Coldplay are officially boring, according to researchers, with their new songs sounding like their old ones
Researchers reckon the band's sound has changed little over their 28 years, having become less 'harmonically daring'.
It's given music experts more ammunition to suggest that Coldplay's new songs sound a lot like their old ones.
Durham University boffins compared the band's catalogue of songs with REM,
Radiohead
,
Buddy Holly
,
Kirsty MacColl
and Patsy Cline.
They analysed variety and how songs differed over time, including rhythm, tempo, percussion, keys and chords.
It was found that while REM were the least adventurous, Coldplay had become staid as their fame grew.
Radiohead's albums contained more variety.
'Coldplay shows a downwards trend in their harmonic daring as they increasingly become part of the pop mainstream,' Professor Nick Collins wrote in journal Royal Society Open Science.
'Radiohead maintain a high diversity of harmonic language, while their timbral‐rhythmic variety also falls off a little.'
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin has admitted in the past that the band — which also includes Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion — are 'very easy targets' with it having become a running joke that they're 'vanilla'.
One hardly believes that the criticism, whether warranted or not, worries the band too much!
Having formed in the UK in 1997, Coldplay have become one of the world's most successful band's of all time, selling more than 100 million albums and still playing to sold out concerts and topping charts across the globe.
In November 2023, they played two packed out concerts at Optus Stadium in Perth as part of their Music of the Spheres world tour.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
4 days ago
- News.com.au
Lawyer reveals legal reality of Coldplay kiss cam
You'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't know about the Coldplay kiss cam scandal. For anyone who has been living under a rock, British band Coldplay was playing in Boston, Massachusetts, last month when Chris Martin launched the show's kiss cam. On large screens around the venue, a canoodling couple sprung apart, horrified to discover that they had been caught. It has since emerged that married Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and the tech firm's chief people officer, Kristin Cabot, were the people in the video. For the best lifestyle coverage in Australia — download the app direct to your phone. In the last few weeks, it has become one of the most viral moments of 2025. To date, the original video – posted by fellow concertgoer Grace Springer – has been viewed more than 129 million times, with thousands of reshares also clocking up staggeringly high figures. But while many were quick to speculate about epic custody battles and divorce settlements, a divorce lawyer has revealed the reality of the fallout wouldn't nearly be so dramatic. 'People often assume cheating automatically impacts the outcome of a divorce, especially emotionally charged cases like this,' family lawyer Richard Sullivan explained to The Blast. 'But California is a no-fault divorce state. 'That means the court doesn't care who cheated or why the marriage ended. 'Infidelity may be morally outrageous, but it doesn't change the financial outcome.' Mr Sullivan also dismissed speculation that Andy Bryon's wife, Megan Kerrigan, would be automatically given custody rights over their two children. In the eyes of California law, custody is foremost determined with the child's access to safety and consistently in consideration. Adultery is not a considering factor unless it directly endangers the child. 'Bad judgement during a concert isn't enough to label someone an unfit parent,' Sullivan said. 'Public embarrassment is painful, but family court is about structure and stability.' However, Mr Bryon is not totally without consequence, having resigned from his job as the firm's CEO. 'Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met,' a rep for the tech company said on Saturday. 'Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted. The Board will begin a search for our next Chief Executive as Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO.' Kristin Cabot has also stepped down as the HR chief at Astronomer, a job she held for less than a year. 'I can confirm that Kristin Cabot is no longer with Astronomer, she has resigned,' a spokesperson for the company told Page Six. Following the incident, Mr Bryon's wife Megan updated her Facebook profile surname from Bryon to Kerrigan. Social media users were also quick to notice that family photos were also removed from her account, before it was deleted entirely.
