As part of the rollout for the release of Coldplay‘s new single “Higher Power,” Chris Martin joined Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1’s New Music Daily earlier this week. In addition to discussing the band’s creative evolution over a decades-long career, Martin broke down what it was like to work with legendary pop producer Max Martin.
“Higher Power” follows up Coldplay’s Grammy-nominated 2019 album “Everyday Life.” He explained that the title had been around for a while, but the song itself took a bit more time, noting “if you go on my phone there’s like 15 abandoned ‘Higher Powers’ that aren’t that good.'” Martin also said that he had the same feeling about the song he did with “Viva La Vida” after their first demo session with Max Martin.
“‘Higher Power,’ in our whole catalog, there’s probably 15 songs where that’s happened where it basically just… lands,” Martin told Lowe. “I think that for whatever reason where [Max] is in his life and where we are in ours, it felt really fresh for both parties. And I think he didn’t know if I was going to let him that deeply in, if you see what I mean. You’d have to ask him, but I think it’s been more enjoyable for him than us just saying, ‘Here’s the song, don’t touch it but add some sparkly stuff.'”
Martin also took the chance to reflect on the band’s growth, explaining they were constricted to their label as “a white indie band” in their early days. But, with wisdom from age and the evolving cultural landscape, things have changed. By caring less what others think, he and the band are more creatively free and feel confident in releasing pop hits and indie songs alike. It’s all part of the blurring of genre boundaries.
“Right now in 2021, everyone’s doing everything. You can like Olivia Rodrigo as much as you like AC/DC and no one thinks that’s weird. And that’s musical utopia for me,” Martin said. “And you can also listen to Olivia Rodrigo and then listen to something recorded 70 years ago. It’s miraculous. So why would you want to stay in one box?”
Watch the full interview below:
