Coldplay's Everyday Life Reviewed

Written by: Vieve Oberholzer

Edited by: Maddie McVey

Coldplay has been on a pretty long hiatus; it’s been four years since their seventh studio album, A Head Full of Dreams, was released at the end of 2015. Just last week, the band announced that they have been working on a double album called Everyday Life. The first half is called Sunrise, followed by the second half Sunset. They also released a song from each half of the album. The first, “Orphans,” is very reminiscent of A Head Full of Dreams, with a strong baseline and energetic choir that backs up Chris Martin. The lyrics are very repetitive and catchy, but don’t be fooled – the liveliness masks the serious topic of the song. “Orphans” is about the 2018 bombings of Damascus in Syria and the band alludes to it throughout the song; jumping on the pop bandwagon by taking a more political tone with their music. While Coldplay is known to have a more subdued vibe to their songs, this political route is new for them. Politics aside, the song is musically very boring, and one listen was sufficient for me. The song is very formulaic and doesn’t spark the same joy as some of their more classic hits, like Viva La Vida or Charlie Brown. 

The second single, “Arabesque,” is just as politically charged. The song features more Middle-Eastern rhythms and a verse in French. With lyrics like, “And we share the same blood,” Coldplay hints at finding peace and unity through music. A saxophone solo takes up the majority of the song, and it is unfortunately mind-numbing. Coldplay isn’t typically known for sax solos, and the only reason this solo sticks out is because it is so unlike the band, and very unpleasant.

 Coldplay seems to be focused on widening their fan base to a more mainstream pop audience; departing from more mellow albums like A Rush of Blood to the Head or X&Y. This change in style might be to bring more widespread awareness of global issues through music. Chris Martin even mentioned on Instagram that the album was focused on how the band felt about current events. However, based on the two singles released, my expectations for Everyday Life aren’t too high. Coldplay is certainly capable of more intricate melodies and interesting lyrics than showcased in these songs. They also undoubtedly know how to create a statement song, as heard in many of their earlier albums. If they are choosing to send a political message to the world, their new music should be as memorable as their older music.