Coldplay is one of the biggest bands in the world, having sold 32.5 million albums worldwide, with their last album X&Y selling over 10 million.
They have won four Grammy awards, six Brit awards, three Q awards and two NME awards as well as the top Ivor Novello award, numerous VMA and MTV Europe awards and a World Music award.
Now the band Rolling Stone once named the "biggest rock band of the year" is ready to take the world by storm once again as they release their highly-anticipated fourth studio album Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends. The album comprises 10 brand new tracks, recorded in London, Barcelona and New York with producers Brian Eno and Markus Dravs.
Things have gone ridiculously well for Coldplay since 2002's A Rush of Blood to the Head. The group's global album sales have soared past the 10-million mark, putting it in the same stratosphere as megabands U2 and the Dave Matthews Band. People have offered up their bank accounts, cars, and even bodies for tickets to its shows. And, in a interesting twist, frontman Chris Martin married Gwyneth Paltrow and set the tabloid world aflame. Funny thing, then, that the British quartet's much-anticipated third album, X&Y, is all about staying grounded. In the powerful opener, "Square One," the singer insists people are fundamentally the same no matter what their stature: "You just want... Somebody listening to what you say," he sings. On "Fix You," Martin grapples with imperfection and missed opportunity: "When you love someone but it goes to waste... Could it be worse?" Meanwhile, the vibrant single, "Speed of Sound," is all about reconnecting with the spirit and soul in the face of the paparazzi's flashbulbs. Musically, the band has never sounded more adventurous, referencing everyone from Kraftwerk ("Talk") to the Pogues ("Swallowed in the Sea"), all the while sweeping aside those Radiohead-lite comparisons to embrace a massive, moving sound that makes simplicity seem sublime. --Aidin Vaziri
Coldplay required a lifetime to make their wonderfully assured debut, Parachutes. But it took less than two years for the moody British quartet to deliver a masterful follow-up. As a band, Coldplay have advanced to a stage where they outshine nearly every one of their rivals in terms of imagination and emotional pull. A Rush of Blood to the Head is a soulful, exhilarating journey, moving from the cathartic rock of "Politik" to the hushed tones of "Green Eyes" without once breaking its mesmerizing spell. Singer Chris Martin takes his voice on soaring flights, reaching places only Jeff Buckley previously dared to go. And the music is nearly flawless, a persuasive cross between Pink Floyd and the Verve. Even if they haven't come up with another "Yellow," you would be hard-pressed to care. This is exquisite stuff. --Aidin Vaziri
