British superstars
New album from Coldplay: pop music for the stadium
Coldplay’s new album: “Moon Music” is a colorful pop fireworks display. photo
© Anna Lee Media/Warner/dpa
Her appearance at the Glastonbury Festival caused a sensation. Your next stadium tour is already sold out. Now Coldplay are presenting “Moon Music”, their penultimate album according to frontman Chris Martin.
On the new LP, Coldplay continue the musical course with which they have been extremely successful for years. Not much remains of the melancholy indie rock of the early days with “Yellow” and “The Scientist”. Chris Martin’s gentle voice is the only real constant in Coldplay’s sound. Today the band, founded in London, stands for perfectly produced, stadium-ready pop music with elements from a wide variety of genres. The commercial focus scared off some critics, but it fills stadiums.
The title song of the same name from “Moon Music”, which opens the album, is actually most reminiscent of the melancholic Coldplay of the early 2000s, with which they enchanted the music press. But then the Brits set off another pop fireworks display on “Moon Music” that was made for big stadium concerts.
Catchy tunes with the help of the Swedish hitmaker
The light-footed, almost dreamy “Feels Like I’m Falling In Love” is immediately catchy. The transition to the chorus, in which Martin sings “I know” and then simply “Lalala-lalala-lalala,” is almost even catchier than the chorus itself. The Swede Max Martin, a former hitmaker, is once again on board as a songwriter and producer for Britney Spears (“Ooops, I Did It Again”) or the Backstreet Boys (“I Want It That Way”). Commercial pop is Max Martin’s specialty.
“Good Feelings” is also a catchy tune with a funk rhythm in the style of Chic. Their guitarist Nile Rodgers plays along and is listed as one of the songwriters. At the same time there is this upbeat boy band sound. Coldplay have mastered this since the joint single with the K-pop superstars BTS (“My Universe”), which gave Coldplay a new generation of fans. The Nigerian Afropop musician Ayra Starr sings along to “Good Feeling”.
Numerous international guests
The current single “We Pray”, which combines pop, hip-hop, Afrobeat and Latin American music, also represents the mix of genres. Coldplay has invited the right artists to the international quintet – the British rapper Little Simz, the Afrobeat musician Burna Boy, the Argentinian singer Tini and the Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna. The band and their musical colleagues shot the video surrounded by fans in Dublin’s pedestrian zone.
In a song listed as a rainbow emoji in the pre-released tracklist, US writer and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, who died in 2014, speaks and sings over an ambient soundscape. It seems a bit over-the-top, especially when it comes from a band like Coldplay, but admittedly it sounds really nice.
Beats from the computer
Incidentally, drummer Will Champion has little to drum on the former rock band’s new album. Organic drums are a rarity. Most of the beats come from the computer. “Aeternia” even turns out to be a real trance number with a strong 90s influence. For some early Coldplay fans, something like this would probably be an affront – if they even listen to “Moon Music” anymore.
But whether you like it or not – this diversity is quite remarkable. What’s even more remarkable is that on “Moon Music” Coldplay has once again managed to make everything seem completely natural, as if from a single source. The dance floor hit is followed by the slow piano ballad “All My Love” and it fits. Like its predecessor “Music Of The Spheres”, “Moon Music” has clear characteristics of a concept album.
Success with no foreseeable end
The CD and LP release of “Moon Music” used recycled PET bottles and household waste to avoid the production of new plastic. This should be particularly climate-friendly and significantly reduce CO2 emissions. Since most people probably listen to it via streaming, which causes comparatively high CO2 emissions, it can probably be chalked up to a marketing gimmick.
This has hardly any influence on Coldplay’s success story anyway. At the Glastonbury festival last summer, the band performed in front of an estimated 100,000 people. 7.6 million watched the concert via BBC on television or computer. It was the best advertisement for Coldplay. Next summer the quartet will give ten concerts at London’s Wembley Stadium, which are already sold out.
Their critics can complain as much as they like that Coldplay’s music has become too commercial, that Chris Martin and Co. seem self-absorbed or that they are acting as do-gooders. Their gigantic success should confirm them in their actions. By the way, you also have to acknowledge that “Moon Music” is a really good pop album.