"Together, that's how we'll make it through."
I say I know, I know, I know
We're only human
I know, I know, I know
How we're designed, yeah
Oh I know, I know, I know
We're only human
But from another planet
Still they call us humankind
We're only human
I know, I know, I know
How we're designed, yeah
Oh I know, I know, I know
We're only human
But from another planet
Still they call us humankind
— "Humankind"
Music of the Spheres is the ninth studio album by English Alternative Rock band Coldplay, released in 2021.
It is a Concept Album set in a planetary system called "The Spheres", containing nine planets, three natural satellites, a star and a nebula; each location is represented in the songs, and all of the individual locations in the system has its own language.
While it's primally a space pop album, it also incorporates a cappella ("Human Heart"), glam rock ("People of the Pride"), and progressive rock by way of the epic closing track ("Coloratura"). The album also features guests such as BTSnote , Selena Gomeznote , Jacob Collier and We Are KINGnote .
The sequel for the album, named Moon Music, is expected to be released in 2024.
Tracklist
- "Music of the Spheres" (0:53)
- "Higher Power" (3:26)
- "Humankind" (4:26)
- "Alien Choir" (0:53)
- "Let Someone Go" (with Selena Gomez) (4:01)
- "Human Heart" (with We Are KING and Jacob Collier) (3:08)
- "People of the Pride" (3:37)
- "Biutyful" (3:12)
- "Music of the Spheres II" (0:21)
- "My Universe" (with BTS) (3:46)
- "Infinity Sign" (3:46)
- "Coloratura" (10:17)
These tropes are electric, these tropes are electric and you are sparking light
- A Cappella: "Human Heart", with vocals provided by Chris, Jacob Collier, and both Paris and Amber Strother from the R&B duo We Are KING.
- Album Closure: One of the first lyrics in Music of the Spheres is "I'm not going to make it" ("Higher Power"). The final lyric of the album is "Together, that's how we'll make it through" ("Coloratura").
- Angelic Aliens: Angel Moon from the Music of the Spheres music videos is delicate, translucent, and luminescent. She moves in a graceful, willowy manner.
- Broken Record: Invoked in "Higher Power":
- Concept Album: Music of the Spheres takes place in a galaxy called "the Spheres" which consists of nine planets, two natural satellites, one star, and a nebula. Each planet represents a song on the album. The worldbuilding is expanded in the album's music videos — music is banned across the Spheres, but ambitious rebels defy the rule all while being hunted by the Silencers, the people who enforce the ban.
- Concept Video:
- "Higher Power" has Chris dancing on the Cyberpunk alien planet Kaotica, before obtaining Super-Speed and leaving the planet.
- "My Universe" tells the story of three bands living in The Spheres; Coldplay, BTS, and Supernova7. Music is forbidden across the Spheres and the bands are on different planets (Calypso, Floris, Supersolis), but they're united by DJ Lafrique on her Alien Radio ship through her "holoband". They come together to sing while being hunted by the Silencers. Near the end, the Silencers discover DJ Lafrique's ship, but she puts her ship into hyperdrive and escapes. Dance Party Ending ensues.
- Continuity Nod: The appearance of The Silencers in the "My Universe" music video recalls the plot of Mylo Xyloto.
- Cyberpunk: The music video for “Higher Power” has elements of this, taking place in a Neon City on a planet filled with trash that has advanced technology. Outside of the city, mountains of rubbish and debris cover as far as the eye can see.
- Cypher Language: Each planet on Music of the Spheres has an accompanying alien language. Notably, the "Higher Power" single had an alien Wingdinglish Cypher Language created for the album promotion called Kaotican, and it was used heavily during the early marketing as a puzzle for fans to crack.
- Epic Rocking: "Coloratura", which is the band's longest track to date at just over ten minutes.
