With already four other albums still on the charts, British alternative rock band Coldplay released Mylo Xyloto worldwide on Oct. 24. The album’s perplexing title left many questioning its meaning for months until lead singer Chris Martin shared his explanation to the U.K. newspaper, The Sun.
“Something about it feels quite fresh. The title doesn’t have any other meaning. I think we’re a band with a lot of history now so it’s nice to come up with something that doesn’t have any history at all,” Martin said. “We’ve had that title for about two years on board and any other potential titles had to be written next to it. Other ones made more sense but we just liked this one, that’s all we can defend it with.”
Fans received a small glimpse of the highly anticipated album with the lead single “Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall” on June 3, along with Paradise released three months later. Mylo Xyloto has been Coldplay’s first album since 2008’s Viva La Vida or Death and All of His Friends, crossing the threshold into a much different sound from their own, all the while keeping the same intimacy listeners have grown to know from the band.
The album starts off with “Mylo Xyloto,” a smooth introduction that transforms into “Hurts like Heaven.” Straightforward and relatable, lead singer Chris Martin sings, “Cause you use your heart as a weapon /And it hurts like heaven,” which describes love being as painful as it is amazing. Its upbeat tempo keeps the song from being too overwhelming with heartache.
Following “Hurts like Heaven” is “Paradise,” the highest rated track of the album, according to iTunes. It begins with a simple keyboard intro before building into a hypnotic and smooth beat. Although the music video may not make much sense, the storyline in the song is clear. Martin sings of a girl whose life has not quite matched what she expected. She looks for comfort in her dreams, a paradise that is more fulfilling than what her life has to offer. But at the end, she realizes that “Underneath those stormy skies/The sun must set to rise,” gaining a more optimistic outlook as the song continues with the same verses and affirming tunes.
“I’ve been a fan of Coldplay for five years, and “Paradise” has to be my favorite song from this album,” Marina Sourial, 11, said.
Songs like “Charlie Brown” and “Major Minus” fall beneath the album’s quality, lacking creativity with their repetitive verses. “Up In Flames” follows the dull pattern, maybe unintentionally misdirecting what band Coldplay fans are actually listening to. “A Hopeful Transmission” and “M.M.I.X” are the “songs” that act as intermissions between tracks, being completely adagio and containing no lyrics.
Perhaps the most surprising track of the album is “Princess of China”, a Coldplay and Rihanna callabo. Many critics find this as the band’s attempt to reach out to more listeners with its more pop vibe. But even though, it differs much from the entire album. “Princess of China” is a kind of momento of “Viva La Vida” with its similar uplifting and catchy beats. It’s just proof of how a huge rock band can actually make a hit with a famous pop star and sound in sync.
Though there are many mixed feelings about this album, Coldplay never fails to make it on the charts. According to Nielsen SoundScan, Mylo Xyloto debuted as number one on the Billboard 200 in the U.S., selling 447, 000 copies within the first week alone. The band’s ability to experiment with new sounds and emotions while still pertaining to their love for self-expression has fans new and old finding appeal in this album.
