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That's the point my friend😉

Hello again everybody! I thought I should log back in here after quite a while to share with you my predictions for LP11. I think the title would be something like "Confetti in Zero Gravity". In a near future where Earth has grown divided and disconnected, a global coalition launches Aurora Station, the first cultural space station created to unite humanity through music, love and group hugging. But when a violent debris storm destroys its communications, the station is left drifting silently above the planet. Among the crew is Lina, an openly queer dreamer who expresses themself through elaborate, hand crafted animal inspired performance suits they designs in secret. They are a reserved orbital engineer who trusts machinery far more than people. They never intended to perform, never wanted to be seen. Systems obey logic; humans rarely do. Lina discovers unfinished songs stored within the station’s AI, melodies sent from Earth by ordinary voices hoping to be heard. As fear spreads among the crew, they begin completing the songs, and one by one the others join them. Their music slips through the damaged transmission network, reaching Earth as faint harmonic patterns. Soon strangers gather in streets and homes across the world, humming along, remembering what it feels like to share something together. When sunlight breaks through a cloud of orbital particles and Oldplayers scream and weep in their sorrow, vast rainbows stretch across the curve of the planet. Forced to release millions of reflective calibration fragments to save the station, Lina watches as they scatter into a shimmering halo of color around them, like confetti suspended in zero gravity. The breathtaking image reaches Earth and becomes a symbol of fragile, defiant joy. With the station slowly losing orbit, Lina organizes one final global broadcast, inviting the world not just to listen, but to sing and hug. Millions of voices rise in unison, strengthening the signal and helping rescuers guide the crew safely home. Months later, people celebrate Unity Day beneath painted rainbows, tossing biodegradable confetti into the air. When a child asks Lina why confetti matters, they smile and reply, “Because joy is lighter than gravity. And when we share it, it lifts us all.”

This is excellent work my friend! Bravo! You've expertly demonstrated one of the band's main shortcomings post VLV and managed to polish the work of a multi-million dollar project the members of which couldn't do!

Thank you for your beautifully put response. I agree with all the points you mentioned. I know we've talked about this a lot, especially in the Oldplaying section, but I think my conviction of what could have been is even more resolute now. I was listening to Swallowed in the Sea today on repeat since the morning and just experienced an overwhelmingly melancholic sense of longing for the band I fell in love with as a teenager. I think we as a generation WATNED them to give us more of Parachutes, more of AROBTTH, more of X&Y. Our obsession with them began 20 years ago exactly BECAUSE of who and what they were. And the same goes for our other favourite bands, be it Travis or Porcupine Tree or Radiohead etc. But I think we're now at a point where we can recognize what those bands did correctly to lament their critical legacy, and also confidently identify Coldplay's reasons for this monumental shift in identity, which wasn't what they and specially Chris claimed for so long; that this was all an elaborate plan to become more "creative"! But as I said, it deeply saddens me to think about what we would have been treated to instead. I still hold a thread of hope that for their final album we might get to hear at least some of that "could have been"! And by the way, I think you should definitely go to their concert in June. The last one I went to was in 2008 because for me their performance has to connect emotionally to justify the huge price-tag, so I'm holding out until their last tour for their final album, but if you've already bought tickets then I think Yellow and Clocks alone are definitely worth your precious time😊

