British rock band Coldplay, recently released its ninth album Music of the Spheres in October 2021. This debut sadly marks the beginning of the end for this beloved band. Produced by Max Martin, the album Music of the Spheres contains twelve tracks, six of which highlight well-known artists such as Selena Gomez, BTS and Jacob Collier.  

This mystical album is based in a universe full of spheres. The album cover features twelve colorful planets clearly intertwined through a spiritual connection suggested by its overlapping stencils. Each twelve planets represents one song from the album as well as the language and overall performance that is exhibited on each planet. 

The bright pink and turquoise planet of Kaotika, represents the album’s most popular track, “Higher Powers.” In the music video, digitized aliens from all different planets are seen running around with Coldplay’s lead singer Chris Martin. 

“#Kaotica is a planet in a solar system called The Spheres, […] It’s a planet where all the trash goes and all the people who are considered no good and rejected and outcasts and that’s where we start this whole thing ??” Martin said in a trending Twitter post. 

Coldplay’s second top hit, “My Universe,” is represented by the Last Planet on the cover album, Epiphane. BTS, a popular Korean pop band, paired with Coldplay to bring this track and music video alive. Through the intense choreography and usage of holograms, artists from both bands and Parlophone Records crafted an “otherworldly” view on diversity and acceptance.

Similarly, the song “Biyutiful,” which was created by American punk rock band The Weirdos, was heavily influenced by the visible exclusion happening in our society. Thirty-six repetitions of the phrase “love me” and twelve repetitions of the word “beautiful” are embedded in the song, contributing to its theme of beauty and diversity. 

Coldplay’s music has always been lighthearted and simplistic. This is what makes their music so satisfying. Coldplay’s older songs, like “Sky Full of Stars” or “Paradise,” contain straightforward meanings and carry a buoyant mood. 

Although many artists experience comparable success to Coldplay and its songs, it’s quite rare to come across music that appeals to such a variety of people. People of all different backgrounds can feel included in this empowering fan base. 

“Welcome to Music of the Spheres, remember everyone is an alien somewhere.” Coldplay projected on the screen before the start of the Music of the Spheres shows in Mexico City in April 2022.

Once the Music of The Spheres tour is complete in July of 2023, it’s expected Coldplay will be releasing some new music. We can expect at least three more albums from this beloved band before completing their music journey in 2025.