Kaleidoscope EP
2017 extended play by Coldplay
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kaleidoscope EP is the thirteenth extended play by British rock band Coldplay.[3] It was released worldwide on 14 July 2017 and serves as a companion piece to the band's seventh studio album, A Head Full of Dreams (2015).[4] The EP was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.[5]
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| Kaleidoscope EP | ||||
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| Released | 14 July 2017 | |||
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| Length | 24:57 | |||
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| Singles from Kaleidoscope | ||||
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Background
On 21 November 2016, lead singer Chris Martin announced the EP title on the band's official Twitter account, it is the same as an interlude track from A Head Full of Dreams (2015).[6] The release was originally due to 2 June, but it was delayed to 30 June and then 14 July without any previous announcement from the band.
Singles
Commercial singles
The Chainsmokers and Coldplay collaborated on the lead single "Something Just Like This", which was made available on 22 February 2017. For the extended play, a new version titled "Tokyo Remix" was recorded live in Tokyo, Japan in April and released on 23 June.
Promotional singles
The band revealed "Hypnotised" and the track listing of the EP on 2 March 2017.[7] "All I Can Think About Is You" came out on 15 June as the second offering, with an accompanying lyric video directed by I Saw John First.[4] On 7 July, following Coldplay's performance at Global Citizen Festival Germany, they launched "Aliens" as a charity single. All profits were donated to Migrant Offshore Aid Station, an international non-governmental organisation which rescues refugees.[8] The animated lyric video was directed by Diane Martel and Ben Jones. On 14 July, "Miracles (Someone Special)", featuring Big Sean, was sent to Italian radio stations as a promotional single.[9] A visualiser debuted in the following day.[10]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 63/100[11] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [12] |
| The Guardian | [13] |
| NME | [14] |
| Pitchfork | 5.8/10[15] |
| PopMatters | [16] |
| Rolling Stone | [17] |
Upon release, Kaleidoscope received positive reaction from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 63 out of 100 based on 8 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[18] Reviewing for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine comments "Coldplay haven’t entirely been sucked into the machinery while trying to subvert pop music from within", giving the EP three and a half stars.[19]
Harriet Gibson of The Guardian gave the EP three stars, writing "This EP is nothing but on-brand, however; euphoric emotion, an earnest, universal message and a coating of tacky charm".[20] Mark Beaumont of the NME wrote "Coldplay don’t just churn out anthems. On their surprise-filled new EP, they test the waters and see what floats", and gave the EP four stars.[21] Pitchfork's Jamieson Fox gave the EP 5.8 out of 10, writing "Kaleidoscope isn’t going to kickstart Coldplay’s critical reappraisal, nor does it deserve to. But it rewards those of us who’ve stuck around with a few songs that capture the band at its best".[22]
Writing for PopMatters, Mike Schiller comments "There’s no story to be told, just a small collection of tunes, some of which work beautifully, some of which fall utterly flat", giving the EP five stars out of ten,[23] and Jon Dolan, reviewing for Rolling Stone wrote "Titled after a soothing interlude from the band's 2015 LP, A Head Full of Dreams, this five-song EP continues that album's mood of tranquil satisfaction" giving it three and a half stars.[24]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Coldplay except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "All I Can Think About Is You" | Rik Simpson | 4:34 | |
| 2. | "Miracles (Someone Special)" (with Big Sean) |
| 4:36 | |
| 3. | "Aliens" |
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| 4:42 |
| 4. | "Something Just Like This (Tokyo Remix)" (with the Chainsmokers) |
| The Chainsmokers | 4:34 |
| 5. | "Hypnotised" (EP mix) | Simpson | 6:31 | |
| Total length: | 24:57 | |||
Notes
- "Hypnotised" is 6:31 long on digital releases, but 5:55 on physical editions, same as the promotional single version.
Personnel
- Coldplay
- Chris Martin – lead vocals, piano, keyboard, acoustic guitar on "Miracles (Someone Special)", "Aliens" and "Hypnotised"
- Jonny Buckland – guitars
- Guy Berryman – bass, keyboards
- Will Champion – drums, percussion, keyboards, electronic drums, backing vocals
- Additional musicians
- Big Sean - rapping (on "Miracles (Someone Special)")
- Brian Eno - additional guitar, and vocals (on "Aliens")
- The Chainsmokers - additional instruments (on "Something Just Like This")
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Italy (FIMI)[52] | Gold | 25,000* |
| United Kingdom | — | 46,510[c] |
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* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Notes
- According to the Official Charts Company rules, Kaleidoscope EP was not eligible for the UK Albums Chart.[25]
- According to the Australian Recording Industry Association rules, Kaleidoscope EP was not eligible for the Australian Albums chart.[27]