Hello again my old friends! I waited this long to write my review of the album because I wanted to give it a fair chance. We all know how their music takes time to grow on the listener, and I didn’t want to judge it too quickly. I’ve listened to it multiple times now, in different moods and settings, hoping something would click. But after all that, my opinion hasn’t really changed from the first few listens. I originally wanted to do a track-by-track review but I don’t think anyone has the time or patience to waste on such a thing. But overall, I think I should highlight two important factors. The first is the parallel that me as an avid listener of both bands would draw between Moon Music and U2’s All That You Can't Leave Behind. Compounded by the fact that the band tried so hard early on in their career to establish a foundation that would emulate the success of U2, both sonically and socio-politically, and the fact that both serve as the bands’ 10th studio albums. The two albums however couldn’t be farther apart. One is a multi-Grammy winning masterpiece and the other one is, well, it’s Moon Music. Without wishing to sound too harsh, the bands themselves couldn’t be farther apart either. Apple Martin even had a fucking debutante ball, straight out of King George’s 18th century upper-class circles! And moving on to the second factor, highlighting why we reached this point, is best described by the great Steven Wilson when asked to give his opinion on Coldplay and in particular Chris Martin. He noted that while Coldplay had a promising start, their later music became increasingly predictable, leaning more into mass appeal than creative risk-taking. He also highlighted Chris’s obsession with celebrity culture and pointed out how their early work had an earnest, everyman quality, but over time, they’ve become more focused on being global superstars than boundary-pushing artists. That sentiment rings painfully true with Moon Music. The Coldplay of the 2000s was a band that pushed themselves, writing poetic lyrics and crafting unique sonic textures. Now, their songwriting feels like it’s been distilled down to the safest, broadest strokes possible; music designed to be background noise rather than something you can truly get lost in, or even worse, something you would hear at a huge Christian gathering venue. Also, the band have always leaned into universal, uplifting themes, but on Moon Music, the lyrics often feel uninspired, almost AI like. A lot of the songs rely on vague affirmations of love and unity, but without the poetic depth that made Parachutes or A Rush of Blood to the Head so engaging. Most songs feel like Coldplay on autopilot; repeating the same anthemic formulas without bringing anything fresh to the table. Another major issue is the lack of instrumentation. What we had in VLV and even Everyday Life was a band that balanced electronic elements with organic, instrument-driven arrangements. But here, everything feels overly polished, synthetic, and stripped of the rich textures. The live piano, guitar, and the drums all take a backseat to programmed beats and atmospheric synths. Again, it sounds like a combination of AI and me with 20 hours on BandLab. This is especially disappointing because Everyday Life proved the band could still create something dynamic and instrumentally rich. That album had raw energy, diverse influences, and a willingness to experiment. Overall, I would say only three songs from the entire project are still worth the listen, IAAM, Jupiter, and Man in the Moon, with all three very obviously being left-overs from the Viva/MX sessions. Hopefully this will culminate in their third and final attempt at recreating another MX, (which I’ve already said on this forum a million times was itself an attempt to recreate VLV). For me, and I think I speak for a lot of the Oldplayer crowd, the dream would be for them to work with Danton Supple and Ken Nelson again for their final album, but contrary to what a famous footballer once said, dreams can be bought! And therein lies the problem with Coldplay, and what will ultimately be their legacy. Why change the formula when your world tour makes you $1.2 billion?!

This is so far the best description of Moon Music I've read on the forum!

It's the way of the universe to have the Oldplayer's back once in a while 😉😁

I will avoid posting a lengthy review until a time in the not-so-near future, as I've always done, because I like to take my time absorbing every note and lyric to make sure I fully appreciate the album. But so far and after about 5 listens I'm finding it difficult to justify the hype. iAAM is exceptional (clearly from the VLV sessions) but almost everything else has been underwhelming. I grew up listening to U2 and I can't help but compare it to All That You Can't Leave Behind, which was incidentally also their 10th studio album. We were all waiting with bated breath, and, some with worry, to see how and what they deliver. And what they delivered was a masterpiece that won seven Grammy Awards! That album is also largely built around themes of hope, resilience, and personal reflection, but so far I'm afraid when you compare the two one is a Rolls-Royce and the other feels more like a scooter!

WE PRAY is of course another mishmash of tired pop and R&B tropes with a heavy added dose of Christianity. I can’t be bothered to go digging to listen to the leaks but so far and based on the two singles we've had it's not looking good I’m afraid. I’ve now witnessed this band fail to capitalize on a brilliant attempt to reinvent themselves TWICE! What could and should have been after both VLV and EL wasn’t to be unfortunately. What remains to be seen is whether they double down on this nonsense and do features with Pitbull and Lady Gaga for their self-titled album or go back to the basics.

This was their first album I stupidly decided to pre-order in my 21 years of knowing them, and oh boy what a mistake it was. I don't have time to listen to the leaks but after hearing Good Feelings and FLIFIL I'm convinced it's going to be another sea of rainbow dust and confetti! It literally sounds like AI music. Does anyone know how you can cancel pre-orders (from their official website)?

