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Tag: Coldplay

  • Chris Martin declares Rihanna “the best singer of all time” ahead of her Super Bowl halftime performance

    By ANI

    WASHINGTON: Singer-songwriter Chris Martin of the British rock band Coldplay has declared Rihanna “the best singer of all time” ahead of her hotly anticipated Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show.

    According to Page Six, a USA-based entertainment news outlet, “You have to be an idiot not to recognize that she’s the best singer of all time,” Martin said of Rihanna in an interview with Zane Lowe.

    “I don’t know Rihanna very well… I’m mainly just a fan, and we have performed with her a few times and it is rarer and rarer for her to just sing, which is what makes it even more special, and in a strange way, it shows that she really, really wants to do it,” Martin confessed.

    Back in 2011, Coldplay collaborated with Rihanna on their fifth studio album ‘Mylo Xyloto’. The track, titled ‘Princess of China’, proved to be an instant hit and was followed by a music video as well as some live performances, reported Page Six.

    “No one can make Rihanna do anything at this point,” Martin added, noting that she’s “the best singer” in his opinion.

    Coldplay performed at the annual big game in 2015. When asked about his expectations for Rihanna’s halftime show, Martin said Rihanna, whose real name is Robyn Fenty, will wow him no matter what.

    “So it’s hard for me, I’m very biased because I’m such a big Rihanna fan… I mean, I think she could just walk out in sweatpants and sing, and that would be just great,” he told Lowe, as per Page Six.

    WASHINGTON: Singer-songwriter Chris Martin of the British rock band Coldplay has declared Rihanna “the best singer of all time” ahead of her hotly anticipated Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show.

    According to Page Six, a USA-based entertainment news outlet, “You have to be an idiot not to recognize that she’s the best singer of all time,” Martin said of Rihanna in an interview with Zane Lowe.

    “I don’t know Rihanna very well… I’m mainly just a fan, and we have performed with her a few times and it is rarer and rarer for her to just sing, which is what makes it even more special, and in a strange way, it shows that she really, really wants to do it,” Martin confessed.

    Back in 2011, Coldplay collaborated with Rihanna on their fifth studio album ‘Mylo Xyloto’. The track, titled ‘Princess of China’, proved to be an instant hit and was followed by a music video as well as some live performances, reported Page Six.

    “No one can make Rihanna do anything at this point,” Martin added, noting that she’s “the best singer” in his opinion.

    Coldplay performed at the annual big game in 2015. When asked about his expectations for Rihanna’s halftime show, Martin said Rihanna, whose real name is Robyn Fenty, will wow him no matter what.

    “So it’s hard for me, I’m very biased because I’m such a big Rihanna fan… I mean, I think she could just walk out in sweatpants and sing, and that would be just great,” he told Lowe, as per Page Six.

  • BTS scores three 2023 Grammy nominations

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: K-pop superband BTS has been nominated in three categories at the upcoming 65th annual Grammy nominations.

    The group is vying for the best pop duo/group performance for the third year in a row with ‘My Universe’, a collab with Coldplay. They are up for the best music video for ‘Yet to Come,’ and have also been nominated for album of the year as featured artists on Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres, reports Billboard.

    It’s the first time the K-pop sensations have been nominated in more than one Grammy category in any given year.

    BTS was nominated for best pop duo/group performance with ‘Dynamite’ (2020) and ‘Butter’ (2021). They are the only act to be nominated three years in a row in this category since it was introduced as part of a Grammy revamp of its category structure in 2011.

    This category is home to both ongoing groups/duos and collaborations by solo artists. Looking strictly at ongoing groups and duos, Coldplay has had the most nods in the category (five), followed by Maroon 5 (four), BTS (three), and The Chainsmokers and Florence and the Machine (two each).

    ‘My Universe’ is the second collaboration by two groups to be nominated for best pop duo/group performance. Coldplay was also involved with the first, ‘Something Just Like This,’ a 2017 collab with The Chainsmokers.

    Three members of BTS – J-Hope (Jung Ho-Seok), RM (Kim Nam-Joon) and Suga (Min Yoon-Gi) – are also credited as songwriters on the Coldplay album, so they would have been album of the year nominees even if BTS were not listed as featured artists.

    The other nominees for best pop duo/group performance are ABBA’s ‘Don’t Shut Me Down’ and three collabs by solo artists – Camila Cabello featuring Ed Sheeran’s ‘Bam Bam’, Post Malone and Doja Cat’s ‘I Like You (A Happier Song)’ and Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ ‘Unholy’.

