Coldplay 'Wanted To Get Better, Not Bigger'

Coldplay wanted to "get better rather than bigger" with their new album, singer Chris Martin has said.

The band came into Radio 1 to give first single Violet Hill its world exclusive first play. Chris Martin says this record is shorter than the ones they've released in the past. He said: "I think you can say what you like about our record, but its brevity is its strongest feature."

Violet Hill is available as a free download for one week. But Coldplay's website briefly crashed after it was released. Speaking about the rest of the album, Martin continued: "It's colourful and it's short which is what these things should be. The intention was to try and be good and get better as opposed to bigger."

The album is Coldplay's fourth studio effort and the follow-up to 2005's X&Y, which went to number one in 22 countries.

Other tracks on the album include Life In Technicolor, Cemeteries Of London, Strawberry Swing and Death And All His Friends. Lead singer Chris Martin said: "We felt incredibly hungry to prove why people have heard of us. I wanted it to be OK to be that 16-year-old who says they like Coldplay in the playground. Hopefully with this record they won't get teased so much."

Discuss Violet Hill in our Coldplay forums here