Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and manager Phil Harvey. They initially met at University College London, calling themselves Big Fat Noises and changing to Starfish, before settling on the current name.
Christopher Anthony John Martin is an English singer, songwriter, musician, producer and philanthropist. He is best known as the lead vocalist, pianist, rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Coldplay.
"Speed of Sound" is a song by British rock band Coldplay. It was written by all members of the band for their third studio album, X&Y (2005). Constructed around a piano and guitar riff, the song builds into a huge, synthesiser-heavy chorus. It was released by Parlophone Records as the lead single from the album. "Speed of Sound" made its radio premiere on BBC Radio 1 with Lamacq on 19 April, then was serviced to US radio on 18 April 2005. The song was released physically in Japan on 11 May with two B-sides: "Things I Don't Understand" and "Proof". In the United Kingdom, the single was issued on 23 May 2005.
Davide Rossi is an Italian violinist, string arranger, orchestrator, songwriter, composer and conductor, perhaps best known for having been the electric violinist and multi-instrumentalist for the British electronic music duo Goldfrapp from 2000 until 2013, and for his large contribution of electric violin parts and for most of the string arrangements on all Coldplay's albums since Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends,.
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, often referred to as simply Viva la Vida, is the fourth studio album by British rock band Coldplay, released on 12 June 2008 on the Parlophone label. "Viva la vida" is a Spanish phrase that translates into English as "long live life", "live the life", or simply "live life". Lyrically, the album contains references to love, life, death and war.
"Violet Hill" is a song by British rock band Coldplay. It was written by all members of the band for their fourth album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008). Built around a repeating guitar sound, it utilises a marching tempo, supported by the pianos and rhythms that accompany the song's lyrics. The song was initially made available as a free download on the band's website and was downloaded more than two million times.
"Viva la Vida" is a song by British rock band Coldplay. It was written by all members of the band for their fourth album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008). The lyrics to the song contain historical and Christian references, and the track is built around a looping string section in unison with a digitally processed piano, with other layers gradually being added as the song builds.
The Viva la Vida Tour was the fourth concert tour undertaken by British rock band Coldplay. It was launched in support of their fourth studio album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), becoming a massive commercial and critical success. The tour visited Europe, Asia, Oceania and the Americas, further establishing the band as one of the biggest touring acts in the world.
"Lost!" is a song by the British rock band Coldplay. It was co-produced with Brian Eno and Markus Dravs for the band's fourth album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. The song was released on 10 November 2008 as the third official single from the album to generally positive critical reviews. A live version was released via download following a performance of the band and Jay-Z at the 2009 Grammy Awards, spurring high digital sales and giving "Lost!" a new peak at number 40 in the United States.
Prospekt's March is the seventh EP by British rock band Coldplay and their first since Remixes (2003). It came out on 21 November 2008 in Europe and Japan, enjoying a worldwide release during the following week. The EP features several left-over tracks from the Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends studio sessions and was also made available in the album's deluxe edition.
"Lovers in Japan" is a song by British rock band Coldplay. It was written by all members of the band for their fourth studio album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. The song is built around an introductory tack piano sound, then followed by chiming guitars and soaring choruses, supported by the pianos and rhythms that accompany the song's lyrics. The album version of "Lovers in Japan" shares the track with the song "Reign of Love".
"Life in Technicolor II" is a song by British rock band Coldplay released as the first single from the Prospekt's March EP. It is the full-vocal version of the instrumental track "Life in Technicolor", from the band's fourth studio album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. The songs starts with a loop consisting of a santoor accompanied by tabla-like percussion. The loop is then repeated through the verses and part of the chorus.
LeftRightLeftRightLeft is the second live album by British alternative rock band Coldplay. It was released on 15 May 2009 and given away for free at all of the remaining concerts on the Viva la Vida Tour, being also available as a free download on the band's official website. However, the album was removed before the release of Live 2012. On 13 August 2021, nearly twelve years after its first release, the album was made available on streaming services.
"Strawberry Swing" is a song by British rock band Coldplay. On 14 September 2009, it was released as the fourth and final single from the band's fourth studio album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008). The song was written by the members of the band and was produced by Markus Dravs, Brian Eno, Jon Hopkins and Rik Simpson. The track received mostly positive reviews from music critics who praised the infectious melody, the vocal performance of Chris Martin and the west-African influences on the track's arrangement and production.
"42" is a song by British rock band Coldplay. It was written by all members of the band for their fourth album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008). The song, divided into three parts, does not have a chorus. The first part is a ballad with piano and strings, which then transforms into an uptempo rock arrangement with a guitar solo. Finally, the song ends with a multi-instrumental part. A live version of "42" was featured on the band's 2009 live album, LeftRightLeftRightLeft.
"Prospekt's March/Poppyfields" are two songs by alternative rock band Coldplay that are included on the same track. They were written by all members of the band for their fourth album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends but neither song made it to the final tracklist, so they ended up on the Prospekt's March EP. The song "Prospekt's March" is built around acoustic guitars, an atmospheric synthesizer and vocals. The second song, "Poppyfields" is a short instrumental.
Rik Simpson is a multi Grammy Award-winning British record producer, sound engineer, musician, and songwriter. He is most recently recognised for his production work with Coldplay on 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) and Everyday Life (2019). He has also gained critical acclaim for his work with Jay-Z, Portishead, Kasabian, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and PJ Harvey. In addition to the technical sides of recording and mixing, he often contributes musically, playing and singing on many of his productions.
"Atlas" is a song by British rock band Coldplay for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, the soundtrack to the 2013 American science-fiction adventure film The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. It was released digitally as the lead single from the soundtrack on 6 September 2013 worldwide, and on 8 September in the United Kingdom. The song was accompanied by a lyric video, which also premiered on 6 September.
"Fun" is a song by British alternative rock band Coldplay, featuring Swedish singer Tove Lo. It is the sixth track from their seventh studio album, A Head Full of Dreams (2015). The song was produced by the band's long-time record producer Rik Simpson along with Norwegian production duo Stargate.
