Fun (Coldplay song)

Last updated

"Fun"
Song by Coldplay featuring Tove Lo
from the album A Head Full of Dreams
Released4 December 2015 (2015-12-04)
Recorded2014–2015
Genre Pop rock
Length4:27
Label
Songwriters
Producers

"Fun" is a song by British rock band Coldplay, featuring Swedish singer Tove Lo. It is the sixth track from the group's seventh studio album, A Head Full of Dreams (2015). [1] The song was produced by the band's long-time record producer Rik Simpson along with Norwegian production duo Stargate. [2]

Contents

Composition

"Fun" is a mid-tempo pop song built as a duet between Chris Martin and Swedish singer Tove Lo, with production by longtime collaborator Rik Simpson and Norwegian pop architects Stargate. [3] The song features "electronic heartbeats" under a mid-tempo framework "a Cure-style darkness towards the end." [4]

The title also echoes an earlier, unrelated Coldplay composition: Martin and his bandmates wrote a different song called "Fun" for Natalie Imbruglia's 2009 album Come to Life . [5] [4]

Reception

Critics were divided but frequently singled out the duet in album overage, considering it a reference to the end of Martin's marriage to Gwyneth Paltrow. [3] [6] AllMusic remarked that Tove Lo "eases right into" the song's atmosphere, while Consequence noted the song "palpitates like an unbroken heart". [7] [8] NME praised the track's narrative, calling it a "refreshing change" compared to the expected slow tempos and minor keys of a stereotypical Coldplay song. [6] Pitchfork considered the collaboration emblematic of the album's guest-driven approach. [3]

Personnel

Credits are adapted from A Head Full of Dreams liner notes. [2]

Coldplay
Additional musicians

Charts

Chart performance for "Fun"
Chart (2015–16)Peak
position
France (SNEP) [9] 118
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [10] 86
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan) [11] 10
UK Singles (OCC) [12] 164
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [13] 28

Certifications

Certifications for "Fun"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Italy (FIMI) [14] Gold25,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. "Coldplay, A Head Full of Dreams: 'Too much emotional laundry', album review". The Independent. December 4, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  2. 1 2 A Head Full of Dream (booklet). Coldplay. Parlophone. 2015. 1053933969.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. 1 2 3 Berman, Stuart. "Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Adams, Cameron (December 2, 2015). "Coldplay's new album features Chris Martin's ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow and his new girlfriend on vocals". news.com.au.
  5. Michaels, Sean (August 21, 2009). "Natalie Imbruglia's album written by Chris Martin and Brian Eno. Sort of". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  6. 1 2 Nicolson, Barry (December 7, 2015). "The NME Verdict: Coldplay - 'A Head Full Of Dreams'". NME. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  7. A Head Full of Dreams - Coldplay | Album | AllMusic , retrieved October 13, 2025
  8. Schaults, Janine (December 4, 2015). "Album Review: Coldplay - A Head Full of Dreams" . Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  9. "Coldplay – Fun" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  10. "Coldplay – Fun" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  11. "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 51, 2015" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  12. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  13. "Coldplay Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard.
  14. "Italian single certifications – Coldplay – Fun" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved July 2, 2019.