The Age
30-07-2025
- The Age
Cutting through the Goop: What Gwyneth Paltrow's bio reveals
Amy Odell has collected enough Gwyneth Paltrow relics to open a private museum – or a shrine, depending on how you feel about jade eggs. 'I have all my Gwyneth stuff all around me in my office. Like, I have this …' the biographer says, brandishing a magazine spread with a wry smile, the kind that says: Yes, this actually happened. In the pages of Talk from the early 2000s, Paltrow's unmistakably serene face is photoshopped onto the body of a larger woman clad in black lingerie, posed just so. The stunt was part of the publicity blitz for Shallow Hal, that slapstick comedy which saw Paltrow declare 'every pretty girl' should be forced to try on a fat suit – all in the name of teaching Jack Black a lesson about inner beauty. Looking back, it's one of those moments that makes you pause and wonder: What was she thinking? But then, so many moments in Paltrow's career invite the same double-take. In Odell's new, already-headline-grabbing biography Gwyneth, each one slots into the larger puzzle of Brand Paltrow: the teary Oscar for Shakespeare in Love; the Hollywood boyfriends and headline splits; the jade yoni egg that launched a thousand think pieces (and a lawsuit); the ski trial 'I Wish You Well' sign-off that launched a thousand memes; and her latest role as 'temporary spokesperson' for tech company Astronomer after the Coldplay kiss-cam saga. Paltrow's quotes alone read like high satire: I would rather smoke crack than eat cheese from a can. Or: I can't pretend to be someone who makes $25,000 a year. The daughter of Hollywood royalty – Bruce Paltrow, the TV powerhouse and Blythe Danner, the Broadway darling – Paltrow had Spielberg in her corner as godparent and Madonna writing her notes urging her not to smoke. Odell traces the arc: from privileged upbringing to the big hits (The Talented Mr Ripley, Sliding Doors) and bigger flops (Duets, View From The Top); Paltrow's courageous involvement in denouncing the man pivotal in building her early career, Harvey Weinstein; motherhood and two marriages (one 'uncoupling'); and how she turned the mess of modern fame into an empire that taught every star how to monetise their name – one candle (not fit to print here) at a time. 'I was interested in Gwyneth because, love her or hate her, she has been in the public eye for 30 years, which in itself is extraordinary,' Odell says. 'And she is fascinating to a lot of people. She's also super polarising to a lot of people. And she's someone who, it seems like countless articles have been written about her, but I came to see that those barely scratched the surface of who she really is. She's a complicated person.' Around Odell is an archive of Paltrow-abilia that has helped her prise apart the contradictions of the modern celebrity goddess: vintage profiles, issues of Goop's short-lived print magazine, even Paltrow's high school yearbook, where she signs off to her privileged classmates with breezy words taken from the 1989 movie Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure: 'Be excellent to each other and party on, dudes.' It's become part of the decor, Odell jokes, something Paltrow would probably abhor, given her luxury, minimalist aesthetic. Overlooking Odell's latest project from the bookshelves is the last one, Anna, her 2022 biography of Anna Wintour, the famously inscrutable Vogue editor. Wintour provided access to friends, colleagues and family willingly. Paltrow was trickier prey. Odell went back and forth with her team, hoping for co-operation from those close to Paltrow. While they originally agreed, Odell found herself stonewalled when she reached out to Paltrow's circle. Communication flickered on and off. It wasn't until the book was nearly finished that the final 'no' – including to a one-on-one with Paltrow – arrived. 'I don't think it's ever easy to do a book like this,' Odell says. 'But I'm persistent. If someone says no, I'm not afraid to call them back in a year and say, 'Hey, I'm finishing up…' And often, they'll talk.' The biography is full of delicious morsels for the internet to dine on: Paltrow has a parking spot at Goop HQ nicknamed the G-Spot. She enjoyed 'teabagging' during her short-lived relationship with Ben Affleck, and described ex-Brad Pitt as 'dumber than a sack of shit'. Jay-Z gave her music advice when she was considering making an album (fingers crossed!). She once encouraged Goop staff to clean up after themselves, posting in the Slack channel that 'someone tinkled' on an office toilet seat. Paltrow comes across as smart and sassy, completely out of touch yet shrewdly canny and naturally talented – a whirlwind of contradictions wrapped in a luxe cashmere sweater. 