nice, France @ Stade Charles Herman / Nikaia [discussion]
24 Turin, Italy @ Olympic Stadium [discussion]
26 Zurich, Switzerland @ Letzigrund [discussion]
29 Coventry, UK @ Ricoh Stadium [discussion]
JUNE 2012
1 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]
2 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]
4 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]
7 Sunderland, UK @ the Stadium of Light [discussion]
9 Manchester, UK @ the Etihad Stadium [discussion]
10 Manchester, UK @ the Etihad Stadium [discussion]
22 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center [discussion]
23 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center [discussion]
25 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center [discussion]
26 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center [discussion] [NEW!]
28 Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum [discussion]
29 Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena [discussion]
JULY 2012
2 Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena [discussion]
3 Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena [discussion] [NEW!]
5 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center [discussion]
6 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center [discussion]
8 Washington, DC @ Verizon Center [discussion]
9 Washington, DC @ Verizon Center [discussion]
23 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre [discussion]
24 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre [discussion]
26 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [discussion]
27 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [discussion]
29 Boston, MA @ TD Garden [discussion]
30 Boston, MA @ TD Garden [discussion]
AUGUST 2012
1 Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills [discussion] [NEW!]
3 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]
4 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]
7 Chicago, IL @ United Center [discussion]
8 Chicago, IL @ United Center [discussion]
11 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center [discussion]
28 Copenhagen, Denmark @ Parken Stadium [discussion]
30 Stockholm, Sweden @ Olympic Stadium [discussion]
SEPTEMBER 2012
2 Paris, France @ Stade de France [discussion]
4 Cologne, Germany @ Rheinenergie Stadium [discussion]
6 The Hague, Netherlands @ Malieveld [discussion]
12 Munich, Germany @ Olympiastadion [discussion]
14 Leipzig, Germany @ Red Bull Stadium [discussion]
16 Prague, Czech Republic @ Slavia Eden Stadium [discussion]
19 Warsaw, Poland @ National Stadium [discussion]
22 Hannover, Germany @ AWD Arena [discussion]
Read also: European Stadium Tour announced! (general discussion thread for the Europe tour)
Read also: North America Tour announced! (general discussion thread for the US/Canada tour)
Read also: 2012: Live Appearances - Easy Thread Finder (last updated - 12th January 2012)
Read also: 2012 tour date rumours (please post dates for ALL countries in here)
Kit yourself up for the forthcoming MX tour and get spotted with Coldplaying's new range of merchandise! [click on the items for the full shop]
The new range of Coldplaying merchanise (unofficial of course to the official shop) has hit our stores, with our biggest range of goods so far. Prices are as low as they can be for a Cafepress shop so more people will be able to afford them. We don't take any profits for the sale of the merchandise as a result. Take a browse in one of the online stores nearest to you: UK | US | Canada | Australia | European (shipping is worldwide, but you can choose what currency to pay in) - simply alter the country dropdown menu at the top of the shop page. [thanks to TracieMorgan and zzz]
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