Coldplay

Coldplay, Rihanna's Official 'Princess Of China' Video Due In May

27 Apr 2012 13:15:53 EDT

Rihanna-starring clip currently making the rounds is actually taken from Coldplay's live show, spokesperson confirms.
By James Montgomery

By now, you've probably seen the video for Coldplay's "Princess of China." It stars Rihanna as a Shiva-esque deity who waves her (many) arms back and forth in time with the tune but strangely does not actually feature Coldplay themselves.

The clip began making the rounds earlier this week and was not only touted as the "official video" but earned raves from fans of both acts. There's only one problem: It is most definitely not the actual "Princess of China" vid.

In fact, it's part of Coldplay's live show, a video they play during their performance of the song (as several Coldplay aficionados have been pointing out on YouTube). Just to clear up any confusion, we reached out to a spokesperson for the band, who told us in no uncertain terms: "It isn't the official video. ... It is, in fact, a clip that the band are using during their performance of the song on tour."

So there you have it. Of course, this raises the question of just when the real "Princess of China" video will premiere. After all, going by photos RiRi previously tweeted, the clip was filmed back in March. So, once again, we went to Coldplay's rep, who told us that the "Princess" video is still a few weeks away from debuting.

"It won't be finished until the third week of May," the spokesperson said. "It's going to be a minute."

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Coldplay Reveal Rihanna Clip From 'Princess Of China' Video

19 Apr 2012 13:01:12 EDT

Pop star is in goddess mode in snippet from upcoming video, which band teased during Canadian tour stop.
By John Mitchell

Coldplay teased the upcoming video for their latest Mylo Xyloto single, "Princess of China," during a tour stop in Edmonton, Canada, giving concertgoers their first look at Rihanna rocking the "gangsta goth geisha" look she tweeted about from the video's set in March.

During the band's performance of the song, the Bajan pop diva appeared on an overhead video in full-on goddess mode with multiple sets of hands fanning out behind her and moving to the beat of the song.

The guys of Coldplay are big fans of the "We Found Love" singer and told MTV News last year that they were excited to work with her because it was an opportunity to cross genres.

"Her bit on our record is my favorite bit," frontman Chris Martin told MTV News in September. "When the song came out, it sort of asked for her to be on it. And I think at this point, we have nothing to lose, and so we've been trying some new things and trying to break down the perceived boundaries between different types of music."

Coldplay have not yet announced when the full "Princess of China" video will premiere.

Rihanna, who is also featured in Drake's "Take Care" video, is readying her own clip for her new single "Where Have You Been." She hasn't said when the video will debut, but she posted some sexy stills from the clip to her Facebook earlier this week.

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Coldplay, Fun. On The Ropes In Musical March Madness' East Region

15 Mar 2012 06:53:09 EDT

MMM powerhouses Coheed and Cambria, Tokio Hotel seem destined to battle for East supremacy. Vote in all first-round matchups now!
By James Montgomery

MTV's third annual Musical March Madness tournament is underway, and just like previous years, the first round is shaping up to be one for the ages, with unthinkable upsets brewing and nail-biting thrillers aplenty.

Voting in our opening round runs until Sunday at midnight ET, so if your favorite band is locked in a fierce battle — Foo Fighters fans, we're looking at you — there's still time to turn the tide. And if you're out for total upset armageddon — James Durbin-ites, this is your time — vote accordingly. Either way, you can spread the word by downloading one of our custom MMM badges, or by using the hashtag #MMM on Twitter. This is, after all, your tournament.

Vote for your favorite band, discuss and share on Facebook and Twitter in the MTV Musical March Madness interactive bracket!

But with 64 bands duking it out for MMM supremacy, we realize sometimes those decisions aren't cut-and-dried ... which is why, all week long, we've been taking a look at each March Madness region (so far we've tackled the Midwest and the West), and today, we turn our attention to the erudite East, a bracket busting both bloggy faves (Arcade Fire, Radiohead, the Shins) and slightly scruffy sensitive types (Mumford & Sons, Coldplay, etc.).