'She can be cold, she can be icy, she can be aloof. People compared her to Anna Wintour,' Odell says. 'But that said, she can also be incredibly charismatic and warm. If she wants to make you feel like you're her best friend, she's very good at it.' Odell's favourite gem after excavating Paltrow's public and private trail for three years, including conducting 220 interviews? Paltrow's late father, Bruce, liked the finer things and insisted on flying first class. Her mother, Blythe, was more frugal and often booked economy. This, Odell discovered, infuriated young Gwyneth, who once whinged: 'You mean we're not flying first class? We're flying no class?' But for all the tabloid-ready trivia, Odell is more interested in the big picture: what Paltrow means for the $6 trillion Big Wellness industry she helped create. Before it became par for the course – think Hailey Bieber's Rhode, Scarlett Johansson's Outset, or Jessica Alba's Honest Company – Paltrow realised that she could use her image to promote her brand instead of someone else's. She seems scrupulous about her own health, but just as ruthless about turning that obsession into profit. Goop launched in September 2008, first as a weekly email newsletter before expanding to include publishing, production, skincare, health, fashion, events and travel businesses, all carefully curating an idea of modern womanhood and wellness. 'She was the original influencer. She was monetising her influence. She was one of the first people, I think, in the public eye to do that,' Odell says. 'She's just really good at sort of playing on public perception of her. She tells personal stories to promote and sell the products.' It's easy to mock the pseudoscience and extravagance (Odell skipped the $700 signature cardigan, but tested the moisturiser and scalp scrub), but there's a much darker side too: the link between Goop's brand of 'wellness' and the growing distrust of Western medicine and scientific evidence. This is a company that once claimed women should steam their vaginas, promoted 'Body Vibes' stickers said to heal anxiety because they were 'made with the same conductive carbon material NASA uses' and claimed wearing a bra might cause breast cancer despite zero scientific basis. 'I think she did two things for the wellness industry that were really important,' Odell says. 'One, she gave it a rhetoric and a language. And we see similar rhetoric of Robert F. Kennedy Jr in the US talking about things like toxins, getting toxins out of our food, our bodies, our living spaces and our beauty products through clean eating, clean living, clean beauty. The other thing she did for wellness, that I think was really impactful, is she gave it a beautiful aesthetic.' Odell admits she's got the usual nerves on the eve of publication. She has no idea if Paltrow will flip through the pages over a cup of detox tea, but she doesn't see herself as going toe-to-toe with an institution. 'I think there are a lot of stories in the book that she'll be pleased with. There might be some that she's less pleased with,' she says. 'I think it takes some guts to write a biography in general. But no, I don't feel like I'm going up against somebody. That's not the idea. The idea is to start a conversation about a really interesting, impactful person.' Loading Odell's never met Paltrow, but if she did in the future have a chance to sit down with Paltrow, she'd start with the obvious: 'Why drink raw milk?' She's curious if Paltrow ever worries about the harm of putting out questionable health claims, of doubting doctors and scientists. 'And I would also like to know, what is her ambition? This is assuming she would tell me honest answers. I asked so many people what drives her, what motivates her, and that was a hard question for them to answer,' she says. For now, Paltrow isn't answering – but the empire rolls on. She's filming again (most recently kissing Timothée Chalamet on the movie set of Marty Supreme, in her first leading role since 2019). Goop's future is somewhat hazier: it's privately owned, but there were multiple rounds of lay-offs last year, and talk of a sale comes and goes. Next up for Odell? A break. 'I put a lot into the book, and I'm looking forward to being with my family. You know, I'm going to clean up my office and put all this shit into a box,' she says. And let's be honest, the Gwyneth Paltrow museum seems like it won't run out of curiosities anytime soon.
