Coldplay, feelslikeimfallinginlove | Song Review 🎵

Grammy-winning British alternative band Coldplay makes an impressive return with “feelslikeimfallinginlove,” the promo single from Moon Music.

“Iknow that this could hurt me bad / I know that this could feel like that / But I just can’t stop / Let my defences [defenses] drop.” Hmm, what is happening?! The Moon Music era has begun for Grammy-winning alternative band, Coldplay.  At this point, Chris Martin and the gang have been making music for nearly 30 years. What could the collective bring new to the table with Moon Music (arrives October 4, 2024)? The first piece of the puzzle is “feelslikeimfallinginlove”. Here, the beloved British band intentionally catches our eyes with one big run-on word. Focusing on the music, the four-minute cut was penned by Martin and fellow Coldplay members Guy Berryman, Johnny Buckland, and Will Champion, in addition to Apple Martin (Chris and ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow’s daughter), Max Martin, Jon Hopkins, and Tim Rutili.  Max Martin, Bill Rahko, Daniel Green, Michael Ilbert, and Oscar Holter produced.  Lots of cooks in the kitchen for this falling-in-love experience!

“Feelslikeimfallinginlove” is sleekly produced. Given the expertise behind the boards, it would be a huge disappointment if it weren’t. Like many modern Coldplay songs, the electronic elements and textures are unveiled early. The beat is groovy. There are also acoustic elements, specifically strings, that amplify the overall timbre. Vocally, Chris Martin sounds exceptional. Even when Coldplay has been criticized, one of the best parts of the band is Martin’s vocals, particularly when he dips into his falsetto. Not only is his tone glorious, but the vocal production is elite.  He sounds polished and younger than his 47 years.  When he ‘digs in,’ it’s awesome.  With its sound production and terrific vocals, that leaves the songwriting.  How does it stack up? Respectably.  Martin and Company successfully convey the feeling and narrative of what it feels like to fall in love. “I know this kind of scene / Of two people there’s a spark between,” Martin sings in the second verse, continuing, “One gets torn apart / One gets a broken heart.” As troubling as it is, he gives into the feeling in the best moment of the song, the chorus:

“Oh, it feels like

I’m fallin’ in love

Maybe for the first time

Baby, it’s my mind you blow

It feels like

I’m fallin’ in love

You’re throwin’ me a lifeline

This is for a lifetime, I know.”

While Coldplay doesn’t ‘innovate’ on “feelslikeimfallinginlove”, the band delivers an enjoyable, relatable, and well-rounded alt-pop cut.  Lots of collaborators but, it works out well for the band. We’ll forgive them for the questionable run-on word.

Coldplay // Moon Music // Parlophone // 10.4.24

[📷: Brent Faulkner/The Musical Hype; Parlophone; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Królestwo Nauki, OpenClipart-Vectors, Pete Linforth, Tumisu from Pixabay]