It's also where two of the most successful MMM bands reside: 2010 champions Coheed and Cambria and the always dangerous Tokio Hotel, who have advanced to the Final Four and the Elite 8 in their two previous campaigns. Can anyone stand in their way? Probably not, but let's take a look at all the opening-round matchups.

#1 Mumford & Sons vs. #16 F---ed Up: It's the plaintive pluckers versus the brutal bruisers in round one, as top-seeded Mumford take on the always dangerous F---ed Up. Despite the impassioned pleas (and inspired trash-talk) of F---ed frontman Damian Abraham, Mumford have dominated this one from the get-go and appear poised to waltz on to round two.

#2 Coldplay vs. #15 Arctic Monkeys: Given Coldplay's run of MMM disappointments (they've made it out of the first round once), perhaps this one shouldn't surprise us, but, dang. Thanks to the surprisingly fervent support of their fans, it's the Arctic Monkeys who hold the lead, though their grasp on victory seems to be slipping by the hour, as Coldplay rallies to close the gap. Who advances? We think this one is headed for upset city, and we're taking the Monkeys to move on.

#3 Florence and the Machine vs. #14 Refused: Florence Welch may not be the only female to advance to round two (especially given Paramore and Evanescence's early successes), but she might be the most unlikely. The selection committee believed that reformed Swedish punks Refused would take the upset here, but given Flo's massive lead, well, perhaps we were mistaken. She's a lock to advance at this point.

#4 Muse vs. #13 Gym Class Heroes: Muse made it to the Sweet 16 last year before running into the buzzsaw that is Tokio Hotel. They're at least going to make it to the second round this year, as they hold a commanding lead over a surprisingly sleepy GCH. Still, with Tokio lurking in round two, we wouldn't hold out much hope for Muse's return trip to the land of 16. But, for one week at least, they're a lock.

Vote for your favorite band, discuss and share on Facebook and Twitter in the MTV Musical March Madness interactive bracket!

#5 Arcade Fire vs. #12 Tokio Hotel: Speaking of TH, let's just say they're looking tough, currently pasting Arcade Fire by an historic margin (at last count, more than 144,000 votes). Perhaps it would have been best for Win Butler and company to just have skipped this year's tourney altogether. Watch out for Team Kaulitz.

#6 Fun. vs. #11 Semi Precious Weapons: Now this one could be interesting. Fun. jumped out to the early lead (having a massively successful single will tend to do that), but then watched as they wilted away. Thanks to the tweeting of SPW's Justin Tranter, it's the Weapons who now hold a sizeable advantage, and it looks like they're a lock to advance. Still, there is time, and we wouldn't discount the power of the Fueled by Ramen social squad just yet (hint, hint).

#7 The Shins vs. #10 Coheed and Cambria: Uh, yeah ... this one was pretty much over from the minute the MMM bracket was unveiled, and right now, thanks to their (beyond driven) Children of the Fence, Coheed are up big. Perhaps their only challengers in this bracket are Tokio Hotel, who loom in the Elite 8. It should be a worthy sequel to their now-infamous Final Four tilt in 2010, which Coheed eked out on their way to the title.

#8 Radiohead vs. #9 Bruce Springsteen: Sort of like pitting Duke vs. North Carolina in the opening round, this one has two legendary bands battling it out. And not surprisingly, it's been one of the closest competitions of MMM, with both sides exchanging the lead. Right now, it's Radiohead by roughly 1,700 votes, though this one will certainly come down to the wire. Too close to call.

MTV's 2012 Musical March Madness Tournament is underway! Voting in the first round runs until midnight ET on Sunday, March 18, and winners are determined by fan votes, so if your favorite act made the cut, it'll be up to you to guide them to glory. You can rally the troops on Twitter using the hashtag #MMM or by downloading one of our custom badges — but get ready, it's gonna be a war.