Sydney Morning Herald
30-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Cutting through the Goop: What Gwyneth Paltrow's bio reveals
Amy Odell has collected enough Gwyneth Paltrow relics to open a private museum – or a shrine, depending on how you feel about jade eggs. 'I have all my Gwyneth stuff all around me in my office. Like, I have this …' the biographer says, brandishing a magazine spread with a wry smile, the kind that says: Yes, this actually happened. In the pages of Talk from the early 2000s, Paltrow's unmistakably serene face is photoshopped onto the body of a larger woman clad in black lingerie, posed just so. The stunt was part of the publicity blitz for Shallow Hal, that slapstick comedy which saw Paltrow declare 'every pretty girl' should be forced to try on a fat suit – all in the name of teaching Jack Black a lesson about inner beauty. Looking back, it's one of those moments that makes you pause and wonder: What was she thinking? But then, so many moments in Paltrow's career invite the same double-take. In Odell's new, already-headline-grabbing biography Gwyneth, each one slots into the larger puzzle of Brand Paltrow: the teary Oscar for Shakespeare in Love; the Hollywood boyfriends and headline splits; the jade yoni egg that launched a thousand think pieces (and a lawsuit); the ski trial 'I Wish You Well' sign-off that launched a thousand memes; and her latest role as 'temporary spokesperson' for tech company Astronomer after the Coldplay kiss-cam saga. Paltrow's quotes alone read like high satire: I would rather smoke crack than eat cheese from a can. Or: I can't pretend to be someone who makes $25,000 a year. The daughter of Hollywood royalty – Bruce Paltrow, the TV powerhouse and Blythe Danner, the Broadway darling – Paltrow had Spielberg in her corner as godparent and Madonna writing her notes urging her not to smoke. Odell traces the arc: from privileged upbringing to the big hits (The Talented Mr Ripley, Sliding Doors) and bigger flops (Duets, View From The Top); Paltrow's courageous involvement in denouncing the man pivotal in building her early career, Harvey Weinstein; motherhood and two marriages (one 'uncoupling'); and how she turned the mess of modern fame into an empire that taught every star how to monetise their name – one candle (not fit to print here) at a time. 'I was interested in Gwyneth because, love her or hate her, she has been in the public eye for 30 years, which in itself is extraordinary,' Odell says. 'And she is fascinating to a lot of people. She's also super polarising to a lot of people. And she's someone who, it seems like countless articles have been written about her, but I came to see that those barely scratched the surface of who she really is. She's a complicated person.' Around Odell is an archive of Paltrow-abilia that has helped her prise apart the contradictions of the modern celebrity goddess: vintage profiles, issues of Goop's short-lived print magazine, even Paltrow's high school yearbook, where she signs off to her privileged classmates with breezy words taken from the 1989 movie Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure: 'Be excellent to each other and party on, dudes.' It's become part of the decor, Odell jokes, something Paltrow would probably abhor, given her luxury, minimalist aesthetic. Overlooking Odell's latest project from the bookshelves is the last one, Anna, her 2022 biography of Anna Wintour, the famously inscrutable Vogue editor. Wintour provided access to friends, colleagues and family willingly. Paltrow was trickier prey. Odell went back and forth with her team, hoping for co-operation from those close to Paltrow. While they originally agreed, Odell found herself stonewalled when she reached out to Paltrow's circle. Communication flickered on and off. It wasn't until the book was nearly finished that the final 'no' – including to a one-on-one with Paltrow – arrived. 'I don't think it's ever easy to do a book like this,' Odell says. 'But I'm persistent. If someone says no, I'm not afraid to call them back in a year and say, 'Hey, I'm finishing up…' And often, they'll talk.' The biography is full of delicious morsels for the internet to dine on: Paltrow has a parking spot at Goop HQ nicknamed the G-Spot. She enjoyed 'teabagging' during her short-lived relationship with Ben Affleck, and described ex-Brad Pitt as 'dumber than a sack of shit'. Jay-Z gave her music advice when she was considering making an album (fingers crossed!). She once encouraged Goop staff to clean up after themselves, posting in the Slack channel that 'someone tinkled' on an office toilet seat. Paltrow comes across as smart and sassy, completely out of touch yet shrewdly canny and naturally talented – a whirlwind of contradictions wrapped in a luxe cashmere sweater. 