Rihanna and Coldplay teamed up at the Grammy's last night to perform three songs between them. They played a medley, which consisted of We Found Love (Rihanna only); Princess of China (Rihanna and Chris Martin) and Paradise (Coldplay full band), to a rapturous audience, writes ContactMusic in a mini-review of Coldplay's Grammy performance on Sunday night. Below is the rest of their article and a collection of Coldplayer reviews of Coldplay's performance. Sadly Coldplay won none of the three Grammy's they were nominated for. If you want to watch Coldplay at the Grammys again click here or here, and if you want to download the performance head to the Multimedia forum now.
Let us know what you thought of the performance at the Grammys 2012 thread (don't forget to vote on the poll!). We'll have the poll results and more comments from Coldplayers and the media soon!
The lights in the room dimmed as a slower version of Rihanna's hit We Found Love began. The singer, dressed in a see through cropped top and leather shorts, lay on the floor as she sang the first verse and chorus of the song. From there, it picked up speed as dancers emerged and Rihanna took off the long shirt she had been wearing over her ensemble. Towards the end of the song, Rihanna yelled 'Grammy's, make some noise for Whitney!', paying tribute to the tragic singer who died just a day before she was set to appear at the awards show. As We Found Love ended, the lights dimmed once more and Chris Martin emerged, with a guitar, to sing Princess of China, the duet with Rihanna that appears on Coldplay's fifth studio album, Mylo Xyloto. The song quickly segued into Coldplay's hit Paradise, with Rihanna leaving the stage at that point as Martin quickly joined his band on piano. The unlikely pairing of Rihanna and Coldplay are set to perform again, at the upcoming BRIT Awards, where, it is rumoured, they will sing Princess of China again...
There was also the following review from MTV, who said: "Rihanna stormed the Grammys stage on Sunday night with her new blonde do, kicking off her performance with the hit "We Found Love." Ri Ri, started things off solo, with only a piano to accompany her, before she launched into a full out party with plenty of backup dancers around. Coldplay would later join her for their collaboration on 'Princess of China'. The performance kicked off like a scene straight out of the thematically dark video for the track, with the Barbadian pop star leaning against a wall looking troubled under dark lighting with only a piano playing alongside her as she sang the track like a torch ballad. Looking gorgeous — and giving off a Tina Turner vibe — Rihanna rocked the blond locks she introduced recently, wearing a tight, belly-baring ensemble.
The laser lights, LED screens and synths kicked up soon enough, though, and Rihanna welcomed dancers to the stage and lit into a high-energy performance of the dance smash that kept with the feel of the song, devolving into a full-on rave, with the pop star front and center. Like many other performers and presenters at the show, Rihanna took a moment to honor the late Whitney Houston, demanding the audience, "Make some noise for Whitney!" Soon, the tempo backed down and the dancers departed, leaving Rihanna onstage with just Chris Martin strumming an acoustic guitar. The pair then started into the televised debut of their Mylo Xyloto collaboration "Princess of China."
"Her bit on our record is my favorite bit. When the song came out, it sort of asked for her to be on it," Chris Martin told MTV News of the pop princess' involvement last fall. "And I think at this point, we have nothing to lose, and so we've been trying some new things and trying to break down the perceived boundaries between different types of music." Coldplay finished things up on an upbeat note with their song "Paradise" and fans took to Twitter to share their reactions.
Coldplayer reviews from the messageboard on Coldplay's performance at the Grammy's (12th February 2012):
I think you guys are giving Rihanna too much hate! I'm not a fan of her music, but she wasn't horrible. Anywho, PoC was alright but felt awkward to me. I was really hoping that Coldplay would perform Charlie Brown but as you all know, they went with Paradise. I don't like their live version of Paradise at all! To me it feels slow and dragged out. The album version is much better but I can respect Coldplay for wanting to actually play the music instead of using fake recordings. I just think that the string instruments really make Paradise what it is. I thought Chris' singing for Paradise was a bit sloppy but from what you guys were saying, he wasn't feeling well (hope he gets better!). Overall, I think Coldplay needs to take some time off to relax. They've been playing at a lot of shows. Back with AROBTH and even X&Y, Coldplay was a nice fit for the United States. Now however, I feel as if Coldplay has really outgrown the United States. By that, I mean a lot of their hard core fan base lives outside of the United States. I just think of Coldplay as more of a global band now. And I don't think that Coldplay gets enough respect here in the States either. Anyway, I'm SUPER PUMPED to see Coldplay for the 3rd time in July at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C!!! I hope they get plenty of rest before they come so they're totally relaxed and energized. [thanks smallnshort247]
Coldplay! Why not Charlie Brown?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!? WHY!?!?! WHY!?!?! You just released the music video for it AND if Chris really was sick, then why perform a song that he already has trouble singing even when he isn't sick?? Charlie Brown has a lot less high notes! oh well, i just have to put that performance past me. Hopefully an Australian tour announcement in the next 2 weeks. fingers crossed. Paradise is one of their worst songs live. I'm not saying it's shit because Coldplay are already above so many other artists but it's one of their worst. I'm not one to force an opinion on someone but you are in denial if you think Paradise is one of their best songs live. [thanks Connor!42!]