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Rihanna Turns Grammy Stage Into A Rave, With Coldplay Assist

12 Feb 2012 22:18:08 EST

Rihanna and Coldplay perform 'Princess of China' for the first time on TV.
By John Mitchell

Sprawled out on the floor under a red light and accompanied at first by just a piano, Rihanna hit the stage at the 54th Grammy Awards for a dance-heavy take on her massive #1 hit "We Found Love."

The performance kicked off like a scene straight out of the thematically dark video for the track, with the Barbadian pop star leaning against a wall looking troubled under dark lighting with only a piano playing alongside her as she sang the track like a torch ballad. Looking gorgeous — and giving off a Tina Turner vibe — Rihanna rocked the blond locks she introduced recently, wearing a tight, belly-baring ensemble.

The laser lights, LED screens and synths kicked up soon enough, though, and Rihanna welcomed dancers to the stage and lit into a high-energy performance of the dance smash that kept with the feel of the song, devolving into a full-on rave, with the pop star front and center.

Like many other performers and presenters at the show, Rihanna took a moment to honor the late Whitney Houston, demanding the audience, "Make some noise for Whitney!"

Soon, the tempo backed down and the dancers departed, leaving Rihanna onstage with just Chris Martin strumming an acoustic guitar. The pair then started into the televised debut of their Mylo Xyloto collaboration "Princess of China."

"Her bit on our record is my favorite bit. When the song came out, it sort of asked for her to be on it," Chris Martin told MTV News of the pop princess' involvement last fall. "And I think at this point, we have nothing to lose, and so we've been trying some new things and trying to break down the perceived boundaries between different types of music."

Coldplay finished things up on an upbeat not with their song "Paradise."

Stick with MTV News all for all the Grammy red-carpet fashion, Grammy winners and Grammy news until the hangover wears off!

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Rihanna To Perform With Coldplay At Grammys

19 Jan 2012 08:08:20 EST

'We Found Love' singer will join band for 'Princess of China.'
By Gil Kaufman

Rihanna and Coldplay will perform live together for the first time on February 12 when they take the stage at the 54th annual Grammy Awards for the televised debut of their Mylo Xyloto collaboration, "Princess of China."

Rihanna, nominated for four Grammys this year, broke the news on Twitter, writing, "My friends @ColdPlay and I will be sharing the stage for a performance at this years Annual Grammy Awards!" A short time later she added, "WE reached 2BILLION views on @youtube !!! THANK U!!! I'm in a great mood, and I got some GREAT NEWS!!! PRINCESS OF CHINA #GRAMMYS2012."

The show, which will be hosted by rapper LL Cool J, will also feature a performance by rock icon Paul McCartney, who will join a lineup that already includes Grammy nominees Foo Fighters, Kelly Clarkson, Bruno Marks, Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift and Jason Aldean.

At the time Xyloto was released, Coldplay singer Chris Martin explained that the decision to invite another voice into the studio was made because of the unusual story arc of the band's Grammy-nominated album.

"Our new record is sort of a story; it's not quite a musical, but it's dangerously close. There's a bit of a love-story thread, so we really needed someone to sing even higher than me," Martin said. "[It's] hard, but very possible. You need to be a female really. For all [drummer] Will [Champion]'s good intentions, he [can't do it] ...

"... So, in like a dream scenario, we had a song that I'd secretly kind of written to see if Rihanna would want to sing it," Martin continued. "And then the rest of the band wanted to keep it, so we came up with the idea of asking her to sing it with us, and, to our great surprise, she said OK."

More Grammy performers and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks.

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Coldplay Announce 2012 North American Tour

08 Dec 2011 08:38:07 EST

Band will kick off Mylo Xyloto tour on April 17.
By Gil Kaufman

They've teased us all year with spot festival dates, but beginning April 17 Coldplay will launch their first proper North American tour in three years when they hit the stage in Edmonton, Alberta to promote their latest, Mylo Xyloto.

