Today (Oct. 04), Coldplay has officially released their much-anticipated full-length studio album, Moon Music, available on streaming platforms, under an exclusive license to Parlophone Records Limited.
This album features an array of cosmic transitions and ethereal vocal performances, driven by an engaging celestial production. Moon Music, the band’s 10th studio album, was first teased during an interview with CityNews over a year ago.
In that exclusive interview, Coldplay’s lead vocalist, Chris Martin, confirmed that this new album serves as the official follow-up to their 2021 release, Music Of The Spheres.
The album cover is a stunning image capturing the rare optical phenomenon of a rainbow shining through an iridescent cloud, alongside light refracted from a crescent-shaped moon. This photograph was taken by Argentine photographer Matias Alonso Revelli.
Staying true to the band’s commitment to eco-friendliness, the physical copies of Moon Music will be produced using recycled PET-plastic bottles obtained from post-consumer waste.
Currently, Coldplay is on their Music Of The Spheres World Tour in Australia, with major performances lined up in New Zealand, Abu Dhabi, India, and The United Kingdom.
A Track-by-Track Review of Coldplay’s 10th Studio Album Moon Music
Moon Music takes listeners on an intergalactic adventure with a 10-track LP, engaging them with its metaphorical themes. The contribution of Max Martin to the album is particularly noteworthy, as he seamlessly blends cosmic ambient elements into the production.
This latest project runs for a total of 44 minutes and features collaborations with a variety of artists, including Jon Hopkins, Lil Simz, Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, and more. The themes explored in Moon Music include:
- Love
- Relationships
- Pain
- Struggle
- Success
- Truth
- Self-Identity
- Pride
- Togetherness
- Growth
- Maturity
MOON MUSIC (Feat. Jon Hopkins)
(Production Credits: Jon Hopkins, Max Martin, Daniel Green, and Bill Rahko)
Listeners are welcomed into *Moon Music* with a self-titled introductory track characterized by ambient soundscapes and gentle piano notes.
Approximately three minutes in, Chris Martin reflects on personal struggles and self-improvement in MOON MUSIC. The lyrics articulate his journey in navigating life’s uncertainties, expressing a desire to hold on to faith in a greater existence.
“Maybe I’m just crazy, I should just be a brick in the wall / Sit and watch the TV, blame everyone else for it all / But I’m trying to trust in the heavens above / And I’m trying to trust in a world full of love / Fire and water and constantly dream / Of the balance of things and the music between”- Chris Martin sings on ‘MOON MUSIC’.
feelslikeimfallinginlove
(Production Credits: Max Martin, Oscar Holter, Bill Rahko, Daniel Green, and Michael Ilbert)
With a refreshing transition, Coldplay reintroduces their lead single, feelslikeimfallinginlove, which debuted on streaming platforms back in June.
This track is an upbeat pop anthem, featuring compelling vocal performances and engaging percussion, with Chris Martin emphasizing love, relationships, growth, and transformation in this song’s hook:
“Oh, it feels like / I’m fallin’ in love / Maybe for the first time / Baby, it’s my mind you blow / It feels like / I’m fallin’ in love / You’re throwin’ me a lifeline / This is for a lifetime, I know”
WE PRAY (Feat. Lil Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna, and TINI)
(Production Credits: Max Martin, Daniel Green, Bill Rahko, Michael Ilbert, and ILYA)
Next, Coldplay presents a notable collaboration featuring Lil Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna, and TINI on the album’s third track. Each artist unites to deliver the anthemic WE PRAY.
Chris and Simz each contribute verses, while Burna Boy, Elyanna, and TINI enhance the record’s bridge, chorus, and outro. A highlight from WE PRAY features impactful lines from Lil Simz:
“So for the ones who parted seas (Ah, yeah) / For the ones who’s followin’ dreams (Ah, yeah) / For the ones who knocked down doors (Ah, yeah) / And allowed us to pass down keys (Ah, yeah) / Pray that we speak with a tongue that is honest / And that we understand how to be modest”
JUPiTER
(Production Credits: Max Martin, Daniel Green, Bill Rahko, Michael Ilbert, and ILYA)
In the fourth track, Chris Martin presents an acoustically rich love song, drawing parallels between the planet Jupiter and a woman grappling with her identity.