Not too disappointed by all this, I thought POC was pretty amazing, Chris sang surprisingly well. I think Charlie Brown would have been too much in contrast with Rihanna, but even now it showed what different artists they are. They didn't have the right chemistry. Certainly not Chris's fault, he looked confident.
Got bored during Paradise though. [thanks Blue Nails]
I Loved the Paradise performance. Princess of China was not awesome but ok , I think partly as chris and rihanna had very little chemistry and Rihanna doesn't have such amazing vocals live and chris also was a bit shaky . Overall, it wasn't that bad. Paradise made the Staples Centre look like a Stadium show which was great! I think Coldplay better not venture into duets much after MX. I guess they have figured out by now they are not good at sharing the limelight, especially Chris.. MX is not strong enough like the other coldplay stuff so I predicted they wouldn't win , But I think we can bet on the boys to pleasantly surprise us in the future with a crazy amazing album again like ViVa (Rock not pop like MX which they aren't that strong at )! Love the boys and they will always be awesome! Fuck the grammys! [thanks teernabh5]
I think Rihanna has a nice/"diving" voice with lots of natural cool movements, can really "fly" it anywhere; the textures of her voice are very diverse and sensitive - I may suggest that she should try songs like Masquerade by Carpenters. She was a bit nervous in POC than her own song. I like Co.'s shirts; but it is also true Chris need to rest his voice. For the acoustic version, I think you can make it more peaceful/calm [or even making a new version with a few modifications] than the normal stadium style by a band. As by two, there are more details/delicacies to deliver/present. To say the least, it is not an easy acoustic song to sing comparing to the most. So, good try. [thanks RedBalloon]
It is the day after the night before and my opinion hasn't changed now that I've seen the performance a couple of times. I'm still disappointed. I was so hoping for the album version of PoC, not an acoustic one. It just felt to me that they were taking it a bit easy with only a guitar, because there was almost no time to rehearse or something. Of course, they both sung it well, but it definitely wasn't as spectacular as I had hoped. [thanks R23]
PoC was as awkward as I expected it to be. And transitioning from slow-to-fast was jarring in both cases. Paradise was better but still weak compared to them live. They all need a break because they seem to be overdoing it massively. Also: very glad Foo Fighters nabbed the awards in the category that Coldplay were in. Sorry but ETIAW (not rock) winning 'best rock song/performance' verses 'Walk' (actually rock) would've been atrocious. [thanks Nattatouille]
Coldplay needs to keep their heads up. This is why. Rihanna's performance of We Found Love, her singing and dancing. Then having to transition to PoC, a slower song. Having to get into a completing different style and tempo with Chris. An acoustic even. Was a lot to expect it to be perfect. Four performances in a span of four days. Can't expect each show to be flawless. The bands transition into Paradise is nothing not to be proud of. Listened again to the television broadcast and nothing could be wrong about it and so they didn't win tonight. There will be other nights, I'm sure of that. [thanks Postcards]
Sure, Rihanna didn't sound good during POC. (I didn't think Chris sounded bad at all to be honest.) Sure, Chris wasn't in top form tonight, but it wasn't his worst either, and we all know he's been sick. Sure, the whole xyloband thing could have worked a little better. Sure, it's disappointing that they didn't win anything. BUT.... It was a surprise that they were even nominated this year considering the album wasn't even eligible. It was amazing to be nominated amongst so many artists. Come on now, it wasn't their worst performance. Paradise isn't always questionable live! They'll get 'em next year. I went back and watched the DVR, and I thought the boys did a good job. The whole Rihanna thing should have been scrapped. The boys do much better on their own. Chris held up his end of the bargain with POC in my opinion, but Rihanna didn't. Of course, ouor boys are truly LIVE and don't, thank God, rely on lip syncing and other tricks, so all in all, it was great. Coldplay, you are the greatest!! [thanks LdySpace]
That was one of the worst Paradise performances i've heard so far! Rihanna sounded even more crappy near the end in PoC. Pff, huge disappointment. I don't like the combination of songs at all. They should have started with PoC, than Paradise followed by Rihanna's 'We Found Love'. Now this acoustic PoC version sounded twice as crappy after an OK and danceable We Found Love. [thanks Jurr]
Seen Paradise live. Still hated it. The fact that even a lot of the members here who usually defend every aspect of the band are disappointed by this performance just goes to show you how weak it was, both in performance delivery and song choice. Politik was never a single, yet that didn't stop Coldplay from kicking ass with it at the 2003 show. Face it, this was never meant to be their year, especially with their only nominations being weak singles that were released before the album was, which isn't even eligible until next year. [thanks Corkus]