With three Grammy nominations under their belt -- two for "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" and one for "Paradise" -- the band will be on the road from April through August in the U.S. and Canada, currently slated to wrap things up at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota on August 11.

Before they pack up their road cases, they will drop the third single from the album, "Charlie Brown," which goes to radio later this month. They will also appear on the first-ever 90-minute episode of the world's longest-running live music TV series, "Austin City Limits".  They'll ring in the new year on the program, which will air on PBS station nationwide on December 31 beginning at 11 p.m. "Coldplay New Year's Eve: An Austin City Limits Special" can also be viewed on demand on www.pbs.org starting at 11 p.m. ET that evening.

If you didn't get a chance to catch any of Coldplay's festival appearances earlier this year, singer Chris Martin promises that the new Xyloto songs will fit in with their soaring catalog, but might also feel a bit ... different. "It's definitely a schizophrenic album ... it keeps changing sounds," he told MTV News. "That's why we called it such a strange thing, Mylo Xyloto. Because we felt like so many people have already made up their minds about us, both good and bad, that we can sort of start again from scratch and try and reflect all the music we listen to and we love."

And while you may not see album guest Rihanna hop up on stage with the band during the outing to sing "Princess of China" , there's a shot you might see them do their take on her current hit, "We Found Love," which they covered on BBC Radio 1  recently.

Dates for Coldplay Mylo Xyloto North American tour:
April 17 - Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
April 18 - Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome
April 20 - Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
April 24 - Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena
April 25 - Seattle, WA @ KeyArena
April 27 - San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion At San Jose
May 1 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl
May 2 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl
June 22 - Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
June 25 - Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
June 28 - Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum
June 29 - Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena
July 2 - Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
July 5 - Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
July 8 - Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
July 23 - Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
July 26 - Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
July 29 - Boston, MA @ TD Garden
August 3 - East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center
August 7 - Chicago, IL @ United Center
August 11 - St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center

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Justin Bieber's Under The Mistletoe Debuts At #1

09 Nov 2011 12:04:33 EST

Rapper Wale comes in at #2 with Ambition.
By Gil Kaufman

It's going to be a very Justin Christmas. As predicted, Justin Bieber will land his second #1 album in a row next week when his holiday disc, Under the Mistletoe, nabs the top spot on the Billboard 200.

And though in recent days he's been facing ongoing questions about the paternity suit filed against him by a 20-year-old woman, Bieber has been promoting Mistletoe hard, which appears to have paid off with sales of 210,000 in its first week. That was more than enough to hold off the second effort from rapper Wale, Ambition, which will come in at #2 (164,000), according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan.

Country singer Miranda Lambert is at #3 with Four the Record (133,000), edging out former "Britain's Got Talent" star Susan Boyle, whose second effort, Someone to Watch Over Me, scores a #4 bow thanks to 132,000 units moved. English act Florence and the Machine make it into the top 10 at #6 with Ceremonials (105,000), while singer/actor Tyrese sneaks in at #9 with Open Invitation (76,000).

The rest of the top 10: Adele holds strong at #5 (108,000), Coldplay fall six spots in week two to #7 as Mylo Xyloto sales dropped 77 percent to 104,000, Michael Bublé moved another 89,000 copies of Christmas (#8) and Kelly Clarkson falls eight spots to #10 in her second week with Stronger, which slipped 69 percent on sales of 51,000.

Just outside the top 10, long-running metal act Megadeth come in at #11 with Th1rt3en (42,000), teen singer Jackie Evancho is at #16 with Heavenly Christmas (27,000) and Blink-182 offshoot Angels & Airwaves sneak in at #30 with Love, Part Two (16,000). Further down the line, a remastered version of U2's Achtung Baby lands at #35 (13,000), just barely ahead of the much-derided Lou Reed and Metallica album, Lulu (#36, 13,000).

Over on the iTunes charts, Wale wins the digital-album sales war, taking the #1 position over Bieber, with Florence and the Machine, Coldplay, Lambert and Adele coming in behind. Rounding out the albums list are Angels & Airwaves, Bublé, Tyrese and Clarkson.

