Coldplay feat. Rihanna – Princess of China

On hearing Princess of China for the first time, we had a bit of an epiphany – it was like Coldplay melded into some new form of life, some new exciting offshoot of a band for who a collab with the biggest female popstar in the world was mere second nature. While the rest of Mylo Xyloto felt very much within the expected constraints of the Coldplay formula (and excelled through that), Princess of China felt like its own beast – a magical, mythical creation that bursted with melodic intent and synthy prettiness. In hindsight, Rihanna slips into the orient-tinged trappings of the song like a second-skin, weaving Coldplay’s trademark stadium-filling chants to a luxuriant silkiness oft not heard in her voice. The result is utterly enchanting, and assuredly one of Coldplay’s best moments to date.

Princess of China is set for a June release date.

[Official Video] Coldplay - Charlie Brown

Raving in a club - perhaps not the first place you'd imagine to find Coldplay. But it's ok, they've got their instruments with them, so all the rock aficionados can breathe easy. But to put it simply, Mylo Xyloto was in many ways Coldplay's pop effort, a full-on embracing of those clean, glacial sounds and immense hooks they've had a knack for turning out over all these years.

And of those tracks, none felt more triumphant or euphoric than Charlie Brown, and it's stunning new video only backs that up. Looking for all the world like a trailer cut from highlights of a gritty Misfits/Kidulthood urban drama, it seems suffused with the way Coldplay's songs are inextricably wound up in the fabric of contemporary culture and society.

When you're the biggest band in the world, you take up the mantle of being a sort of voice-and-eyes of the nation, and Charlie Brown is all that, distilled down to four minutes of soaring, neon-drenched brilliance.

Coldplay - Charlie Brown

Coldplay functioning at their best are good. Really damn good. And that's what Charlie Brown is all about - Coldplay acting up to their status as 'the world's biggest band', as their dramatic X Factor intro tape put it.

And if anything, it was that epic XF Final performance that crystallised what both the band and this song stand for - a rock band that have gone beyond any normal sense of mass popularity to a new division, a higher league of success.

In terms of bands of their generation, what Coldplay have gone on to achieve is pretty much without parallel. And that made the consistency and overall quality of new LP Mylo Xyloto all the more surprising - did a band of their advancing years have any right to make an album *this* good?

Charlie Brown pins everything around that massive, sky-piercing guitar hook - it really is a thing of sheer majesty. When the band released Viva La Vida, they unlocked the floodgates on an angelic sweeping collective of sounds that, while a move away from their former 'traditional' Britpop sounds, played perfectly into their position of the band that everyone (sometimes secretly) loves.

But with Charlie Brown, there is no secrecy needed, for a record this good, all that's required is appreciation. And if there's any moment on Mylo Xyloto that sums up the ecstasy and general sense of good-feeling that Coldplay can conjure up when operating at top-spec, it's Charlie Brown.

Charlie Brown is released on the 10th January.

Coldplay / Status Quo tickets at the O2 London Piazza

Who doesn't love free gig tickets? They're even better when they're for top acts like Coldplay and Status Quo too - Right now the O2 in London is running their December Sessions and have a number of tickets to give away!

Here's the full details of exactly what's on offer at the event:

2 pairs of tickets for Coldplay Under 1 Roof on Saturday 10th
2 pairs of tickets for Status Quo on Sunday 11th


To win, come down and register with the O2 ANGEL in O2 London Piazza between 4-6pm on the day of the event (i.e – we’ll give away Coldplay on Sat and Quo on Sun) and we’ll announce the winner on stage at December Sessions at 7pm. If the winner isn’t there, we’ll re-draw so they must be at London Piazza at 7pm!

Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

Over a decade since Parachutes and the eternally popular Yellow first graced our ears, do Coldplay have any right to still be selling albums in quantities that’d make your average band think about shutting up shop and going home? New record Mylo Xyloto makes a surprisingly strong case that yes, they absolutely do.

Fronted up by the formidable duo of singles Every Teardrop and Paradise, Chris Martin and co. return to the soaring hooks and Eno-inspired sounds of Viva La Vida. Oh, and they’ve even roped in pop starlet Rihanna for a great little turn on synth-heavy number Princess of China.

Coldplay - Paradise

Do a band that have been in the game as long as Coldplay have any right to still be as good as this? Paradise is the proof, if anything, that this year's Glastonbury set was only the first of many re-affirmations that Coldplay will be retaining that 'best band in the world' tag for quite a bit longer.

