In anticipation of their upcoming EP Kaleidoscope (out in June), Coldplay has released two brand new – and completely different – songs for our listening pleasure, the first being “Something Just Like This,” their collaboration with EDM duo The Chainsmokers. This song has seen hundreds of millions of plays on YouTube, as well as Spotify, thanks to the popularity of both groups and its ability to sound a lot like every other Chainsmokers song to date.
However, released just days later and still hidden in the shadows, “Hypnotised” is the track more deserving of your attention.
Coldplay has run into heavy criticism over their new-found poppy, mainstream sound they’ve given us in their recent albums, but “Hypnotised” is a glimpse at the past. The piano-centric melody brings you back to the A Rush Of Blood To The Head era, and is reminiscent of their song “Atlas” they recorded for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
“Hypnotised” lives up to its name. The repeating melodic line leaves you in a trance as Chris Martin’s voice washes over you. It’s a calming track to ease your nerves or lull you to sleep. Subtle guitar riffs from Jonny Buckland emerge through the waves of piano, and suddenly the air feels easier to breathe.
Coldplay is known for their lyrical complexity, and this song doesn’t disappoint. Take, for example, this line from the second verse: “Saying it’s the very same steeple/People want to choose/They just see it from different views.” Throughout the song, Martin is singing about how even though the world is filled with hate (“It’s easy to be lethal/I’m learning from the news/It’s a guidebook for the blues”), he still has to “Float like an eagle/Fall like the rain/Pouring to put out the pain.”
It’s a beautiful song and a hopeful look into the future of Coldplay’s discography.
Alternative Echo 