One of the biggest mistakes of their career was to not tour and expand on the sound and experimentation of Everyday Life. I was completely done with the band before that album but they pulled me back because of how brilliant it was. While it was too late, it would still have changed the trajectory of their career if they hadn’t done MX 3.0 and 4.0 etc (AHFOD was 2.0!) with MOTS and now Moon Music. All of this obsession of course began back in the day after the commercial success of VLV, and that album will forever be both a curse and a blessing. But this is another topic better discussed within the Oldplayer circles😄

It looks like my early positive reaction to the snippet was premature. @lennyrott1 and @Doomotron described the shortcomings perfectly well. What I AM interested in is the very ending of the track from 03:34 to 03:57 where they have this magnificent almost Pink Floyd-esque composition of strings, synths and guitar that sounds extremely interesting. If they had incorporated these elements throughout the song and altered the horrendous over-production, they might have been able to save the song. Everyday Life was made only 5 years ago and showcased how this band can still write good music, and yet they consciously continue down this path of mediocrity.

I have to say I'm very pleasantly surprised. I wasn’t expecting anything quality from this project but this one at least hits all the right spots. I’m even getting some Viva Rainy Day vibes from Jonny’s riff and Chris's crescendo at the end of the snippet!

How are you my old friend?😊 I did like Coloratura very much. Same with People of The Pride. I just feel they were trying too hard to emulate Pink Floyd and Muse, respectively. At the end it doesn't feel convincing which is why they won't be talked about in the same bracket as their greatest work.

Wow! I haven't visited the forum for two years and I'm extremely glad it's still the place we can all call home. To see it still buzzing with activity gave me a sense of nostalgia harking back to the days of X&Y and Viva La Vida being released. I haven't kept up with the band but I just hope they keep their promise and close the chapter within the next couple of years. I have absolutely zero hopes for Moon Music but of course it would be nice to have at least one good song on it, unlike MOTS. The masterpiece that was Everyday Life reinvigorated my love for the band and I just hope they finish it with a bang🥰

Sure:

Of course it's A Rush of Blood to the Head. Even the band themselves believe this to be the case. Chris and Guy did a funny interview recently and when asked what they would ask aliens to listen to if they ever met one, they jokingly said "here is our second album".

CONFIRMED by Chris: - MOTS V.2 & Musical by 2024 - Rest in 2024 - Final album reminiscent of their earlier work by the end of 2025 I'm super glad they're ending it this way. I can accept whatever shit we'll get on those two as long as we get an alternative "back to their roots" final album.