    The other nominees for best music video are Adele’s ‘Easy on Me,’ Doja Cat’s ‘Woman,’ Kendrick Lamar’s ‘The Heart Part 5,’ Harry Styles’ ‘As It Was’ and Taylor Swift’s ‘All Too Well: The Short Film’.

    LOS ANGELES: K-pop superband BTS has been nominated in three categories at the upcoming 65th annual Grammy nominations.

    The group is vying for the best pop duo/group performance for the third year in a row with ‘My Universe’, a collab with Coldplay. They are up for the best music video for ‘Yet to Come,’ and have also been nominated for album of the year as featured artists on Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres, reports Billboard.

    It’s the first time the K-pop sensations have been nominated in more than one Grammy category in any given year.

    BTS was nominated for best pop duo/group performance with ‘Dynamite’ (2020) and ‘Butter’ (2021). They are the only act to be nominated three years in a row in this category since it was introduced as part of a Grammy revamp of its category structure in 2011.

    This category is home to both ongoing groups/duos and collaborations by solo artists. Looking strictly at ongoing groups and duos, Coldplay has had the most nods in the category (five), followed by Maroon 5 (four), BTS (three), and The Chainsmokers and Florence and the Machine (two each).

    ‘My Universe’ is the second collaboration by two groups to be nominated for best pop duo/group performance. Coldplay was also involved with the first, ‘Something Just Like This,’ a 2017 collab with The Chainsmokers.

    Three members of BTS – J-Hope (Jung Ho-Seok), RM (Kim Nam-Joon) and Suga (Min Yoon-Gi) – are also credited as songwriters on the Coldplay album, so they would have been album of the year nominees even if BTS were not listed as featured artists.

    The other nominees for best pop duo/group performance are ABBA’s ‘Don’t Shut Me Down’ and three collabs by solo artists – Camila Cabello featuring Ed Sheeran’s ‘Bam Bam’, Post Malone and Doja Cat’s ‘I Like You (A Happier Song)’ and Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ ‘Unholy’.

    The other nominees for best music video are Adele’s ‘Easy on Me,’ Doja Cat’s ‘Woman,’ Kendrick Lamar’s ‘The Heart Part 5,’ Harry Styles’ ‘As It Was’ and Taylor Swift’s ‘All Too Well: The Short Film’.

  • Coldplay postpones shows owing to Chris Martin’s lung infection

    By ANI

    WASHINGTON: Coldplay’s eight-show stint in Brazil has been interrupted owing to Chris Martin’s “serious lung infection.”

    Coldplay took to Twitter to announce this. “With deep regret, we’ve been forced to postpone our upcoming shows in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo until early 2023. Due to a serious lung infection, Chris has been put under strict doctor’s orders to rest for the next three weeks,” the band wrote on Twitter.

    According to Variety, on October 11 and 12, Coldplay was scheduled to perform two concerts at Estadio Nilton Santos-Engenhao in Rio de Janeiro to kick off the Latin American leg of their world tour.

    From October 15 through October 22, Coldplay was scheduled to perform at the Allianz Parque Stadium in Sao Paulo.

    pic.twitter.com/UBy1ULYD7v
    — Coldplay (@coldplay) October 4, 2022
    No new dates for the concerts have been announced yet, although the band did say that the rescheduled concerts would be happening in “early 2023 and will be announced very soon.”

    They further wrote, “We’re working as fast as possible to lock in the new dates and will follow up with more information in the next few days. Please hold on to your tickets as they will be valid for the new rescheduled dates…However, we will also honour all requests for ticket refunds – which will be available at the point of sale.”

    They added, “We’re optimistic that Chris will return to good health after he prescribed medical breaks and look forward to resuming the tour soon.”

    “To everyone affected, please accept our sincere apologies, and thank you as always for your love and support,” concluded the band. 

    WASHINGTON: Coldplay’s eight-show stint in Brazil has been interrupted owing to Chris Martin’s “serious lung infection.”

    Coldplay took to Twitter to announce this. “With deep regret, we’ve been forced to postpone our upcoming shows in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo until early 2023. Due to a serious lung infection, Chris has been put under strict doctor’s orders to rest for the next three weeks,” the band wrote on Twitter.

