Coldplay news round-up: US record sales share, NME Charlie Brown 'review', Flaming Lips/Chris Martin collaboration

Coldplay, Adele and folk band Mumford And Sons are leading the British invasion of the American album charts - Brit artists have netted the highest share of US record sales in more than a decade.

Combined, they accounted for nearly 12 per cent of all albums sold in America last year (11), a jump of more than one percent from 2010, according to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The rising popularity of U.K. artists has been attributed to the remarkable success of Adele, who sold nearly seven million copies in the U.S. in 2011. Adele's debut 19 sold nearly one million copies, while her sophomore effort, 21, sold 5.8 million. Mumford and Sons' hit album Sigh No More sold 1.5 million records, while a further 27 UK albums sold more than 100,000 copies in America, including Susan Boyle's Someone to Watch Over Me and Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto [pictured].

BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor says, "These results prove that the risks UK labels take investing in British talent help British artists break internationally and generate important exports that boost the UK economy".

NME have reviewed Coldplay's latest single (can we call it that yet?) Charlie Brown online this week. Sadly though, they hate it. Or at least the person, most likely someone on voluntary work experience or a resident NME blogger, hates it. You posted your thoughts on the review in the Charlie Brown sub-forum over the last few days. Here's what NME had to say about the song:

You can’t call a song ‘Charlie Brown’ and make it worse than the Peanuts theme. I don’t care if you’re Chris Martin. I don’t care if you’re a member of your very own Coldplay gym, or if you recorded it in a church, or if your wife’s doing a recipe book especially for vegans who teach Bikram yoga to monks. If you call a song ‘Charlie Brown’ and it sounds this half-arsed you are officially Out Of The Club.

Meanwhile, Chris Martin will feature on a collaborative album alongside American band The Flaming Lips for Record Store Day this year, that is according to various sources this week, including Pitchfork and Rolling Stone. The song 'I Don't Want You To Die' will form part of a compilation called 'The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends'. Documenting a 'series of unique and experimental sessions' according to a press release, the album will also include collaborations with Bon Iver, Yoko Ono and Ke$ha. Read more on this at the Coldplay forum now. Below is the full tracklisting. [thanks Watto]

Side 1

01 2012 (featuring Ke$ha and Biz Markie)

02 Ashes in the Air (featuring Bon Iver)

03 Helping the Retarded to Know God (featuring Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros)

Side 2

04 Supermoon Made Me Want To Pee (featuring Prefuse 73)

05 Children of the Moon (featuring Tame Impala)

06 That Ain't My Trip (featuring Jim James of My Morning Jacket)

07 You, Man? Human? (featuring Nick Cave)

Side 3

08 I'm Working at NASA On Acid (featuring Lightning Bolt)

09 Do It! (featuring Yoko Ono)

10 Is David Bowie Dying? (featuring Neon Indian)

Side 4

11 The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (featuring Erykah Badu)

12 Thunder Drops (featuring New Fumes)

13 I Don't Want You to Die (featuring Chris Martin, Coldplay)

The album comes as a 2xLP on multicolored vinyl, each disc with a unique design. Record Store Day takes place on the 21st April and copies are expected to be in short supply. Click here to listen to a short preview clip of 'I Don't Want You to Die' uploaded by Lips singer Wayne Coyne. Chris is clearly a fan of the Oklahoma outfit, as was previously proven by his choice of t-shirt at an Apple music themed media event in September 2010. [thanks Coldplayism.com]

Chris Martin sports a Flaming Lips t-shirt at an Apple music themed media event in September 2010