The dynamic production in JUPiTER ultimately leads to a more ambient conclusion. This track encapsulates themes of love, honesty, and joy, illustrated by lines such as:
“Jupiter, named for a planet, would pretend to be / Somebody way less extraordinary / Sometimes I wonder what is wrong with me / Am I bad? Am I wrong? Am I weird in the head? / The only one awake, and everyone’s in bed / Still she followed the river where the river led / Right up to heaven where the billboard read”
GOOD FEELiNGS (Feat. Ayra Starr)
(Production Credits: Max Martin, Bill Rahko, Daniel Green, Oscar Holter, Michael Ilbert, and The Chainsmokers)
Transitioning into the sounds of children playing nearby, Moon Music introduces the electro-pop track GOOD FEELiNGS. This song, produced by Max Martin alongside a team that includes The Chainsmokers, showcases Chris Martin’s collaboration with emerging Nigerian artist Ayra Starr.
Together, they convey uplifting messages about lost memories, transformation, and maturation:
“We fell in love in the summer / I remember, baby, we saw the sun shine too / And we were born for each other / Just remember, baby, whatever we go through / All the good feelings for one another / As we danced to the radio / All the good, good feelings we have for each other”- Chris Martin sings on ‘GOOD FEELiNGS’.
🌈
(Production Credits: Max Martin, Jon Hopkins, Daniel Green, Bill Rahko, and Michael Ilbert)
Coldplay then presents a track intriguingly titled with the rainbow emoji “🌈”on streaming services. This song, lasting just over six minutes, features a production divided into three unique sections.
The band’s manager, Phil Harvey, stated that the song’s unofficial title is ALiEN HiTS/ALiEN RADiO, revealed during a Discord Q/A session in August.
Chris Martin and Will Champion contribute ambient vocal elements in Part 1 and Part 3 of ALiEN HiTS/ALiEN RADiO. Maya Angelou brings the song to a nostalgic close with a memorable outro:
“There is an African American song, 19th century / Which, um, is so pretty, it said / When it looked like the sun wasn’t gonna shine anymore / God put a rainbow in the clouds / God put a rainbow in the clouds / And I’ve had so many rainbows in my clouds / I had a lot of clouds, but I have had so many rainbows”
iAAM
(Production Credits: Max Martin, Oscar Holter, Daniel Green, Bill Rahko, and Michael Ilbert)
Track 7 presents a “warmhearted bombast”through its empowering sound and theme. Titled iAAM, this song encapsulates feelings of perseverance and resilience thanks to Chris Martin’s impactful vocal performances.
“I got this feeling and now nothing is frightening / I got this feeling I can summon up lightning / I got this feeling and just what it is, God only knows / But here it goes / Stood on a sea of pain / Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain / I’ll be back on my feet again / ‘Cause I am a mountain”
ETERNAL
(Production Credits: Max Martin, Jon Hopkins, Bill Rahko, Daniel Green, and Michael Ilbert)
The album invites listeners to experience the percussive ethereality once more with the track AETERNA, a Latin term meaning “Eternal or Everlasting”.
Although the themes in this song resonate with those in tracks like iAAM and GOOD FEELiNGS, the catchy hook on AETERNA makes it memorable:
“This must be bliss / Must be for this I exist / ‘Cause I always, I always / I always want to feel like this / Oh, this must be bliss / This extraordinariness / And I always, I always / I always want to feel like this”- Chris Martin’s hook on ‘AETERNA’.
ALL MY LOVE
(Production Credits: Max Martin, Oscar Holter, Daniel Green, Bill Rahko, Michael Ilbert, and ILYA)
In ALL MY LOVE, Chris Martin’s evocative lyricism shines through, complemented by gentle acoustic instrumentation that sets a reflective atmosphere. The song narrates a relationship filled with various experiences, emphasizing the resilience shared between the couple.
“We’ve been through low / Been through sunshine, been through snow / All the colours of the weather / We’ve been through high / Every corner of the sky / And still we’re holding on together”- Chris Martin sings on ‘ALL MY LOVE’.
ONE WORLD
(Production Credits: Max Martin, Bill Rahko, Daniel Green, and Michael Ilbert)
The conclusion of Moon Music arrives with ONE WORLD, which is structured similarly to ALiEN HiTS/ALiEN RADiO, presenting distinct segments throughout its nearly seven-minute runtime.
The ethereal production in ONE WORLD effectively wraps up the album, drawing listeners into a tranquil acoustic realm.
“Oh, one world / Only one world / Oh, one world / Only one world”- Chris Martin repeats on ‘ONE WORLD’.
While some critics have dismissed Coldplay’s newest work as a “banal”expression of clichéd lyrics and arena-ready tracks, the skillful production and compelling vocal performances stand out.
The well-executed space-themed sonic elements present in Moon Music‘s full-length runtime successfully invite listeners on a transformative journey centered on love and personal growth, underscoring the importance of authenticity.
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