COLDPLAY’S 10th studio album, Moon Music (also known as Music of the Spheres Vol. II: Moon Music), serves as a musical exploration of life’s phases, attempting to overcome the emotional rollercoaster of darkness, love and self-discovery.
Released on October 4, Moon Music continues its Music of the Spheres series, picking up from where Vol. I: From Earth with Love left off in 2021. Despite promising tracks, the album toes the line between profound and predictable, leaving listeners at odds with whether it is a hit or miss.
Funk and electronic influences
Coldplay has always been known for its genre-bending abilities and Moon Music is no different. This album melds pop rock with funk, Afrobeat and electronic music influences, incorporating guest artistes such as Jon Hopkins, Burna Boy, Little Simz, Elyanna, Tini and Ayra Starr.
Production heavyweights such as Max Martin and Bill Rahko contribute to the polished sound, ensuring the album remains easy on the ear. However, the glossy production also reveals a more relaxed approach that sometimes veers into generic territory. There are moments, in which the album feels almost too polished, diluting Coldplay’s signature sound that typically evokes grand, emotional highs.
As frontman Chris Martin explained Moon Music is a concept album about moving from darkness to light. It is the musical equivalent of waking up feeling like the world is against you and ending the day with a sense of connection and warmth.
Thematically, the album tackles inner turmoil, healing and finding love and balance in a chaotic world. Yet, despite the deep subject matter, some of the songs feel lyrically superficial, lacking the poetic nuance Coldplay fans have come to expect.
Album highlights
The album opens strong with the title track Moon Music, featuring Hopkins. It is an ethereal introduction that sets the tone for the rest of the album. The lush instrumentation, paired with Martin’s unmistakable voice, immediately captures attention.
However, it is the lead single feelslikeimfallinginlove (Feels Like I’m Falling in Love) that truly shines. A vibrant mix of pop-rock energy and electronic beats, the song has catchy melodies and relatable lyrics about the vulnerability of love. It is fun, light and quintessential Coldplay, striking a balance between accessibility and authenticity.
We Pray, the second single featuring Simz, Boy, Elyanna and Tini, is another standout. The Afrobeat-inspired rhythms offer something fresh and the collaboration brings diversity in both sound and lyrical approaches.
However, as strong as the message of resilience and hope is, the track occasionally suffers from an overload of voices, with each guest artist trying to leave their mark. The song is great on its own but would have benefitted from a tighter arrangement.
All My Love, released alongside the album, hits all the right emotional notes. It is a tender love ballad filled with sweeping strings and warm vocals, encapsulating the album’s overarching theme of unconditional love.
The song feels classic Coldplay, with an air of simplicity that makes it intimate and universal. Still, even in its charm, one can not help but feel that it lacks the grandeur of past ballads such as Fix You or The Scientist.
Danger of being formulaic
While Moon Music offers some beautiful moments, there is a certain predictability that lingers throughout the album. Songs such as Good Feelings (featuring Starr) and Jupiter tread familiar ground, echoing Coldplay’s earlier work.
The melodies are enjoyable but they do not break new ground. The album seems to play it safe, sticking to tried-and-true formulas without taking the risks that could elevate it beyond just another Coldplay album.
At times, the relaxed vibe works, such as in IAAM, a track featured on the EA Sports FC 25 soundtrack. Its uplifting lyrics and vibrant energy give it an anthemic feel, perfect for stadiums and playlists alike.
But other tracks, such as Alien Hits / Alien Radio and Aeterna, fall into the trap of being overly atmospheric without a strong hook to pull listeners in. It is not that these songs are bad – far from it – they simply feel like background music, enjoyable but lacking the signature Coldplay magic that usually grabs the listener by the heart.
While Moon Music is undoubtedly a solid addition to Coldplay’s discography, it feels like it is missing something – a certain boldness or emotional intensity that their best albums carry. It is the kind of album that is easy to listen to but does not necessarily demand to be replayed.
The music is pleasant and the lyrics are well-meaning but at times it all feels a little too laid back, a little too content in its mediocrity.
For longtime fans, Moon Music may be a comforting listen, with enough familiar elements to satisfy, but for those looking for something more groundbreaking or stirring, it might fall short of expectations. The album does a decent job of exploring themes of love, pain and personal growth, but it never quite reaches the emotional highs of Coldplay’s earlier work.
Enjoyable, but not essential
In the end, Moon Music is an album about life, trying to overcome the dark side that engulfs us all. It has its moments of brilliance but those looking for the Coldplay that shook the world with A Rush of Blood to the Head or Viva la Vida might find this offering a bit too subdued.
The songs are good and some are even great but the album feels like it is holding back, waiting for that extra shine that would push it into greatness. Whether it is a hit or miss depends largely on what the listener is looking for – something comfortable and familiar or something daring and profound.
