Transmitting their stadium-sized pop anthems across an imaginary solar system, Coldplay go intergalactic with their shimmering ninth set, Music of the Spheres. Expanding upon the bands question of What would our music sound like across the universe? they created a world filled with alien outcasts, invented languages, and fictional planets, freeing themselves from the bounds of earthly genre restrictions in the process. Their most unabashedly pop-centric and optimistic album to date, this sci-fi concept piece is the spiritual successor to technicolor predecessors Mylo Xyloto and A Head Full of Dreams -- outpacing both with its sharp focus and lean runtime -- while maintaining the boundary-pushing energy heard on the Kaleidoscope EP and Everyday Life. With the help of super producer Max Martin -- who previously worked with the band on 2019 singles Orphans and Champion of the World -- the quartet sound more cohesive than theyve been in years, benefitting from a single producers vision in a similar fashion to what Brian Eno pulled off with Viva La Vida. On this colorful journey through space, Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, and Will Champion rocket from planet to planet, spreading hope and love with blissful pop bursts such as the propulsive, 80s synth rush Higher Power; the inspirational Springsteen-via-the-Killers Humankind; and the blockbuster dancefloor collaboration with K-pop kings BTS, My Universe, where superfan V and his groupmates Jungkook, RM, Jimin, Jin, j-hope, and SUGA take turns trading lovelorn verses aimed at mending hearts across the galaxy. On the softer side, Spheres Fix You/Scientist moment comes with the tearjerker Let Somebody Go, a midtempo duet with Selena Gomez thats so sad it could have been on Ghost Stories. Next, on Human Heart, R&B sister duo We Are KING and boy wonder Jacob Collier join Martin for a beautiful hymnal that swells upon the strength of their combined voices. Although this is one of those albums where every song could be a potential single, two moments stand out from the rest of Coldplays catalog. A shock to the system, People of the Pride mashes Muses Uprising and Depeche Modes Personal Jesus into a rallying cry for the ages, a rousing blast that repurposes the Viva-era demo The Man Who Swears into a show-stopping thriller that allows the quartet to flex their rock muscle. Meanwhile, the closing ten-minute epic Coloratura transcends all, taking listeners on a sprawling prog journey centered on Martins dramatic piano, strings courtesy of John Metcalfe and Davide Rossi, Paris Strothers synths, and a soaring Buckland guitar solo. While they typically end their albums on a grand, uplifting note, this takes the prize for ambition and sheer beauty. As Martin proclaims, Together, thats how well make it through, one might really believe we have the power to make our world (and those beyond) a more accepting and united place. Music of the Spheres is an earnest reminder that theres good in this galaxy, offering hope and refuge from the chaos with Coldplay leading the way. ~ Neil Z. Yeung

Rovi