'She can be cold, she can be icy, she can be aloof. People compared her to Anna Wintour,' Odell says. 'But that said, she can also be incredibly charismatic and warm. If she wants to make you feel like you're her best friend, she's very good at it.' Odell's favourite gem after excavating Paltrow's public and private trail for three years, including conducting 220 interviews? Paltrow's late father, Bruce, liked the finer things and insisted on flying first class. Her mother, Blythe, was more frugal and often booked economy. This, Odell discovered, infuriated young Gwyneth, who once whinged: 'You mean we're not flying first class? We're flying no class?' But for all the tabloid-ready trivia, Odell is more interested in the big picture: what Paltrow means for the $6 trillion Big Wellness industry she helped create. Before it became par for the course – think Hailey Bieber's Rhode, Scarlett Johansson's Outset, or Jessica Alba's Honest Company – Paltrow realised that she could use her image to promote her brand instead of someone else's. She seems scrupulous about her own health, but just as ruthless about turning that obsession into profit. Goop launched in September 2008, first as a weekly email newsletter before expanding to include publishing, production, skincare, health, fashion, events and travel businesses, all carefully curating an idea of modern womanhood and wellness. 'She was the original influencer. She was monetising her influence. She was one of the first people, I think, in the public eye to do that,' Odell says. 'She's just really good at sort of playing on public perception of her. She tells personal stories to promote and sell the products.' It's easy to mock the pseudoscience and extravagance (Odell skipped the $700 signature cardigan, but tested the moisturiser and scalp scrub), but there's a much darker side too: the link between Goop's brand of 'wellness' and the growing distrust of Western medicine and scientific evidence. This is a company that once claimed women should steam their vaginas, promoted 'Body Vibes' stickers said to heal anxiety because they were 'made with the same conductive carbon material NASA uses' and claimed wearing a bra might cause breast cancer despite zero scientific basis. 'I think she did two things for the wellness industry that were really important,' Odell says. 'One, she gave it a rhetoric and a language. And we see similar rhetoric of Robert F. Kennedy Jr in the US talking about things like toxins, getting toxins out of our food, our bodies, our living spaces and our beauty products through clean eating, clean living, clean beauty. The other thing she did for wellness, that I think was really impactful, is she gave it a beautiful aesthetic.' Odell admits she's got the usual nerves on the eve of publication. She has no idea if Paltrow will flip through the pages over a cup of detox tea, but she doesn't see herself as going toe-to-toe with an institution. 'I think there are a lot of stories in the book that she'll be pleased with. There might be some that she's less pleased with,' she says. 'I think it takes some guts to write a biography in general. But no, I don't feel like I'm going up against somebody. That's not the idea. The idea is to start a conversation about a really interesting, impactful person.' Loading Odell's never met Paltrow, but if she did in the future have a chance to sit down with Paltrow, she'd start with the obvious: 'Why drink raw milk?' She's curious if Paltrow ever worries about the harm of putting out questionable health claims, of doubting doctors and scientists. 'And I would also like to know, what is her ambition? This is assuming she would tell me honest answers. I asked so many people what drives her, what motivates her, and that was a hard question for them to answer,' she says. For now, Paltrow isn't answering – but the empire rolls on. She's filming again (most recently kissing Timothée Chalamet on the movie set of Marty Supreme, in her first leading role since 2019). Goop's future is somewhat hazier: it's privately owned, but there were multiple rounds of lay-offs last year, and talk of a sale comes and goes. Next up for Odell? A break. 'I put a lot into the book, and I'm looking forward to being with my family. You know, I'm going to clean up my office and put all this shit into a box,' she says. And let's be honest, the Gwyneth Paltrow museum seems like it won't run out of curiosities anytime soon.
