Pop Perspective: Coldplay’s “Adventure Of A Lifetime” Reviewed And Rated By All Four Idolator Editors
At Idolator, the editors share a passion for high-quality pop. Occasionally, our tastes align. Other times, not so much! So, in the spirit of debate, we’ve developed a recurring feature called Pop Perspective. Basically, all four of us dissect a particularly noteworthy pop event, and give it a rating out of 10.
That way you’re getting a full spectrum of views and we can all vent. (It’s cheaper than therapy!) The latest pop event to be dragged under the Idolator microscope is Coldplay’s disco-tinged single “Adventure Of A Lifetime,” which is already sitting at number five on iTunes. Is the Stargate-produced toe-tapper worthy of the iconic band or does it fall a little flat? See our thoughts below.
Robbie Daw — 8/10
I’m getting a perverse thrill out of Coldplay working with the producers of that other great Samantha Mumba song, “Always Come Back To Your Love,” on their new album. Yes, Stargate helped Coldplay whip themselves out of the doom and gloom of last LP Ghost Stories and into the euphoric disco-pop world of “Adventures Of A Lifetime.” Chris Martin croons “you make make me feel like I’m alive again” over a beat reminiscent of “The Hustle” and an addictive, noodly wall of sound, and you can’t help taking those words at face value — because this is literally the best Coldplay single in seven years! Bonus points for the “woo hoos” that wind the whole fantastic four minutes down.
Bianca Gracie — 7/10
Save for listening to ubiquitous songs like “Yellow,” “Viva La Vida” and “Fix You,” I have never been a diehard Coldplay fan. So I may not know if the band’s new “Adventure Of A Lifetime” single stays true to their sound, but what I do know is that it’s one of the better tracks to come from a major group this year.
Coldplay continues the freeing, worldly and feather-light vibes that have been a welcomed trend in music over the past few months and joyfully drives you to the party that your crush will be attending instead of wiping your tears away in the dark corner of your bedroom (let’s save that one for Adele). We only have this one life, after all.
“Adventure Of A Lifetime” is incredibly vibrant in an almost childlike, blissful way that gives such an energetic rush once I press play — and sometimes that is exactly what you need music to do. I’ll be sure to blast this single to escape from the pending (and bitter) winter season!
Carl Williott — 7/10
Coldplay going disco. What an improbable maybe-ending to their career! OK, not so much when you consider they’ve worked with Rihanna and Avicii. But when you look at where it all started, the latest single is another notch that proves these guys adapt and evolve at a rate that’s rare for artists at this tier.
So I appreciate the song in that larger context. On a standalone basis, Stargate-assisted Afro-disco is a couple years late. But, after hitting the reset button with Ghost Stories, I’m glad the lean efficiency of that album carried over. Rather than their stadium-by-numbers sweeping guitars and an inflated chorus, we get a sleek, locked-in groove, propelled by guitarist and secret weapon Jonny Buckland, his circular leads serving as an aural hypnosis spiral.
Mike Wass — 5/10
With a couple of notable exceptions (“The Scientist” and “Yellow”), I’d rather listen to Rihanna destroy Amy Winehouse’s discography than put on a Coldplay record. And “Adventure Of A Lifetime” doesn’t do anything to change that mindset. I appreciate that the band is still mixing it up and trying new things, but this sounds terribly dated to me. The rock/disco vibe is at least two years too late and detracts from their legacy as bar-raising misery merchants. I’ll pass.
AVERAGE SCORE: 6.75/10
How do you rate Coldplay’s new single? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!