- Fading into the Next Song:
- "Music of the Spheres" — "Higher Power" — "Humankind" — "Alien Choir"
- "Biutyful" — "Music of the Spheres II" — "My Universe"
- "Infinity Sign" — "Coloratura"
- Fake Band:
- Supernova7 in the "My Universe" music video, an alien band from the fictional planet Supersolis.
- "The Weirdos" are a fictional alien band that purportedly created the song "Biutyful" (sometimes credited as featuring both Coldplay and The Weirdos). The band is composed of puppetsnote and appears in the music video for their song. The puppets, alongside Chris Martin, also did a live interview
and performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to promote "Biutyful".
- Fast as Lightning: In the “Higher Power” music video, Chris is given "electric powers", including Super-Speed. Flurries of colourful electric light follow him as he runs.This boy is electric and you’re sparklin' like the universe connected
And I'm buzzin' night after night after night - Forbidden Love: "My Universe" is a song about defying this. Chris Martin has stated that it's about "someone being told they can’t love a certain other person, or can’t be with this race, or they can’t be gay, whatever it might be."And they said that we can't be together
Because, because we come from different sides - Getting Crap Past the Radar: "Higher Power" is a clean all-ages song. However, near the beginning of the music video, Chris walks in front of a sign written in Kaotican. If pausing to translate, it reads "SEXSHOP." The sign is more visible and doubles as a Freeze-Frame Bonus at 1:21.
- Gratuitous Foreign Language: My Universe has several verses sung in Korean by BTS.
- Hologram: Holograms seem to be commonplace in the Spheres:
- The same group of multicolored holographic dancers appear in the official music video for "Higher Power", along with the official audio video and Coldplay's 2021 BRIT Awards performance of the same song.
- In the "My Universe" music video, DJ Lafrique helps Coldplay, BTS, and Supernova7 communicate by transporting them as holograms to each other's planets.
- The same group of multicolored holographic dancers appear in the official music video for "Higher Power", along with the official audio video and Coldplay's 2021 BRIT Awards performance of the same song
- Longest Song Goes Last: Colaratura ends the album at a whopping 10 minutes.
- Lucky Charms Title: "Music of the Spheres", "Alien Choir", "Human Heart", "Music of the Spheres II" and "Infinity Sign" are represented by emojis in the track list.
- May the Farce Be with You: Chris pointed to Star Wars as an inspiration for the album's story of rebellion against a tyrannical space empire. This is most obvious in the video for "My Universe," which features a Star Wars-like opening crawl.
- Miniscule Rocking: "Music of the Spheres", "Alien Choir" and "Music of the Spheres II".
- Named After Their Planet: Those from the planet Kaotica are called “Kaoticans.”
- Neon City: The setting for the “Higher Power” music video.
- One-Word Title: "Humankind", "Biutyful" and "Coloratura"
- Precision F-Strike: In comparison with Everyday Life, Music of the Spheres has exactly one F-bomb, located in the first verse of "People of the Pride", a rock song about rebellion and anger at oppression.There's a man who walks around
Like he owns the fucking lot - Sdrawkcab Speech: Although not sung backwards, these lines from "Higher Power":
- Solo Duet: In-universe, the high-pitched voice in "Biutyful" is sung by an alien named Angel Moon/Angelina. The band jests that whoever sings Angel Moon's part is "highly confidential", but it's Chris's edited voice. This makes "Biutyful" a love duet between Chris Martin and himself.
- Space Rock: Music of the Spheres is a concept album themed around space, and thus contains many space rock songs.
- Super-Speed: Chris Martin gains this ability at the end of the music video for “Higher Power.” He speeds through a Kaotican city and then runs vertically towards space. See also Fast as Lightning.I'm going a million miles an hour!
- Wingdinglish: Music of the Spheres has 12 planets, each with their own alien Cypher Language.
- Word Purée Title: "Biutyful". I mean, you can easily guess how it's pronounced but that doesn't make the title any less weird.
- And when everything was going wrong
You could turn my sorrow into song
Oh, it hurts like so
To let somebody go