Paradise is a little bit of Lost, a big dash of Viva La Vida - all the various elements you'd cross off the checklist when composing the ultimate in Coldplay epics. A smattering of synths, massive guitar solo outro, and of course those chanty stadium singalong bits.

With its title, Paradise sets expectations high - the music of the heavens, as it were. Countless bands entering that shaky mid-career stage return with mediocre new singles, a 'oh it's good enough' comeback that does little more than tread the water. Not Coldplay, Paradise is the sound of a band every bit as energetic and unwilling to sit on their laurels as they were ten years ago.

And with the news that the band's new album Mylo Xyloto will feature a duet with Rihanna on track Princess of China, the first signs of Coldplay-mania are creeping back into Britain again.

Remember Viva La Vida, the iTunes adverts, the veritable rush of love for a band that have truly carved out that notion of national treasures into the British - or indeed the world's - consciousness.

Speaking of the Rihanna duet, all round good chap Chris Martin said:

'The album is designed as a whole piece. It has boy and girl lead characters and top of our list for the girl part was Rihanna, but it took a while to pluck up the courage to ask her. We did a show in Las Vegas and I met her and said, 'Do you think there's any chance?' I was very Hugh Grant-like and spluttering about it.'

'She has such an amazing voice and it's so different to mine. When the vocal happened I thought 'Wow, you sound different' but I think that's also because she was singing a different song to what we are used to hearing from her and it is written by a bloke from Devon.'

We can't wait to hear it!

The full tracklisting of Mylo Xyloto is as follows:


 'Mylo Xyloto'
 'Hurts Like Heaven'
 'Paradise'
 'Charlie Brown'
 'Us Against The World'
 'M.M.I.X'
 'Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall'
 'Major Minus'
 'U.F.O.'
 'Princess Of China'
 'Up In Flames'
 'A Hopeful Transmission'
 'Don't Let It Break Your Heart'
 'Up With The Birds'

Paradise is available to download on iTunes now.

Some very nice video stills from Leona's Collide...

What with all the attention afforded to the rather unsavory dispute between Leona Lewis and Avicii over 'that' sample, it's easy to forget just how good a track Collide actually is.

The more you hear it, the more it grows on you, just as the track itself builds and builds within itself to a jaw-dropping crescendo.

Listening to it on some flash speakers or headphones, you can really appreciate that thundering bassline in all its majesty - and above it, that piano riff soaring and crashing like waves breaking on a distant beach... which leads us nicely on to the first of these gorgeous stills from the track's upcoming video:

Stunning! The full video premieres later this week - we can't wait! As many others have commented, Collide is kind of what you imagine Coldplay would come out with if they 'went all dancey' - and this is a very good thing indeed.

What's more, Leona has always been in possession of a truly peerless vocal, but on Collide - removed from the epic balladry of her first and second albums - you appreciate new subtleties, new textures to it.

Here's another shot - Leona looking very hot as she takes a ride in a sporty classic car. Nice!

Three headliners at Glasto, one true winner...

What can be said about Beyonce's Glastonbury set that hasn't already been said? Sometimes the simplest of descriptions is all that's needed. Simply: WOW.

You need only have looked across Twitter to see the social networking site dissolve in an ecstacy of awe at Beyonce. Pop fans, rock fans, all were united in their appreciation of the veritable Godess that walked out on stage to play to 175,000 people that night. Fan or non-fan, the sheer spectacle of Beyonce's set won everyone over - a unifying feat like no other.

U2's set two nights before was excellent - choc-a-bloc with hits from their best album, Achtung Baby. The sound quality was top-notch and Bono gave an empassioned delivery that served as a firm reminder that the Irish rockers are still very much 'with-it'. It was exactly the kind of performance you expect and hope for from one of the most experienced bands out there.

Likewise, Coldplay were on fine form; like U2, delivering a reassured confident set. All the big hits, a smattering of customary new material - it went down a treat with the crowd, including a certain Jay-Z and Beyonce who we saw cutely dancing away in the pit between the stage and the audience. Even mega-stars need some time to kick back and rock out.

But Beyonce had to be the true winner. As the woman herself pointed out in her intro VT, she was the first solo female to headline the festival's main stage - an achievement that cannot be understated. And just like her partner Jay-Z had done before her, she proved that Glastonbury is not just the domain of 'rock'. Something as immense and all-inclusive as Glastonbury should be a place for performers of all kind, and Beyonce came to hammer that fact home like her life depended on it.