    According to Variety, on October 11 and 12, Coldplay was scheduled to perform two concerts at Estadio Nilton Santos-Engenhao in Rio de Janeiro to kick off the Latin American leg of their world tour.

    From October 15 through October 22, Coldplay was scheduled to perform at the Allianz Parque Stadium in Sao Paulo.

    pic.twitter.com/UBy1ULYD7v
    — Coldplay (@coldplay) October 4, 2022
    No new dates for the concerts have been announced yet, although the band did say that the rescheduled concerts would be happening in “early 2023 and will be announced very soon.”

    They further wrote, “We’re working as fast as possible to lock in the new dates and will follow up with more information in the next few days. Please hold on to your tickets as they will be valid for the new rescheduled dates…However, we will also honour all requests for ticket refunds – which will be available at the point of sale.”

    They added, “We’re optimistic that Chris will return to good health after he prescribed medical breaks and look forward to resuming the tour soon.”

    “To everyone affected, please accept our sincere apologies, and thank you as always for your love and support,” concluded the band. 

  • Coldplay, BTS reveal music video for ‘My Universe’

    By ANI

    WASHINGTON: British rock band Coldplay has premiered the music video for ‘My Universe’, their new collaboration with BTS on YouTube.

    According to Variety, the song’s video is set in the distant galaxy of The Spheres where music is forbidden, but BTS, Coldplay and an alien supergroup called Supernova 7 unite via hologram to defy the ban.

    Sung in English and Korean, the new track has both bands singing about the endless possibilities of love, utilizing cosmic analogies and an out-of-this-world synth-like sound.

    “There’s a paradise they couldn’t capture, that bright infinity inside your eyes. You are my universe, and I just want to put you first,” sings Coldplay’s lead singer, Chris Martin. The video has been directed by Dave Meyers, who earlier also helmed Coldplay’s ‘Higher Power’ video.

    According to Variety, ‘My Universe’ is part of Coldplay’s forthcoming album ‘Music of the Spheres’, which is scheduled for release on October 15. Produced by Max Martin, it will be Coldplay’s ninth studio album and has been revealed to contain 12 tracks, five of which are represented by emojis, including a red heart, an infinity sign and a planet.

    This single’s release marks the band’s third for the album, Coldplay had released the album’s first single ‘Higher Power’ in May, followed by the release of ‘Coloratura’ in July.

    Variety reported, since its release on Friday, ‘My Universe’ has already been streamed more than 100 million times, marking yet another successful western collaboration for BTS, some of their most popular collaborations to date including pop stars such as Halsey, Ed Sheeran, Megan Thee Stallion, Steve Aoki, Charli XCX and more.

  • BTS, Coldplay drop their new single ‘My Universe’

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Popular South Korean band BTS and Coldplay’s highly-anticipated single “My Universe” is out with lyrics in English and Korean.

    The new single, a love song, will be a part of the Chris Martin-fronted band’s album ‘Music Of The Spheres’, to be released on October 15.

    While Coldplay shared the news on Instagram, Big Hit, the label behind BTS, shared the news on their Twitter handle.

    “You, you are my universe and I just want to put you first. And you, you are my universe, and you make my world light up inside,” Martin croons in the song with BTS joining in with Korean lyrics.

    Coldplay X BTS // #MyUniverse // Out now // https://t.co/yAcfYX0gER // pic.twitter.com/1BcVKC6xbR
    — Coldplay (@coldplay) September 24, 2021
    The collaboration comes after months of speculation.

    BTS — comprising RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, and Jungkook — recently sat down with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin for a special episode of YouTube Originals” weekly music series “Released” ahead of the premiere of “BTS ”Permission to Dance” MV (Shorts Challenge version).

    ” In February, the Korean group covered Coldplay’s 2005 hit number “Fix You” on MTV Unplugged.

    The British group later shared a link of BTS’ special performance on Twitter, writing “beautiful” in Korean and signed “Love” in English, along with the individual initials of the members of the band, also including Guy Berryman, Will Champion, and Jonny Buckland.

    Back in July, there were rumours that BTS would be featuring on Coldplay’s new song.

