Music of the Spheres
by Coldplay
  • Record Label: Atlantic
  • Release Date: Oct 15, 2021
Metascore
55

Mixed or average reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 18
  3. Negative: 1 out of 18
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  1. New Musical Express (NME)
    Oct 15, 2021
    80
    While ‘Music Of The Spheres’ feels like quintessential Coldplay, there are some more surprising moments buried in its tracklist.
  2. AllMusic
    Oct 15, 2021
    80
    The quartet sound more cohesive than they've been in years, benefitting from a single producer's vision in a similar fashion to what Brian Eno pulled off with Viva La Vida.

Awards & Rankings

22
#22 Most Discussed Album of 2021

User Reviews

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User Score
6.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 221 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 118 out of 221
  2. Mixed: 41 out of 221
  3. Negative: 62 out of 221
  1. smaylonsilva
    Oct 15, 2021
    10
    great album, let somebody go is a amazing song, congratulations for the album guys
  2. Tom_Supreme
    Oct 15, 2021
    1
    It's really sad to see (and hear) what Coldplay has become. They sacrificed their original artistic direction for the sake of clicks and newIt's really sad to see (and hear) what Coldplay has become. They sacrificed their original artistic direction for the sake of clicks and new listeners.… Full Review »
  3. stuartosborne22
    Oct 15, 2021
    3
    Unfortunately, Music of the Spheres turned out to be exactly what I thought it would be. A less than cohesive and unoriginal body of work thatUnfortunately, Music of the Spheres turned out to be exactly what I thought it would be. A less than cohesive and unoriginal body of work that is smothered in uninteresting features, a multitude of interludes that do nothing but bolster the tracklisting (the band confirms this in the record's Spotify Stories), and stale anthems. All wrapped up in glitzy production, and matched with some of the most mundane lyricism I've heard from the band in a while.

    Higher Power is a fine track in the context of the record, but it's still a terribly weak song in comparison to their overall catalogue. It's last 45 or so seconds really elevate the track and get me going. It's just a shame the rest of the track just doesn't bring the same energy. Great chorus, head scratching verses, lyrically terrible.

    Humankind isn't bad per se. It just doesn't make me feel anything at all. It feels manufactured. Like if you asked a computer to write a Coldplay dance/pop song. It feels lifeless to me, despite the fact that I can almost tell that there's a good track in there somewhere.

    Let Somebody Go is the first feature on the record, bringing Selena Gomez into the fray. It starts strong, but the moment she enters, the song comes to a grinding halt and only helps to highlight the cringey, wishy-washy lyrics. It's a skip.

    Human Heart features We Are KING and Jacob Collier. The vocal production and harmonies are excellent, but I gotta disagree with the choice to leave it as an acapella number. It's begging for some sort of instrumentation to me. It's needs a climax. Instead, it feels repetitive and half-baked.

    People of the Pride is a reworking of an old Viva-era demo. I honestly don't get the hype for this song. It's alright, but the overblown instrumentation is just far too distracting (and not in a good way). Lyrically it's not bad, but I think it could've definitely used a workshop or two because they feel awkward when paired with the main melody. Then there's the bridge which goes absolutely nowhere for some reason. In the end it feels like a Muse outtake that was shelved for a reason.

    Biutyful... yeah, no this song is just annoying. The chipmunk vocals didn't work on Cry Cry Cry, they don't work here.

    My Universe features K-Pop legends BTS. It is what it is. Catchy, annoying, cringey, and an immediate skip.

    Infinity Sign is an instrumental track. I like instrumentals a lot, but this one go absolutely nowhere. It sits on the same sound for about half the track, before building a tiny bit, and then just kinda sitting there for the latter half. They don't capitalize on anything with this one. A real head scratcher for sure.

    Finally, we have Coloratura, the track Coldplay fans swear is the savior of the record, and the universe as a whole. It's a good track and easily the best on the whole record. It's got a good melody, and like Higher Power, the ending vocal climax where Chris Martin lists his favourite colours really gets me into the moment despite it being a lyrical eye-roll. But ultimately, it suffers from it's runtime. This song does not need to be 10 minutes long.

    The instrumental interludes strewn throughout overstay their welcome and have me begging for a single edit, while the guitar solo just sounds like a worse version of the one from Moving To Mars (which is basically what this song reminds me of as a whole... a lesser Moving to Mars). Lyrically it's nothing special. A couple cool refrains, but a lot of it sounds like Chris Martin reading from a high school textbook glossary (and again, don't get me started on him naming his favourite colours). I enjoy listening to this song, but, just like this review, it's simply too long. I'll playlist it, but it's not one I see myself picking out on its own very often.

    If this album is truly part of a trilogy, I hope they can redeem themselves by forging their own identities with 2+3, rather than relying on, and borrowing, almost entirely from others. I don't think I'm alone in saying that this radio-pop era of Coldplay appears to have overstayed its welcome with what is easily the weakest record in their entire discography.

    3.5/10    … Full Review »
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