An all-female backing band, impossibly skilled dancers and a jaw-dropping powerhouse vocal from Beyonce herself, emotions were running high as she pulled her set to a close with the tear-jerking Halo. Stepping down from the stage to touch the hand's of the front row, here you saw the very definition of a modern star.

In a set which made every track an event, a 'moment' that you simply couldn't tear your eyes away from, it was this final, towering performance which summed up what a landmark this night stood as. Or put simply, just WOW.

(In a neat little feature for this year, iTunes has put some of the Glasto performances up for download - including the amazing Irreplaceable. Seeing every single one of that crowd shouting 'TO THE LEFT' at the top of their voices was rather special.)

New releases round-up - 27th June 2011

Beyonce - 4

After watching Beyonce's breathtaking Glastonbury set last night, I don't think anyone can deny the sheer formidable force of nature she represents as a pop artist. With her new album 4 containing such winners as Run The World (Girls) and my personal favourite 1+1, while it may not have received the best of critical receptions, it still stands as a firm considered chapter in Beyonce's musical career.

Download

Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall

And now something from those other Glastonbury headliners, Coldplay. The single has attracted a fair bit of flac for it's apparent sampling of a classic dance track, but for me, it's little quirks like this that have kept Coldplay interesting through all these years. Well over a decade now since they went stratospheric with Yellow, it's reassuring to know they remain something we can forever still count on.

Download

Biffy Clyro - Revolutions: Live At Wembley

When it comes to consistency and solidarity, Biffy Clyro are another prime candidate - this year seeing their status boosted by a whole heap of 'Britain's Best Live Band' accolades sent their way. And now you can experience their fabled live experience for yourself with this package, a handy collection of the band's greatest hits sung from that most hallowed of venues. Fan or not, the success of the band's last two albums is undeniable.

Download

Snoop Dogg - Boom

A little guilty pleasure here, simply for the fact it reminds me so much of The Saturdays If This Is Love. In case you haven't guessed, yes, Snoop Dogg's new single also samples Yazoo's Situation. A surprisingly fizzy and sprightly move for the rapper, it nevertheless makes for a strong follow-up to dance-athon track Sweat.

Download

The Pierces - It Will Not Be Forgotten

Songs about love prevailing in the face of adversity are as old as the hills. But to gild those emotions of determination and passion defying hardship with real beauty; well, it takes a band like The Pierces to do that.

As the fourth single from The Pierces' breathtakingly good album You & I, It Will Not Be Forgotten stands as another link in the chain of consistency that has made this record such a joy to experience.

'Baby where'd you go, did you sail away over some distant ocean' sing the girls in the track's enchanting chorus - if ever music could take on the form of pure, untapped magic, then this is surely the sound of it. There's something in The Pierces' divine Abba-esque harmonies that helps transcend their songs to another level of prettiness.

It Will Not Be Forgotten positively sparkles with charm - its lush, layered production coming as sheen of comfort to senses worn rough by the ardour of everyday life. This is a song of tranquility and peace, a ballad to stand up there with the very best.

With You & I debuting straight at No. 4 in the UK albums chart, it's reassuring to see the general public finally taking to The Pierces - It's been a long journey for them, You & I being the fourth LP in a career that stretches all the way back to 2000.

Fitting then that July will see them opening for Coldplay at London's Roundhouse as part of the iTunes festival. It was Coldplay's Guy Berryman after all that put his stamp to You & I; many of the tracks being recorded in the Coldplay studio too.

It Will Not Be Forgotten is released on the 8th August.

(Cover Art) Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall

Let's be honest, it's about time we had a proper new Coldplay song. Their Viva La Vida album was so wonderfully brilliant, and now, three years on from then (gosh, where has the time gone!), that Coldplay shaped hole in our heart is starting to really miss them.

And so, they deliver the goods - in the form of a brand new song called Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall. Very poetic.

The song will be streamed from the band's website on Friday and go on sale in the UK on Sunday, but until then, we have the lyrics to look at as well as the glorious cover art.

Talk about colourful! We love it.

The Pierces - You & I

God bless The Pierces - for delivering one of the best albums of 2011. The feeling with You & I - their fourth record to date - is that as an album, it represents an intense personal relationship between us - the listener - and the two Pierce sisters; Allison and Catherine. You need only look at the tender beauty of tracks like The Good Samaritan to see that truth laid bare in their music.

