Chris Martin and Coldplay seem like an odd band to channel teen angst. But the new video for “Charlie Brown” is all about a restless, devil-may-care world where nothing matters but the music… and love.
If the rave scene is a little clichéd, so be it. The point is about getting lost in the moment, forgetting the real world and its dismal reality and letting loose like there is no tomorrow.
As the video unwinds, the gray urban landscape gives way to a pulsating, colorful world where it’s easy to lose yourself in a gyrating mass of bodies and thumping electronica.
The tune is the third video from Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto, the alt-rock band’s fifth studio album, which dropped in October last year. “Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall” was released last June followed by “Paradise” in September. “Charlie Brown” landed Jan. 24.
Martin has described Mylo Xyloto as a concept album about a love story that blossoms in an “oppressive, dystopian, urban environment.” With inspiration drawn from HBO’s “The Wire,” life in a gang is part of the theme.
In that sense, the visage created by the “Charlie Brown” video suggest that the rave is neutral ground, where loyalties and hatreds are check at the door and two people from different sides can meet and be together.
Rolling Stone called it “a bear-hug record for a bear-market world,” and “Charlie Brown” is a reflection of that. Needless to say, the night ends well. It’s a Coldplay song right? Check out the video below and get lost in it.