Nattatouille

Jezzzzeus. You're right. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

I can't believe it's almost 2 years since Wembley or almost a year since the boat trip. They've been amazing experiences brought to us by the band... And yeah, it just doesn't feel like it can be the same again. I mean, I cried when we heard Christmas Lights on the boat because it was lovely and special and now whenever it comes of shuffle it brings back all the excitement and friendship forged that night. I get completely what you mean. The music brought us together and it was meant to unite us... But now it's gone I sort of feel like what's left to unite us anymore? I never got to experience a full Coldplaying Wembley (as I was seated) and I now fear I never will... Or I won't with some of the members of the forum I would most like to see again/meet.

And I once more point out that as a teenager most people would not use the term 'life goes on, it gets heavy' unless being ironic. Honestly.

Yeah, I think that's the best way of putting it. I don't like the idea of a hit-and-miss album where I will either skip tracks or not have them on my iPod at all.

I have liked the sound of the live versions of Charlie Brown, HLH, PoC and MM. However MM was ruined in the studio recording by the odd processing on Chris's voice. I'm worried that the same will happen to these. The thing is, I liked the sound, but none of them have quite caught me the way even Speed of Sound (probably the 2nd worst lead-single off an album) did. Thanks guys :)

Just this. I can't believe in 2 years since Wembley all this has come to pass. I just feel absolutely heartbroken.

I heard it and just sort of went 'cite your source'-- Chris Martin has no experience of teenage girl-life.

I have never, ever used the term 'it gets so heavy' in reference to anything unless being highly ironic. And I've never even thought the phrase in an internal monologue. And you know, I was a young girl in this 21st century life.

No. I'm pro-X&Y (I feel like I'm saying the same thing over and over) it's my favourite probably.

Imo, that's way better than the actual lyrics. At least then I would be genuinely laughing at the lyrics opposed to laughing in hysterical despair

Okay. This is getting too much. We're not haters. We're criticisers. There is a vast difference. I like how we voice our slightly critical views and we get tabbed as hating. How many posts have you directly seen that someone has been like 'HATE COLDPLAY' it's mainly 'hate this direction' 'disappointed'. These do not equate to us hating Coldplay. You're right in some respects. They are giving up what it was that defined Coldplay to us. Yes, not to others, but to us. There is a large proportion of us on the boards voicing the same opinion so you can't say that it's an unfounded idea. If there is a collective group saying the same thing then there is some basis of truth in it for those people. If you don't think they're changing what it meant for them to be Coldplay, then okay, that's how you and your collective group feels. You cannot say that our opinion is less valid or should be voiced less just like we can't say the same to you. Simple fact is, both sides are allowed to feel whatever they want to feel, but us getting snarky, stressed and rude to each other is not the right way to handle it. I dislike the direction that they're taking. If they are taking it because they want to, then good on the boys... If they're taking the direction because they're being pushed into it, then so be it. I'm just expressing the opinion that I don't like it and I feel like we're losing Coldplay as we knew them and I'm not particularly being won over by this new band.

Para-para-para is way better. Doesn't make you sound like a child about to throw a temper tantrum for one. And for 2: Para- can have many alternative words: Para-dise Para-letic Para-noid Para-chutes ect.

This is it, I don't feel like this is development at all. I feel this is regression. The way it is composed and written just doesn't sit well with me. After what I've seen they can do I feel Paradise or ETIAW don't measure up. No the sentiment itself is not offensive. It's just the capitals and exclamation marks that turn it to something slightly rude and abrasive. It's immediately making it confrontational.

I agree that some of the topics have been a little tasteless. But so have some of the 'love' threads. I mean, the title of this one: 'THINGS EVOLVE!!!' It's not exactly a mature way of handling it either really, is it? I think you telling us that we should respect and accept this direction isn't exactly the right way either. The only thing either party should do is respect and accept each other. I can't respect this direction from Coldplay and I can't accept it either because I feel like I'd be settling for third best of what they can do.

^First off: love the name and avatar. Secondly: You're very right. Recently a lot of the lyrics have been a little dubious. It doesn't feel like the same pen any more. Comparing even the lyrics from some of X&Y to today you see a massive shift (I use X&Y as the example because everyone seems to harbour a lot of animosity to X&Y despite it being my favourite). It feels like somewhere Chris has lost the spark of emotion that made his lyrics great.