You'll Be Mine, Love You More, Glorious - placed together in tandem here, we see the record's singles in a new light, and as the tour de force they really are. One of the reasons I've been so forward in championing The Pierces over the last year is that they deliver time and time again - and these three singles are proof of that.

You & I is by far one of the most consistent albums this year and in its fusing of indelible pop hooks, dreamy folk charm and the sheer personality of the sisters, it delivers a breathtaking winning streak from end to start.

Much has been made of the band's involvement with Guy Berryman of Coldplay, and his involvement is telling in the band's sound. In many ways, You & I is like a female companion piece to the very male majesty of Coldplay's Viva La Vida album - hints and essences of the 'Coldplay sound' glimmer everywhere across You & I; the finest of embellishments to an already highly accomplished record.

The sounds of 70s easy listening are back in a big way right now; just look at the success of Plan B and Adele. And if anything, The Pierces do it even better than these two, for their sound isn't attached to any contemporary music trend - instead, they are timeless; the album portraying a kind of alabaster beauty which never dulls or ages.

As such, You & I stands as a stellar collection of artistry. Functioning both as an ensemble of powerfully individual tracks - any of which could be a single - but also like a real 'album' of old. This is the story of The Pierces and it is writ for all to see in the tracks of this album.

If I had to pick a highlight, it'd be the epic Space & Time, with its simply divine chorus. The song just seems to open up in front of you like some kind of gateway to another dimension, the girls voices truly at their most angelic best here. We Are Stars, which previously served as a b-side to Love You More, is another standout.

You & I is available to buy from Amazon now.

The Wanted - Gold Forever

I've always had a bit of a soft spot for The Wanted, All Time Low was one of my favourite pop songs from last year, so I was intrigued to hear what their new single would sound like. Well, for starters, it begins like some epic Coldplay/Take That ballad. Definitely more than a few pages being taken out of the big Gary Barlow songbook at any rate.

And then, suddenly, it goes all Basshunter, erupting into a massive synth riff that quite literally blows your socks off. Boybands seem to be quite big fans of ballad-into-dance songs at the moment (Look at JLS, they've done it twice). But let's be honest it's a formula that works, and if something works well, why not use it again. It's a rule The Wanted stick to closely; you even get a rhythmic All Time Low string section thrown into the mix.

All in all, Gold Forever is a strong track, my only reservations being that there are so many better tracks on The Wanted's debut album which will probably never see the light of the day as singles now. But anyways, this track is for Comic Relief, so go out and buy it - do your bit for charity etc.

Oh, and when I heard the title of this song was Gold Forever, I had a brief image of this being some raved up futuristic cover version of Spandau Ballet's Gold. Now that would have been amazing.

The Pierces - Love You More

There’s an old myth about the ease and skill at which musical siblings come together.  A myth they say... but listening to Alabama sisters Allison and Catherine, that myth seems so much closer to reality.  Collectively the twosome make up The Pierces, and summed up in one word, their music is simply magical.

Imagine dark, stormy nights... howling wind and starlight, the hint of something mystical and powerful, this is the music of The Pierces.  This four track EP is headed up by the brilliant Love You More, a song wrapped in such an undeniable, natural sense of melody that you can only marvel at the sisters’ songwriting talent.  The girls have been releasing music for the past ten years but it is only now that they have been picked up by a major label and given the exposure they deserve.

If you’ve ever wondered what Elbow or The Doves would sound like with a female vocalist, The Pierces are a pretty good match.  Their tracks have that same raw energy running through them; the driving, rough guitar hook a thing that has been gripped and beaten into shape with bare hands and untamed passion.  We Are Stars represents a far more gentle sound, but still captures that same hand-crafted, baroque feel.  The duo’s lyrics are poetic gems of beauty too; ‘We are dreamers, wishing upon what we were born from’ they sing on this track.

To The Grave shows off a more jolly, upbeat side to The Pierces, highlighting that they are just at home here as with the expansive, melancholy sound that the EP begins with.  Across all four tracks though, we keep coming back to a consistent, organic feel that is testament to the skills of Coldplay’s bassist Guy Berryman lending a helping hand with production duties.  Indeed, the tracks carry that same shimmering sense of wonder that gave Coldplay’s Viva La Vida album such character.  Every song on this EP is rich and powerful; every chorus completely infectious, each track delivered with a conviction and gentleness that is utterly bewitching.