Maybe this bad moment could save Coldplay career... maybe they NOW know they have to concentrate all the efforts on music and not on the rest, like AROBTTH times... Rihanna and Coldplay duet was too poor for a Grammy performance, Paradise is now overplayed everywhere and the three prizes for which Coldplay were nominated are now in the hands of who deserved them... [thanks coldpatrix]
PoC performance was average--the synth drop is the best part of the song (plus it would have sounded epic live and it would have given the guys the chance to introduce their Xylobands with a bang). Chris was singing off-key in one part of it. Paradise was below average. Poor Chris keeps having to perform while sick. And no awards. Disappointing night, overall. [thanks ColdplayingfromKansas]
This is my take on the awards tonight, there was nothing really all that bad about the performance, just nothing outstanding. I think chris's voice sounded fine, and paradise sounded pretty good. I do however wish that rihanna's part of the performance never happened. I mean it sucked hard, but PoC was okay, acoustic was nice and the lalalas sounded cool. Paradise was echoey and distorted but that was just the venue, a lot of the other songs sounded like that too. Any small vocal mistakes by Chris were few and far between. I also think that Coldplay should have one at least one of their etiaw awards IMO. Xylobands were cool. It could have been so much better, but it was fine for the most part. IMO everything coldplay did was good (not amazing) and all the bad was rihanna's fault. I'm disappointed but there's always next time. [thanks Car Kids]
Looks like someone at Coldplay HQ had a bit of a brain malfunction... they should have released the Charlie Brown single by now and then promoted it at the Grammys, instead of Paradise which loads of people are sick of hearing by now Also, the acoustic Princess of China was nice, but I would have rather had them play the whole song so the rest of the band could have got a bit more screen-time. [thanks SuperFitz]
Rihanna's performance was bleh... The POC acoustic was great IMO, my guess is they kept it acoustic cause of Chris's voice. Paradise was... safe? Considering Chris is sick, he did pretty good. I was expecting more Xylobands, dunno if the stream I was watching just didn't showcase the color, or if the audience just wouldn't get their hands up. On the other hand, their set with the MX graffiti was great. Hopefully they'll be back to perform next year, since we know MX will be eligible for awards. And am I the only one secretly hoping that Coldplay, or at least the Xylobands will be part of the big finale? Fix You would be a fitting finale and tribute .. Rewatched the performance on the west coast (finally!), in HD versus a little live stream from the east coast airing. Everything looked great, the set and the color was amazing. Sadly, everything sounded weak. Xylobands were pretty good, but not anything like I was expecting (e.g. the Xfactor performance). Better luck next year, and at the Brits. [thanks LVI56]
Interesting how others thought the performance was "bombastic" and yet we criticize it to the wall. Granted it wasn't incredible like some other dozens of performances and shows we've seen the boys do, but it wasn't terrible (re: Nicki Minaj's onstage slaughter-exorcism, anyone?). I would take our Chris' few flaws tonight over Chris Brown's auto-tune prerecording, any day of the week. [thanks x_TheSkyCouldFall]
Wow so first Rihanna steals Coldplay's moment, then Chris' voice isn't that good, they only show Chris and barely show any of the other guys, AND then they give the award to the foo fighters? WOW F*** YOU GRAMMYS. [thanks golfing7861]
I rarely comment on these forums, U usually just read other coldplayers comments. and last time i did comment fellow coldplayers picked on me for my bad grammer and composition, so please forgive me....but i feel like i wanted to see if anyone else agreed with me that someone in coldplay's management is gonna lose there job after this album... the decision to go with etiaw for the lead in single was a terrible one, i think we all agree with that now, and the charts also agree... and also the fact that the CB video release was delayed and then released before an official announcement of a CB single release. when do artist ever release a music video before the actuall record is released. by now mx has lost alot of momentum and CB might have been a great single months ago but now it may not chart as high. it just seems to me that there is some obvious disagreeing in the coldplay camp..sometimes a band has to do just that be a band and stick to playing there music and have other people decide when and how to release an lp, and it seems like the band might have to much control over these matters...they should leave it to the experts... or better experts which is my point exactly. [thanks HIGHSPEEDER]
