James Marcus Haney
Coldplay‘s highly-anticipated ninth album Music Of The Spheres has finally dropped. With a symphony of sounds and collaborating artists, the band’s new record just might be their best one to date.
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Fans began speculating that new music was on the horizon when the band began leaving hidden messages for their fans to decode. As more fans began to realize that the codes began to spell certain words, they were able to decipher that the first single off of their new album would be called “Higher Power.”
Then in July, the band released their other single “Coloratura” — the ten-and-a-half-minute closing track to their new album. Opposite to “Higher Power,” “Coloratura” was a great insight into the direction that the band was taking for their ninth record.
More rumors for Music Of The Spheres began circulating once again when ‘BTSxColdplay’ began trending on Twitter. Fans from both sides became excited at the thought that both of these bands would be collaborating for a song and their speculation was right.
Coldplay would then release their single with BTS titled “My Universe.” An infectious anthem that will have you singing at the top of your lungs. The collaboration would go on to be a testament to unity and love — something that both bands continuously preach.
Now, with Music Of The Spheres finally here for fans to enjoy, the album takes you in so many directions, kind of like you are traveling through space (wink wink). Track-after-track, each one manages to excite you for the next one, and when you go on to listen to the next song, somehow, it finds a way to supersede the one you heard before.
Beginning with “Music of the Spheres” (stylized as “🪐”), the instrumental track is a layer of sounds and harmonies. The best way that I can describe it is if you had found yourself traveling through space. It starts quiet but then you begin to hear all that space has to offer.
As “🪐” transitions into their next song, the traveling that you had done with track one leads you to your first destination with track two, “Higher Power.” The lead single for Music Of The Spheres, it’s a joyous track filled with uplifting lyrics and sounds.
Their third track “Humankind” is a synth-filled song with a catchy chorus but it was not easy to put together, something that frontman Chris Martin shared with Apple Music.
“You can sketch ideas out in the studio sometimes, and that was one we were really struggling with before Max [Martin] took the reins. It didn’t sound very fresh; it had a good energy, but was maybe just a little bit too rock for us, and he really gave it more of a modern shine,” said Martin. “It could be from just editing the basic song and the song structure or it could be adjusting the rhythm pattern to make it all stick together better.”
Then comes track four, “Alien Choir” (stylized as “✨”) and serves as an interlude for the record. Track five titled “Let Somebody Go” features Selena Gomez and is a sweet ballad that combines both Martin’s and Gomez’s vocals nicely.
Track six “Human Heart” (stylized as “❤️”) features both We Are KING and Jacob Collier. Just as Martin had shared with Apple Music, the song is reminiscent of a “modern-sounding gospel song in some ways.”
But then as “❤️” comes to a close and transitions into “People of The Pride,” the ride that this song takes you on is as if you’re lightspeed skipping through space. You think you have an idea of what the song will bring, but then as it picks up, it’s evocative and very Muse-esque in its sound. Without a doubt, when Coldplay goes on their Music Of The Spheres World Tour, this song will be a thrilling one to see live in concert.
“Biutyful” is the eighth track on Music Of The Spheres and takes a different course from “People of The Pride.” It’s a sweet song that is filled with love and appreciation for someone, whoever they may be.
“Music of the Spheres II” (stylized as “🌎”) is another interlude on the record as it is just filled with cheering fans and voices. It then transitions into their second single “My Universe.” Their collaboration with BTS had both bands singing about love and unity and became a fun song to bop your head and hum along to.
“Infinity Sign” (stylized as “♾”) is not an interlude, something that Martin noted in their interview with Apple Music. In a way, it’s a catchy and repetitive song that is filled with many sounds and harmonies as it leads up to the closing track “Coloratura.”
Lasting ten minutes and seventeen seconds long, “Coloratura” is a sweet symphony of sounds that brings Music Of The Spheres to its conclusion, or better yet, the final destination on the band’s journey through space.
Music Of The Spheres takes listeners on a journey with its collaborators and many stylistic approaches to each track. Filled with sounds that are slow and fast, piano to synth, rock to pop, Coldplay’s ninth record may explore many parts of the music realm, but at its core, the album reminds us that even though the world we live in is vast and scary at times, the good that is left in humanity is still out there.
Coldplay’s ninth album Music Of The Spheres is now available to stream.