ALBUM REVIEW: Coldplay’s “Moon Music”

The pop band is back with new synthesized sounds that play with multiple genres and promote a message of oneness and eco-consciousness, despite lack of lyricism.

In a new generation of young edgy artists like Charlie XCX, Chappell Roan, and Sabrina Carpenter changing the pop music industry, Coldplay casts their latest album “Moon Music” into the mix. “Moon Music” is a fun, lighthearted, electric pop album that incorporates space-themed sounds.

The album came out on Oct. 4 and premiered No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 charts, officially becoming the fastest growing album by a British act in 2024 according to official charts. The album is set to grow even faster as more records sell across streaming platforms like Apple music, Spotify and YouTube music.

The band has put out several albums blending genres like electric pop and rock alternative but have seemingly cast themselves away from the rock scene. Their new Album “Moon Music” reads much more like an electric pop album that contains some slow melodic ballads.

It has the feeling of Coldplay but has pushed itself so far in the direction of their famous radio hit single “Adventures of a Lifetime,” a song which incorporated smooth R&B vibes with uplifting pop funk beats. “Moon Music” is a funky smooth pop record mixed with minimal lyrical writing that helps to pass the time.

Depending on where you stand with the band, they have been a mixed bag of different hats and genres in their career. At one point, people put them up with the likes of Oasis and Radiohead. They have become less equated with them now and currently stand next to famous pop artists like Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Maroon 5.

When you first dive in, track 1 “Moon Music” has an orchestral buildup that leads into a soft piano ballad with lead singer Chris Martin singing. After hearing it a few times the song’s sounds blend well together and lay the ground for what’s to come next. The lyrics “I’m trying to trust in a world full of love, fire and water, and constantly dream of the balance of things and the music between” reflect the central message of the record, which is peace, harmony and feelings that occur in us every day, making it a lovely tune.

In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Martin said while promoting the record, “I felt like well, what if I just really told how I feel every day?” While the lyrics aren’t redefining, they fit the catchy beats and synthesized vocals by Martin on the first track.

Track 2 “Feels like I’m falling in love” is more upbeat. It has a clear difference from the previous track and is a bouncy, synthesized song. It feels like a popular song that would be overplayed on the radio over and over again. The main chorus is “it feels like, I’m falling in love, maybe for the first time, baby it’s my mind you blow.”

The writing is very dull and doesn’t do much to evoke any strong emotion from you lyrically. The lyrics are simple and operate to leave you with a catchy chorus to sing while you’re bored. While the songs do a somewhat decent job at blending together on this album, they are very different in genres.

Track 3 “We Pray” is the second hit single the band put out before releasing this album in October. It features several artists including Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna and TINI. Fusing catchy pop beats and harmonic vocals by the artists, it blends effortlessly together. There are orchestral string instruments that play over the chorus “And so we pray.”

The song’s catchy beat and amazing vocals only gets watered down more by the tragically   simplified lyrics “I pray that I don’t give up, pray that I do my best, pray that I can lift up, pray my brother is blessed, praying for enough, pray Virgilio wins.”

The underlying mediocrity of the album purely stands from its bland lyrics and refusal to look more introspectively at the world and its problems. Songs like “We pray” and “Moon Music” lack emotional connection and only offer a catchy tune to connect with.

Many of the tracks on this album feel more like radio hits than revolutionary songs. Track 5 “Good Feelings” could not be more fitting. It features Nigerian artist “Ayra Starr” who is known for her distinctive vocals and R&B alternative/afrobeats music. She and Martin create a colorful hymnal sound that blends almost seamlessly.

Starr has beautiful, isolated vocals that really make the single shine and are reminiscent of SZA or Kehlani. She helps bring a warmth to the song that helps exude the message of love.

Track 8 “Aeterna” adds an electro-pop song to the mix with very weak vocals that sing lightly in the background, “all together now, you feel it flow. You feel it flow, and we’re all together now.” The pop vocals echo in the background of this arena-like sound. It teeters on the eco-conscious message of oneness with our planet and our higher selves. While I don’t think that this is a bad message, their execution of the song isn’t complete due to its submissive lyrics and unoriginal sound.

The song ends with what sounds like an African choir singing a completely different song. It’s meant to compliment the track and add a harmonious feel to it, but it doesn’t match quite right. Many of the songs have nice harmonic melodies with ordinary misplaced choruses that resemble the bubblegum pop music you hear on the radio.

The album’s push to drive home the message of oneness and harmony didn’t always hit. Songs like “We Pray” and “Jupiter” have strong melodic sounds that are sure to stick with you throughout the day, but none of them seem to fully explore any real emotional connection. Instead, you are left with a fun up-beat synthesized track of Martin singing a fun chorus over melodic Funky beats and smooth R&B sounds.

I don’t think it’s bad, but considering this band is now on their tenth album and was once seen as a rival to the famous British band Oasis, this album may be a disappointment for fans who expected more.

“Moon Music” doesn’t provide a lasting impression of the band most Coldplay fans will love, and fans can surely find better tracks from previous albums. Despite its clear flaws, it is still a fun record worth listening to.

“Moon Music” is currently streaming on all music platforms.