 Coldplay journeys through their own cinematic universe to deliver their 10th studio album. COLDPLAY - MOON MUSIC (2024) After the release of Music of the Spheres in 2021, Coldplay returns with its direct sequel, Moon Music, released on October 4, 2024. Also known as Music of the Spheres Vol. II: Moon Music, the British band’s tenth studio album presents a refreshed set of songs. The album artwork, featuring a moonbow shot, is already considered one of the band's best covers and matches the sense of adventure listeners experience while traversing the LP. With a beautiful instrumental introduction, Coldplay presents the title track, "Moon Music," as an invitation to explore their cinematic universe. It’s a beginning reminiscent of "Sunrise," although the sound is distinctly different. Here, Jon Hopkins' contributions, with faint traces of Pink Floyd, create an immersive atmosphere. As the piano emerges mid-adventure, it gains momentum on its "Atlas," heading toward Chris Martin’s first verses, ready to definitively leave the 3D world behind: "If there's anyone out there, I'm close to the end..." The lead single, "Feels Like I'm Falling in Love," follows, taking listeners away to golden times, reviving cherished memories — reminiscent of childhood, Coldplay’s early career, and revisiting the Mylo Xyloto era. It circles back to the present, reminding everyone that the golden age can be achieved here and now, by creating the right conditions and elevating the spirit to the frequency of fullness, without needing to return to the past to fall in love with life again. "We Pray," a powerful song crafted with vision and love, is proof that Coldplay’s frequent and often unnecessary collaborations with other artists can occasionally produce great moments. Released as the album’s second single, this track is instantly a stadium hit. Interestingly, both this track and the previous one feature distinct, yet enchanting "la la las", adding memorable surprises and fidelity to the song’s climaxes. The next two tracks, however, steer the journey away from the cosmic and captivating, dragging it into a forced mix of insecurity within a prosperous reality that doesn’t yet exist in our earthly plane as we walk toward the New Earth. "Good Feelings" brings another unnecessary collaboration, with the same childlike vibes as "Biutyful" continuing to plague the band’s musical elevation with its pop trivialities, especially when you realize that two standout tracks from the Moon Music era, "The Karate Kid" and "Man in the Moon," are relegated to the deluxe edition of the album, known as Moon Music (Full Moon Edition). The journey continues with authenticity in "Alien Hits / Alien Radio," where the traveler absolves themselves of guilt for everyday mistakes in their pursuit of true happiness and an uplifting state of mind. It’s a beautiful and necessary return — though dragged out too long due to the ending — that paves the way for spiritual lightness to re-enter with "IAAM." This pop-driven track, clearly aiming for hit status, demonstrates the need to free itself from the pretend poetry that claims to be real — it’s real only within its own fictitious universe, created by music mechanics, directed up until "Aeterna," a dominant electronic track within the promotional scope of an album chasing lightness in the most diverse musical styles. Traditional Coldplay tries to find its footing again with "All My Love," a love anthem to humanity accompanied by piano. Here is a poetic and dedicated moment that only falters by recycling the "la la las" that worked earlier in the album. By now, it feels unnecessary, as the melody and sentiment behind the song didn’t call for it. Still, it’s a good track. Ready to close a cosmic journey that was only cosmic for half of the album, "One World" appears as a conclusion that, while repetitive, fits the album’s initial atmospheric goal, fulfilling what the traveler expected to find after the first two tracks. Its instrumentation brings the spiritual elevation that was missing from much of the journey, reminding everyone that the beginning and end can surpass the middle — an uncertain middle that’s left behind in our planetary journey toward the New Earth, where, in the end, only love prevails.
With its highs and lows, Moon Music is a journey through Coldplay’s own cinematic universe, marking their 10th studio album with ideas that may either resonate or fall flat. It doesn’t necessarily surpass the previous album, as there’s no "Coloratura" to propel the project this time. However, the renewed hope of spiritual transition happening faster — at the speed of sound — remains. ★★★½ (out of 5 stars) Coldplay Reviews: Parachutes (2000), A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), X&Y (2005), Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), Mylo Xyloto (2011), Ghost Stories (2014), A Head Full of Dreams (2015), Kaleidoscope EP (2017), Everyday Life (2019), Music of the Spheres (2021), and Moon Music (2024). |