  • Music’s brightest stars align for Global Citizen Live shows

    By Associated Press

    NEW YORK: Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas says joining forces with Global Citizen to help headline its upcoming daylong global concert aimed at creating positive change was a no brainer for him.”Headlining the show in France is super special to us. Just any time you could help make change or bring awareness to issues through music, especially things that you care about — that I care about — like climate (change) and the planet and bringing folks that are just disenfranchised, you know, lifting them up with not only funds, but information and preparation for tomorrow is what I’m about personally,” said the super-producer of the upcoming Global Citizen Live shows. The group’s “efforts align with my efforts.”Global Citizen announced Tuesday, August 10, 2021, that a 24-hour broadcast of performances across multiple networks and platforms will take place on six continents on September 25, boasting some of music’s brightest stars. ALSO READ: BTS, The Weeknd, Billie Eilish hope to raise billions for Global Citizen fundraiserNew York’s Central Park will host 60,000 fans who’ll dance to artists like Coldplay, Billie Eilish, Jennifer Lopez, Lizzo and Meek Mill, while Ed Sheeran, Doja Cat, H.E.R. and more will join the Peas and 20,000 attendees in Paris. Lagos will also host afrobeat stars like Femi Kuti, Davido, Tiwa Savage, and more performers and locations will be announced soon.With CEO Hugh Evans calling this “the most ambitious campaign Global Citizen has ever launched,” the event is timed to the UN General Assembly in September, followed by the G20 and COP26 Climate meetings in October and November, respectively. Global Citizen hosted another large concert in May advocating the importance of vaccine equity, exceeding its goal by raising $302 million. The “Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World” was one of the largest concert gatherings in Southern California since the coronavirus pandemic began.Evans hopes artists will encourage citizens to push governments and major corporations to be more proactive in tackling climate change, poverty and vaccine equity. But do world leaders really care about what partygoers are asking for at a global concert?”Even if they don’t care on the basis of their own — let’s call it altruistic reasons — they’ll care at the ballot box when citizens say, ‘You know what, I want an elected official who cares about taking action on climate change. I want an elected official who cares about taking action to curb the hunger crisis,’” said Evans. “If they don’t care about these issues, frankly, they will lose the next election. I think politics changes with the wind and I think the wind is blowing in the direction of change right now.”But as the world still battles the coronavirus pandemic with the delta variant surging in the US, the time might not seem right to host a global concert. Will.I.Am understands the sentiment.”There’s a part of me that’s like, ‘I don’t want to do it. I don’t want to go. I’d rather stay home … I’ve been safe. And anything outside of that puts some worry bugs in me,’” said the musician. “But do I want to live that way? … I think every single person has to weigh that themselves.”In order to attend, concertgoers must provide either proof that they are fully vaccinated or present a negative PCR test within 72 hours of the show’s start, and every attendee must be masked regardless of vaccination status. Evans says not only are they complying with local virus regulations, but Global Citizen is going above and beyond those restrictions to make sure everyone stays safe.”I believe that, ultimately, we need to listen to science and science says that everyone should be fully vaccinated and that they should have a negative PCR test, and if they’re in close proximity, they should wear a mask,” he said. “We need to take the pandemic very seriously, but we also need to follow the best science. And the science is telling us exactly what to do.”For more information and to earn tickets to the Paris and New York City festivals, visit GlobalCitizenLive.org. 

  • Coldplay announces new album ‘Music of the Spheres’, reveals tracklist

    By ANI
    WASHINGTON: British rock band Coldplay have officially announced their ninth studio album, ‘Music of the Spheres’. The 12-track LP, produced by pop hitmaker Max Martin, will release on October 15 this year.

    The popular band, fronted by singer Chris Martin, announced on Tuesday their new album on Instagram via a handwritten note alongside an album trailer, which combines an animated cosmic journey through the album’s planetary artwork with short clips of the album’s 12 tracks.

    The caption read, “Music Of The Spheres. The new album, October 15th, 2021. Available to pre-order (link in bio). #musicofthespheres.”

    The band’s note also seemed to hint at further sci-fi themes with the phrase ‘Everyone is an alien somewhere’.

    In May, the band released the album’s first single, ‘Higher Power’, and will follow with another track, ‘Coloratura’ on Friday and a new single in September, reported Variety.

    The band have also revealed the full album tracklisting – with five of the twelve tracks represented by emojis. Some of the tracks are ‘Humankind’, ‘Let Somebody Go’, ‘Biutyful’ and ‘My Universe’.

    The band had announced ‘Higher Power’ via cryptic billboards around the world pointing to a mysterious website called alienradio.fm. Fans managed to decipher the letter-like symbols to uncover the song title and release date.

    The popular British band hasn’t yet announced touring plans but is scheduled to perform as a part of Global Citizen Live, a 24-hour event on September 25.