Rihanna lords over the iTunes singles chart with "We Found Love," followed by LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It," Adele's "Someone Like You," Flo Rida's "Good Feeling," David Guetta's "Without You" and Foster the People's "Pumped Up Kicks." Maroon 5's summer smash, "Moves Like Jagger," holds on at #7, beating out T-Pain's "5 O'Clock," Gym Class Heroes' "Stereo Hearts" and Bruno Mars' "It Will Rain."

We will see how strong Mac Miller's pull is next week when his major-label debut, Blue Slide Park, hits the charts, along with the Now 40 collection and the "Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" soundtrack.

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Kelly Clarkson Thinks Coldplay Competition Is 'Healthy'

02 Nov 2011 15:36:46 EDT

'People were like, 'Oh my God, are you kidding? Coldplay is going to kill you!' Stronger singer tells MTV News of Billboard face-off.
By Christina Garibaldi

Kelly Clarkson's fifth studio album, Stronger, landed her at the #2 spot on the Billboard album chart, selling 163,000 copies in its first week.

While her first-week sales may have been softer than what Clarkson had hoped for, when the former "American Idol" winner sat down with MTV News on Friday, she acknowledged that she had some fierce release competition in Coldplay. But she had a refreshingly positive take on the matchup.

"My album came out this week, Coldplay came out at the same time, and people were like, 'Oh my God, are you kidding? Coldplay is going to kill you!' I don't care if they kill me," Clarkson said of the rock band, whose Mylo Xyloto topped the charts with 447,000 copies sold. "It's more like, how many people are going to buy their album, and then my album is right there, 'cause it's out too," she said. "I always think competition is healthy." Clarkson, who told us she thinks Stronger is her "best album" to date, is now prepping the second single off the LP, "What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)." "I think we might be going with 'Stronger,' the title track." Clarkson revealed. "It's just a great song, so I think we might go with that one."

Much like the first single off the album, "Mr. Know It All," "What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)" is a powerful breakup anthem somewhat reminiscent of "Since U Been Gone."

" 'What Doesn't Kill You,' I can't wait to perform that live," the singer, who plans to tour in January, told us recently. "We've already rehearsed it, and it's so much fun. It's like this big dance anthem."

As much fun as "What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)" will be to perform, Clarkson says another song takes the top spot on her list of favorite songs off her latest album.

" 'You Love Me,' that's my favorite," she said. "Even before I wrote a song to it, the track is just unbelievably cool. It doesn't sound like anything else that's out right now. It's very like Prince, Tina Turner, but nowadays; it's more contemporary. And the message of the song, too, I love that, the fact that saying like, 'Your love feels like a punch in the face.' I just think it's a fun song."

Share your review of Stronger in the comments!

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Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto Tops Billboard

02 Nov 2011 11:34:21 EDT

Kelly Clarkson's Stronger comes in at a distant #2.
By Gil Kaufman

Coldplay can be as self-deprecating as they want, but the fact remains that they are one of the biggest rock bands in the world. They proved it when their fifth album, Mylo Xyloto, moved more than 447,000 copies in its first week on the charts, according to Nielsen SoundScan, notching the third-highest Billboard 200 debut of 2011 behind Lady Gaga and Lil Wayne. In a testament to their chart prowess, in addition to snagging their third consecutive #1 debut, the band's previous four albums are back on the charts as well, down in the mid-50s and 60s.

The group has referred to Mylo Xyloto — which features a cameo from Rihanna on "Princess of China" — as "schizophrenic" thanks to the wide range of sounds it explores.

Coldplay's first-week showing was more than enough to keep Kelly Clarkson from hitting the top of the charts in the debut week of her latest album, Stronger, which is a distant #2 on sales of 163,000.

Clarkson is back doing what she does best on the disc: writing awesomely powerful pop breakup anthems like "Mr. Know It All." She told MTV News that she particularly likes that "feisty" single, since it is so "in your face."