The issue here is, you're saying all the haters are being childish for giving criticism..? That's not childish at all. In fact, it's probably more adult to look at something and see that it's not perfect. If you look at something and just blindly accept it, that's more childish. Also, I'm finding that a lot of the haters aren't childish at all. We're all being called out for not 'being true fans' and we're getting personal attacks for our opinions. That's childish. If you accept and trust Chris Martin and co (seriously, there are three other people in the band. Coldplay is a democracy. Chris does not make all the decisions) to take you this direction then you can. But so far the two singles have been disappointing to me and so it's my choice to stand back and say 'hey, I'mma happy for you, but unless MX has some right stonkers on it, I'm afraid I might have to pass on it'.

Can we just define what a fan is for your sake? A fan is someone who enjoys/enjoyed the music. We are not people that follow like blind sheep and like every single decision and direction that the band takes. We are allowed to criticise the music or the direction if we so like. Most of us don't 'hate the new Coldplay' as you said, most of us dislike what we're hearing and are concerned. There is a massive difference. Only a few people have gone as far to hate/disown them at the moment. So please don't generalise and put us on your spectrum which only has 'love' and 'hate'. Because we are less likely to just accept anything Coldplay put out does not make us any less of true fans. It makes us independent human beings. If you want to be hive minded and just blindly accept that-- then that's fine. But it does not make you any of a better fan than any of us. Yes, it is necessary for a band to change with the times. None of us are saying it wasn't. But what we are saying is to us, this isn't evolution of Coldplay's sound. We know what beautiful music they can write and how their lyrics can touch us and they settle for overproduced pop and 'para-para-paradise' and 'wa-wa-wa-waterfall'. Moving to Mars showed glimmers that Coldplay are still able to write these kinds of tracks and they are choosing not to and to demote things like this to B-sides? Whatever happened to Don Quixote? Wedding Bells? Famous Old Painters? Christmas Lights? Those showed the right sort of evolution. We are true fans. You are true fans. That's that.

Imo, that video hasn't been used enough reference this whole shenanigan. I think that sums up exactly how I'm feeling with the majority of the posts and defenders of Paradise at the moment. :\ Seriously? What are these people on? How can they compare Paradise to any other music is beyond me.

Oh no, you're very right. These are all very hypothetical 'if' moments. -If MX is as bad as it has the potential to be right now from what we've heard... Then I will just say VLV was the end of Colplay -If they then come out to record something else fantastic that makes me eat my words then I will just pretend MX didn't exist. -If I end up being completely wrong about MX, then I will make an apology.

^^Ugh. I am so sick of that already. Everyone can have their own opinion. Everyone should be able to express said opinion... And it just seems like everywhere is just burning down around us with flame wars. The 'true fans' are just dishing hate, the 'bad fans' are just retaliating... We all need some Jeremy Kyle/Jerry Springer moderation at the moment.

Michael, can you just do my speaking and expressing myself for a bit? Because you seem to be hitting the nail on the head every time.

Oh hello, I am one individual quoted in the fan reaction column. That is my two cents though. I just don't think ETIAW or Paradise have been up to par. And that column is the first time I've actually agreed with NME in an age. What the author says is more than right. All this aside though, it doesn't mean I'm giving up Coldplay. Far from it. Coldplay are still one of my favourite bands and I grew up listening to them. If I were suddenly to shun them from my life then that would just be stupid as through them I've got some amazing memories and friends. But I am very dubious about this direction. I will give it a chance, I will listen to Mylo Xyloto (heck, I've preordered the limited-edition pop-up album). And maybe I won't like it as much as I've liked the previous albums, and maybe it will dim my love for current them a bit... But my Coldplay love and passion will always stay strong. I may just have to pretend that VLV was the last album they released, that's all.

Hey, we all know what I think about Paradise. Bitch got featured on NME reference it. Hola. Anyway, I wore my Muse tees over the weekend as my remembrance of it being a year since Wembley. It was sad, but also epic at the same time to remember it all because yeah... It was epic.

It's just middle of the road, bland pop. Not extremely bad, but not particularly good either. It's just there. For Coldplay that's bad. Terrible even.

^This isn't evolution, it's regression imo.