    Coldplay is one of the biggest bands to emerge since the turn of the century. The band’s trophy room includes seven Grammys, nine Brit Awards and nine Billboard Music Awards. (ANI)

  • BTS, The Weeknd, Billie Eilish hope to raise billions for Global Citizen fundraiser 

    By Associated Press
    NEW YORK: The Weeknd, BTS and Billie Eilish will take part in Global Citizen Live, a 24-hour event on Sept. 25 that’s intended to raise money and awareness to fight worldwide threats including COVID-19, climate change and extreme poverty.

    Hugh Evans, CEO of Global Citizen, is hoping the event, timed to the United Nations General Assembly, will encourage governments, corporations and philanthropists to fund a billion COVID-19 vaccine doses by September, especially in Africa. The international advocacy group also hopes to raise $6 billion for famine relief efforts for the 41 million people worldwide who are estimated to be on the brink of starvation, as well as enough money to plant a billion trees to help counter climate change.

    For anyone who questions whether these institutions will manage to generate more money to donate, Evans points to the current space race.

    “As billionaires are leaping into space, we need to remind people that we’ve really only got one planet and we need to make sure that we that we actually care for it and for those who are on it,” Evans told the Associated Press. 

    “This is something the ultra-high-net-worth community can solve the world’s problems right now. We’re literally talking about an investment which sounds big in comparison — $6 billion to address the famine relief efforts across Africa. Honestly, Jeff Bezos could write that check tomorrow and it would be a percentage point in his total net worth. I’m all for people daring to dream, and may they dream even bigger, but let’s also dream about a world where the absolutely stupid social ills that currently still exist in the world are addressed by those who have the means to do so.”

    Global Citizen Live — which will run the gamut from pop stars H.E.R., Lizzo, Lorde and Ed Sheeran to rockers Coldplay, Green Day, and Metallica and international artists from Andrea Bocelli and Lang Lang to Angelique Kidjo and Femi Kuti — will take place on six continents. Live events are planned for Central Park in New York City, the Champ de Mars in Paris, as well as venues in London and Los Angeles. Performances and hosted segments will come from Sydney; Rio de Janeiro; Seoul, South Korea; and Lagos, Nigeria.

    Like nearly all of the group’s events, Global Citizen Live will encourage millions of fans urge their governments or individual corporations to donate or take actions to advance the group’s goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030. Evans said that goal has suffered setbacks because of COVID-19 and the economic stagnation that resulted from it, forcing 150 million people back into extreme poverty. 

    “It is very important to me to be a part of this historic event to spread awareness and encourage action toward helping the people of Ethiopia during this devastating humanitarian crisis they are faced with,” The Weeknd said in a statement. “It’ll be an honor to perform and help bring support to these citizens who are suffering so severely.”

    Also set to participate are Adam Lambert, Burna Boy, Camila Cabello, Christine and the Queens, Davido, Demi Lovato, DJ Snake, Doja Cat, Duran Duran, Hugh Jackman & Deborra-lee Furness, Keith Urban, Shawn Mendes, The Lumineers, Tiwa Savage and Usher. Ticketing details and performances for the individual cities, as well as additional artists, will be announced in August.

    “The artist community is very selective about what they all rally around, and the sense that I’ve had is that there is this amazing appetite to be part of it,” Evans said. 

    The event has support from leaders around the world, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

    Evans said education issues will also be in the spotlight at the event, which hopes to get 4.5 million kids back to school learning by raising $400 million. Only one in three children globally can access remote learning. And the number of children who have had their educations interrupted has grown by 50% since 2020.

    “I always say that people care either about planetary concern or about social issues,” Evans said. “For September, we’re targeting both.”

    It’s an ambitious agenda. Evans said he is hopeful because of Global Citizen’s previous successes this year.In May, the organization sponsored VAX Live, which generated more than 26 million COVID-19 vaccine doses and $302 million for the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator initiative, which includes the World Health Organization’s COVAX program for more equitable distribution of vaccines. The event, which included appearances by President Joe Biden as well as the Duke of Sussex, helped raise the issue of vaccine sharing globally.

    “I believe that VAX Live changed the dialogue and tangibly resulted in vaccines that will be shared,” Evans said. “Yes, $302 million is still a small amount of money compared to what we need to achieve. Our ambitions are much bigger for September. And that’s why we’re uniting the whole world for this.”