Crooner Michael Bublé is right behind at #3 with Christmas (141,000), with country rabble-rouser Toby Keith landing at #5 with Clancy's Tavern (69,000) and grave-voiced troubadour Tom Waits close on his heels at #6 with Bad as Me (63,000).

The rest of the top 10: Adele, 21 (#4, 107,000), Scotty McCreery, Clear as Day (#7, 42,000), Lady Antebellum, Own the Night (#8, 31,000), Tony Bennett, Duets II (#9, 31,000) and Casting Crowns, Come to the Well (#10, 30,000).

Though actress/singer Zooey Deschanel may have a blue Christmas on the heels of her split from husband Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, she can take some solace that her holiday album with side project She & Him, A Very She & Him Christmas, lands at #12 on sales of 29,000.

It was a rougher week for Evanescence, whose self-titled third album fell hard in its third week, losing 45 percent from the previous cycle as it drops nine spots to #13 on sales of 22,000.

Boyz II Men make a comeback to the charts, landing at #20 with, appropriately enough, Twenty (18,000), while the week's most drastic plunge comes from alt rock veterans Jane's Addiction, whose The Great Escape Artist shed 74 percent of its first-week business, and 55 chart spots, to land at #67 (6,000).

The top should get a reshuffle again next week when Justin Bieber's Under the Mistletoe debuts, alongside the second album from former reality show star Susan Boyle and albums from Miranda Lambert, Florence and the Machine, Wale and Lou Reed and Metallica's controversial hookup, Lulu.

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Coldplay Cover Rihanna's 'We Found Love'

28 Oct 2011 12:22:48 EDT

'I can't wait to hear it,' Rihanna tweets of version band performed on BBC Radio 1.
By Jocelyn Vena

Coldplay's love affair with Rihanna continued this week when the band stopped by BBC Radio 1 on Thursday. The Brits put their moody spin on "We Found Love," the pop star's Calvin Harris-produced track.

Their version, which was performed on the radio station's Live Lounge series, mirrors the melancholy lyrics of the song, about wanting to be with someone despite knowing that it's all going to end anyway. Lead singer Chris Martin's haunting vocals and the band's acoustic rendition, using drums, piano and guitar, play up the sadness of the track.

The performance was a nearly flawless interpretation of the song, minus a hiccup at the very beginning. As an alarm sounded, Martin giggled a bit delivering the first few lines.

If you're wondering what Rihanna thinks of it, you're going to have to wait a little bit longer. In the midst of putting the finishing touches on her own album, she hadn't yet heard the Coldplay cover. "I can't wait to watch/hear it RT @Sean_Hansen: Not a big fan of cover songs but @coldplay's version of @rihanna's WFL is just superb!" she responded after a fan tweeted about the song.

BuzzWorthy: Why We'd Love To See A Video For The Cover

Rihanna appears on Coldplay's just-released album, Mylo Xyloto, on the heartbreaking track "Princess of China."

"Her bit on our record is my favorite bit. ... When the song came out, it sort of asked for her to be on it. And I think at this point, we have nothing to lose, and so we've been trying some new things and trying to break down the perceived boundaries between different types of music," Martin explained to MTV News. "Because from where we're sitting, it seems like you can try and sound any way you like nowadays. You don't have to be in a rock box or a hip-hop box or a pop box, and I think it's fun when you embrace that idea."

"We Found Love" is the house-heavy lead single off Rihanna's Talk That Talk album, which drops November 21. Its video, directed by Melina Matsoukas, is in keeping with the album's tone, according to Matsoukas herself.

"I think it sets up definitely the imagery for the album and it's in line with what they're doing," she told MTV News shortly after the video dropped. "So that's good, and I'm sure there's plenty more, hopefully. I'm not sure, but [we'll see]. She called me after, and she loves it and I love it."

What do you think of Coldplay's "We Found Love" cover? Tell us in the comments!

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