Coldplay (music group)

Coldplay is a four-member British pop band led by front man Chris Martin. In 2000, the band released its debut album, Parachutes, which netted the group its first Grammy Award for best alternative music album the following year. Since then, Coldplay continued its rise to popularity, releasing nine studio albums and several extended plays (EPs), live albums, and compilations by 2023. The band received numerous awards, including seven Grammys as of 2023. Martin has made headlines on his own, mostly for his marriage to—and later divorce from—actor Gwyneth Paltrow.

Background

The band that became Coldplay was formed in 1996 by four musically inclined students attending the University College of London. Chris Martin provided vocals and piano, Jon Buckland played the guitar, Will Champion served as drummer, and Guy Berryman played the bass. Coldplay also wanted Tim Rice-Oxley to join the group and play the keyboard, but he declined. The band began playing at festivals and released the EPs Safety in 1998 and Brothers & Sisters in 1999.

Coldplay signed with Parlophone Records in 1999 and released the EP Blue Room later that year. The band spent the following year recording its debut, Parachutes, which was released in 2000. The album became very popular in both the United Kingdom and United States; sales were higher in the United States. The Grammy Award–winning album produced the hit single "Yellow."

In 2002, Coldplay released its sophomore effort, A Rush of Blood to the Head, which spawned the singles "Clocks" and "In My Place," which netted additional Grammy Awards for the band. Coldplay then toured in support of the album and released a CD/DVD of live footage from the tour. The band enjoyed immense popularity and celebrity at this time. Lead singer Martin's star power rose even higher when he married actor Gwyneth Paltrow in 2003. The couple had a daughter, Apple, the following year.

Coldplay continued to work during this time but decided to take its time on the next album. While recording, it participated in several charitable side projects. Some band members had issues with Coldplay's producer, Ken Nelson, and eventually fired him; they replaced him with producer Danton Supple. Coldplay completed its third studio album, X&Y, in 2005. The album was another huge commercial hit, selling more than eight million copies that year and producing the singles "Speed of Sound," "Talk," and "The Hardest Part."

Martin and Paltrow welcomed a son, Moses, in 2006. The band spent the following few years concentrating on its next album and working with producer Brian Eno, who had previously recorded with the band U2. The album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (also known as Viva la Vida) arrived in 2008 along with the EP Prospekt's March that same year. In 2009, Viva la Vida won a Grammy Award for best rock album, and its single "Viva La Vida" was named song of the year at the award ceremony.

Continued Career

Coldplay again took its time on its next effort, and after another two years, the group released the rock opera–themed Mylo Xyloto in 2011. Coldplay then toured to support it and released the footage from the tour in CD/DVD form the following year. During the worldwide tour, Coldplay performed at the London Paralympics closing ceremony in 2012.

Later in 2012, the group started its sixth studio album, Ghost Stories, working with various long-time producers and welcoming input from new producers such as Avicii and Timbaland to give the album a different sound and feel from Coldplay's previous work. Martin later admitted that the album was influenced by his deteriorating relationship with Paltrow. The band released the singles "Magic," "Midnight," and "A Sky Full of Stars" prior to the album's release. Coldplay also promoted Ghost Stories at the 2014 South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, but decided against scheduling a full-scale tour that year and opted instead to play only a handful of events.

While things were looking up professionally for the band, Martin's personal life experienced a downturn when he announced that he and Paltrow were officially separating (notably referred to by Paltrow as "conscious uncoupling" in the media) in 2014. The pair continued to co-parent and remained on friendly terms. Also in 2014, Martin began a new role, acting as a guest mentor on the American singing competition series The Voice. Coldplay taped a concert, Coldplay: Ghost Stories, which aired on American television channel NBC in May of that year. Its sixth album was finally released the following week, debuting at number one on the musical charts. The band released a CD/DVD live version of Ghost Stories near the end of 2014.

In 2015, Coldplay worked with artists such as Noel Gallagher (from the band Oasis), Beyoncé, and Tove Lo on its seventh (and rumored to be final) studio album. The group released the single "Adventure of a Lifetime" in November, a few weeks ahead of the arrival of A Head Full of Dreams. Paltrow, with whom Martin remained close, provided vocals for the track "Everglow," and artist Beyoncé contributed to the single "Hymn for the Weekend."

In February 2016, the group teamed with musicians Bruno Mars and Beyoncé to play the Super Bowl 50 halftime show. Coldplay then embarked on a world tour. Martin and Paltrow finalized their divorce in July 2016. While A Head Full of Dreams was rumored to be Coldplay's last studio album, members stressed that the band was remaining together. The band continued its worldwide tour throughout 2016, and they ultimately did release another album, titled Everyday Life, in late 2019 to largely positive reviews; it peaked at the seventh position on the Billboard 200 albums chart and was nominated for a Grammy for album of the year.

Coldplay released their ninth studio album in 2021. Called Music of the Spheres, the album received another Grammy nomination for album of the year in 2022, as well as one for best pop vocal album. The band embarked on a world tour in support of the album that lasted into 2023. That year, they were honored by TIME magazine for their climate change activism. The band worked to limit their greenhouse gas emissions while on tour. They released their tense studio album, Moon Music, in 2024. It debuted on top of the UK Albums Chart and reached number one on the Billboard 200.

Bibliography

"Coldplay." AllMusic, www.allmusic.com/artist/coldplay-mn0000775877. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

"Coldplay." Billboard, www.billboard.com/artist/299516/coldplay. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

"Coldplay." Grammy Awards, www.grammy.com/artists/coldplay/10952. Accessed 25 Apr. 2023.

"Coldplay's Chris Martin Gets Personal: Inside the New Issue." Rolling Stone, 8 Feb. 2016, www.rollingstone.com/music/news/coldplays-chris-martin-gets-personal-inside-the-new-issue-20160208. Accessed 5 Oct. 2016.

Dowd, Kathy Ehrich. "Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin Finalize Their Divorce More than Two Years after Split." People, 15 July 2016, people.com/celebrity/gwyneth-paltrow-and-chris-martin-finalize-their-divorce. Accessed 5 Oct. 2016.

Doyle, Patrick. "Chris Martin on Post-Divorce Depression, Coldplay's New 'Hippie Album.'" Rolling Stone, 19 Nov. 2015, www.rollingstone.com/music/features/chris-martin-on-battling-depression-coldplays-new-hippie-album-20151119. Accessed 5 Oct. 2016.

Hermes, Will. "Coldplay Get Admirably Real on the Organically Expansive 'Everyday Life.'" Review of Everyday Life, by Coldplay. Rolling Stone, 26 Nov. 2019, www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/coldplay-everyday-life-918255/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2020.

Kaufman, Gil. "Coldplay Are Finishing Work on Their Next Album 'Moon Music.'" Billboard, 31 Jan. 2023, www.billboard.com/music/rock/coldplay-finishing-next-album-moon-music-1235208455/. Accessed 25 Apr. 2023.

Petrusich, Amanda. "Coldplay's Self-Help Pop." The New Yorker, 30 Sept. 2024, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/10/07/coldplays-self-help-pop. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.