Ok, so this wasn't CP's best performance live. But let's face it. The deck was stacked. As soon as they were put in a category with Tony Bennett and the late Amy Winehouse, you knew that was a losing cause. Every year, the Academy has a love affair with someone-this year it was the Foos. No offense to the Foos. When X&Y came out, it was up against the monster known as U2 and How to Dismantle... For VLV, 7 nominations, but Robert Plant and Allison Krauss were the hot acts. Worldwide CP fans know how the boys perform live and what a treat it is to be there. Someone else has mentioned that Paradise was the hit up for the award and that's more than likely why it was chosen. One wonders what the sequence of acts would have been if Ms. Houston hadn't passed away the night before. If CP is playing early, then I'll bet Charlie Brown and the Xylobands would have rocked the house. Instead, it got buried in the middle. The Grammys just aren't what they used to be. It rewards long time acts for staying power-the Foos, the Chilis, Bob Plant, etc. It's all about getting the almighty ratings and putting the hottest acts on. And as a final comment-Dave Grohl hit a home run with his comments. i don't think it was aimed at CP, but maybe the other "Pop" categories. Gaga, Brown, Kanye, Jay-Z. I'm just sayin'.... Looking forward to seeing CP in Chicago in August, and hoping the Xylobands will still be around! [thanks Rhumper]
I love Coldplay, hands down. I've noticed from years ago, they never do their best in the artificial environment of televised performances. Chris almost always seems nervous and hyper and somehow his voice is off. Last night was the same. (I didn't know he was ill until reading some comments above). The music itself was good, the vocals weak, even in the chorus when the other guys sing...they sounded soft and almost non-existent. It makes me sad, b/c I know what they're capable of, yet they never seem to express that on TV in front of mainstream America. I guess that's a good thing. The POC duet was not good either. Rhi was out of breath from her previous performance, and the two voices never meddled well. There were awkward transitions from her song to POC then into Paradise. Good idea in theory, but just didn't work well on stage.
I will say, that in the category of best rock song (or whichever award was televised), Foo Fighters were the weakest band in that category; up against Mumford and Sons, Radiohead, CP and Decemberists, they were the least interesting to me...I do not understand how they swept all those awards. I haven't read everything everyone else has written here. But I wanted to put my two cents in on the Adele conversation. She is a different performer; beautiful voice, with the ability to convey emotion, so much so, that I get chills and choke up every time she starts a song. She chooses not to be glitzy, glammy and over-produced like Rhi-Rhi and Gaga and Katy Perry and Nicky and on and on... I AM SO GLAD TO SEE THAT! She does her own thing, her own way. She was gorgeous and stunning, and I rather look at her standing on stage in a simple black dress singing, than seeing Rhianna half naked and dancing like a stripper. Boring some say, but that is RAW talent. Go Adele. She deserved every Grammy she won! [thanks yeshe]
After 3,5 hrs of sleep my phone woke me up: 2 am, Coldplay time. Start my laptop, find the right link to a good stream and sit around and wait for the boys to appear on my screen. And then finally it started. First I had to sit through 'We Found Love' from Rihanna. Nice song, but performance is too much slut-like (sorry). Then the camera focused on Chris. Lovely clothes, looks good. He starts strumming his guitar and starts to sing. You could clearly hear he was nervous. Nervous about the first performance of PoC live with Rihanna, nervous for his voice when he's sick? On the other hand, Rihanna wasn't in tune at all. She was pretty much gasping for air and trying to deliver anything out of her that would tune with Chris. I was quite surprised by the acoustic version. I expected it to be like on the album: more dancable and probably favoured by younger audience. But thinking of Paradise following, this acoustic version was a nice transition from 'We Found Love' to the second part of their performance. I can't choose which one would have been more appropriate in this setting and which one would have been better to promote. The choice for Paradise was somewhat interesting too. It sounded and looked ok, but again Chris' voice was a little shaky and he had to squeek some tones out of his throat. Maybe they had to do Paradise because it's on the Grammy-album, but I would've prefered to hear 'Charlie Brown'. They could have put CB into the picture more than it is now and realy promote the single. But maybe his voice couldn't handle this song at the moment. It would've been great though if on the screen behind Coldplay they would show the CB music video and also the video for 'We Found Love' when Rihanna performed her song. Hmmm, Deja Vu? After all, I enjoyed watching it (as I do with every single Coldplay-related thing that isn't hatefull to Coldplay). I stuck around till 4 am and went of to bed for 2 more hours of sleep. Energy-wise this nightbreak wasn't such a great idea: I had a tough day at work, but watching and reading about Coldplay when back home cheered me up (accompanied with a piece of chocolate). [thanks Coldplay Respect!]
New photos of Coldplay at the Grammy Awards, Staples Center, Los Angeles (12th 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
8 Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia (iHeartRadio) [discussion] [NEW!]
9 Los Angeles, CA @ Jimmy Kimmel Live [discussion] [RESCHEDULED FROM 7TH FEB!]
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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