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A Sky Full of Stars

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"A Sky Full of Stars"
Song

"A Sky Full of Stars" is a song recorded by British alternative rock band Coldplay for their sixth studio album, Ghost Stories (2014). It was written and produced by band members Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, Chris Martin, with production assistance from Paul Epworth, Daniel Green, and Rik Simpson, and co-production and additional writing by Tim Bergling. The song was released on 2 May 2014, as the third single from Ghost Stories.

Composition

"A Sky Full of Stars" marks the band's first dance in a alternative rock track, being outlined as an EDM track with house influences.[2][3] A piano-centric song, the track opens as a piano ballad, with progressive house-influenced electronic music that plays out in between verses. The track has been described as "[falling] in line with the synth-heavy soundscapes of 'Midnight', but with more danceable flavor".[4]

Recording

Swedish record producer Avicii was invited by the band to produce "A Sky Full of Stars".

"A Sky Full of Stars" was recorded during the sessions for the band's sixth studio album, at their purpose-built studios The Bakery and The Beehive in North London, England. The studios were both originally constructed for work on their two previous studio albums, 2008's Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends and 2011's Mylo Xyloto. Swedish record producer Avicii was invited by the band to collaborate on "A Sky Full of Stars". In addition to producing the track, he was also asked by lead singer Chris Martin to play and record the piano, however, Martin later stated in a BBC Radio 1 interview with Zane Lowe that he felt that he had "cheated" on the band by asking Avicii to play the piano instead of him.[5]

Release

On 2 May 2014, "A Sky Full of Stars" was released early through Ghost Stories on the iTunes Store worldwide,[6] and on Spotify.[7] On 5 May 2014, the single was released on Google Play store in Australia.[8]

Packaging

The single art for "A Sky Full of Stars" was etched by UK-based, Czech etching artist Mila Fürstová.[6][9] The artwork continues the motif of artworks in the Ghost Stories album cycle, which feature a scene occurring in a larger, enclosed body. Multiple figures such as angels with wings like of the Ghost Stories artwork, buildings such as a church, and objects such as a maze and a chair, also alluding to those in the Ghost Stories artwork, are depicted encased in a three-dimensional star chart. The artwork is reminiscent of Fürstová's earlier work, Other Skies, which also features various figures, buildings and objects imposed onto a star map.[10]

Reception

Critical reception

"A Sky Full of Stars" was met with positive reception upon its release. Carl Williott of Idolator gave the track a positive review, stating that "Quite honestly it sounds more like a Zedd or Avicii offering than a Coldplay one, and it’s certainly the loudest and most joyful cut we’ve heard from the album so far".[11] Melinda Newman of HitFix had similar thoughts, calling the song "the most commercial and dance-y track so far" from the album.[12] Chris De Ville of Stereogum gave "A Sky Full of Stars" an overwhelmingly positive comment, stating that the song is "the most energetic and classically Coldplay song we’ve heard from the album so far".[13] Chris Martins of Spin magazine also commented positively, writing that "The big-tent EDM offering is pretty satisfying in all of the ways that those things are".[14] Consequence of Sound's wrote the song "starts off as a heartfelt piano ballad before flourishes of pounding electronics take over the chorus" and noted that it "falls in line with the synth-heavy soundscapes of 'Midnight', but with more danceable flavor."[15] Zane Lowe of BBC Radio 1 named the track his 'Hottest Record' for 29 April 2014.[16] However, a negative review came from Carolyn Menyes of Music Times who criticized the song for "lack[ing] a personality or heart, something that the best Coldplay songs are chock full of."[17] Josh Modell of The A.V. Club panned it as a "blatantly pandering, album-interrupting, mood-fucking-up [track] which is destined to be a hit and also instantly dated."[18]

Commercial performance

Within 24 hours from its iTunes release, the track had sold 121,690 units worldwide,[19] peaking at number one in 86 countries on the iTunes Store Charts.[20] In New Zealand, the song debuted at number two on the New Zealand Singles Chart,[21] becoming the band's highest-charting single to date and their fifth top-ten single in the country.[22] On the issue dated May 31, 2014, the song reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100, making it their third top 10 hit and first since "Viva la Vida" in 2008.[23] It also became their first number-one single on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart.

Music video

File:A Sky Full of Stars - official music video (Sidney)- 2014-06-20 11-01.jpg
Screenshot of the video

The official music video was directed by Mat Whitecross and the shooting took place in Sydney on 17 June 2014. It was released on 19 June. At the beginning of the video, Coldplay's lead singer, Chris Martin, walks through Sydney's streets dressed as a one-man band, singing the first verse of the song. Then he reach the other members of the band (also dressed as one-man band) and, together, they play the instrumental refrain. Martin, is then seen walking through the street, without the other members, while he sing the second verse. At the end of the video the band reunites in a square, singing and playing the final part of the song with a crowd of fans. While Martin is singing the final part, a lot of paper made stars are blown in the square.

Live performances

"A Sky Full of Stars" was first played in closed-audience performances. The band, when performing the song before the release of the "A Sky Full of Stars" single, would routinely ask the audience not to record their performance of the song, in an attempt to prevent the song from leaking ahead of its release. Despite their intentions, the song was leaked after their performance of the song during the opening night of their Ghost Stories Promotional Tour at E-Werk in Cologne, Germany on 25 April 2014.[24][better source needed] The song was premiered live on the 29 April 2014 airing of BBC Two music television show Later... with Jools Holland.[25] The band then performed the song on Saturday Night Live on 3 May 2014. The band also performed the song on the Graham Norton Show, in the UK, on 30 May 2014.[26]

Personnel

Adapted from Ghost Stories liner notes.[27]

Charts and certifications

Release history

Country Date Format Label
Belgium[65] 2 May 2014 Digital download Warner
Canada[66]
France[67]
Germany[68]
Ireland[69] Parlophone
Luxembourg[70] Warner
Netherlands[71]
New Zealand[72]
United Kingdom[73] Parlophone
United States[74] Atlantic
Spain[75] Warner
Switzerland[76]
United States[77][78] 27 May 2014 Triple A radio Atlantic
5 June 2014 Contemporary hit radio

References

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  3. ^ Bertok, Nina (19 May 2014). "Coldplay – Ghost Stories". musicOMH. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  4. ^ Terry, Josh. "Listen: Coldplay's new song "A Sky Full Of Stars", produced by Avicii". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
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  6. ^ a b "A Sky Full Of Stars available to download". Coldplay.com. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
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  12. ^ Newman, Melinda (29 April 2014). "Coldplay reveals new song, 'A Sky Full of Stars,' and love for One Direction". HitFix. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  13. ^ De Ville, Chris. "Coldplay – "A Sky Full Of Stars"". Stereogum. Spin Media. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
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