Right I think enough time has passed for us to be able to judge the album reasonably and away from positive or negative prejudice. I'll keep it short and not overtly critical. Music of the Spheres - Short intro that's not atmospheric enough. It also isn't nearly as fleshed out or interesting as "Mylo Xyloto" or the beginning of "A Head Full of Dreams". 4/10 Higher Power - An attempt to create another "Hurts Like Heaven" and "Birds", but again, it lacks in all departments. The song gets much better for the last quarter once Jonny's guitar kicks in but it's all too little too late. 4/10 Humankind - The best song of the album along with Coloratura I think. They remembered they're a guitar and drums band for this one and Chris's voice is absolutely epic. Max's production sounds much more restrained and you can clearly hear the great instrumentation. But at times it sounds too much like a faster version of "Miracles" and the lyrics are woeful unfortunately. 7/10 Alien Choir - This is absolutely the most frustrating point of the album for me. The ambiance quality of all the Hans Zimmer-esque sounds and synths make this an amazing intro for the album that should have been. It's dark and very reminiscent of 'X&Y' and every time I listen to it I wonder why it's just an interlude and how potentially amazing it could have been if they decided to do an actual space-rock album. 9/10 Let Somebody Go - They tried to do "Everglow" 2.0, except this is even worse. Uninspired and lame, and the lyrics are just rubbish. Even past the 2:30 mark when the songs really picks up, the crescendo lasts for only a few seconds and Chris is repeating the same horrid lines over and over. Also, Selena Gomez! 3/10 Human Heart - The reason this song doesn't work as well as "BrokEn" or "Cry Cry Cry" is very simple. There is literally no music. You're just listening to it waiting for something to happen and it never does. Maybe a subtle piano or synth in the background could have saved this. 3/10 People of the Pride - While I love the lyrics on this and completely understand and support their intentions, it sounds too much like they were trying really hard to mimic Muse, and it hasn't quite worked because the album version is too muffled and Jonny's amazing riffs are buried under the production and the electric drums. The live version is miles better. 6/10 Biutyful - Another moment of frustration. I'm a sucker for Coldplay melancholy (I'm obsessed with "Rainy Day" and "Army of One") but this is not it! The stupid voice should have just been Chris singing normally, they should have ditched the pads for real drums and added some beautiful strings running with tender riffs from Jonny. Oh what a missed opportunity! 5/10 Music of the Spheres II - Pointless interlude and those fucking alien sounds again! 2/10 My Universe - Allow me to pass on this one! 2/10 Infinity Sign - Again, an interlude that doesn't seem to serve any purpose. 4 minutes of repetitious gibberish. 1/10 Coloratura - To describe the first half of this song I'll borrow a quote from one of the critics: "a coloring book version of Pink Floyd". The second part has more urgency and oomph and it works really well with the climax. This is absolutely NOT the best song Coldplay have ever done, which is a statement I'm seeing too often. 7/10 Overall: 4.5 Ultimately I would say I'm majorly disappointed and my dream of seeing Coldplay return to form has been crushed. Everyday Life is a masterful album that once again showcased how talented and creative these guys are, but they failed to capitalize on its success. I've also realized all this talk about them not wanting to repeat themselves is utter bullshit. They've tried to emulate 'AHFOD' with this record, which it self was trying to emulate 'Mylo Xyloto', which was again trying to recapture the magic of 'Viva la Vida'. Below are my current album standings: 1. AROBTTH 10/10 2. VLV / EL 9/10 3. X&Y / Parachutes 8/10 4. MX 7/10 5. Ghost Stories 6/10 6. AHFOD 5/10 7. MOTS 4.5/10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW5v4Ohxk5k Porcupine Tree just murdered everyone in rock with their surprise. I'm glad they're back and I can cleanse my soul from the Coldplay rubbish?

I think I should point out that while I'm reading through all these reviews to post on here, the most prevalent talking point for almost all critics is the band's previous work on 'Everyday Life'. Many people believe that album was the band's best work in years and they find it difficult to understand how and why they would follow it up with this.

This is a place we can share our thoughts about the entire album. I will also share and update critic reviews as they're published. The Guardian - 2/5 "Slipping status prompts a desperate pop pivot" Pitchfork - 5.1/10 "Here he goes again, looking at the stars, seeing how they shine" Independent - 3/5 "A superficial spiritual shower" The Times - 2/5 "Fluff from a band who lost their way" iNews - 3/5 "Big pop that sounds like One Direction’s leftovers" Stereogum - "Behold Coldplay’s irrepressible thirst for mainstream pop relevance!" NME - 4/5 "World-conquering pop group reach for the stars" The Telegraph - 3/5 "Like a zero-gravity soft play area full of puppy dogs" The Sydney Morning Herald - 3/5 "Beneath the glistening surface, not a lot resonates on new Coldplay album" Riff - 7/10 "Coldplay delights and disappoints on ‘Music of the Spheres’" Rolling Stone - 3/5 "Coldplay Travel to Space and Redeem Humanity (Again) on ‘Music of the Spheres’" Consequence - "Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres Is Completely Oblivious to Its Own Plight" LA Times - "Coldplay successfully turns to Max Martin for hits, but there’s no helping these lyrics" RTE - 2/5 "a colouring book version of Pink Floyd" ourculture - 2.5/5 THE YOUNG FOLKS - 4/10 "A Predictable Disappointment" popMATTERS - 4/10 "COLDPLAY DON’T REACH THE HEART ON AMBITIOUS ‘MUSIC OF THE SPHERES’" The Wall Street Journal - "The band’s new album takes the cosmos as its latest concept, but the interstellar lovefest grows numbing as the record runs on" Clash Music - 5/10 "A deeply mixed return that lacks a certain spark..." MusicOMH - 4/10 "It’s the sound of Coldplay treading water. More alarmingly, it begins to sound like they’re trying not to drown"

So what do you guys think about 'People of the Pride'?

Jesus I watched the video of the performance, and WHAT A SONG! I haven't been this excited about a Coldplay song for years!

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