KUALA LUMPUR: Amid the global attention on the conflict between Israel and Palestine, the successful Coldplay: Music Of The Spheres World Tour took place at the National Stadium Bukit Jalil on November 22, 2023, despite initial debates on whether it should proceed or be canceled.
For those unfamiliar, Coldplay’s lead vocalist, Chris Martin, has long expressed his support for Palestine. In 2017, Martin and his team visited Palestine to broaden their perspectives and seek inspiration for their new album.
“Hello, everyone. We are in Israel and Palestine to listen and learn. That’s it, no scheduled concert. We are just on an interesting journey to learn about this region. Articles claiming we signed a contract are not true,” he wrote on February 25, 2017.
Reflecting back to 2011, Coldplay uploaded the song ‘Freedom for Palestine’ on their official Facebook page, urging fans to listen to the track released by the non-profit organization One World. According to the Jewish media, Forward.com, some fans criticized the group and pledged to boycott, while others expressed support.
The controversial lyrics included: “We are the people, this is our time, stand, sing for Palestine.” According to the Washington Post, the Facebook post received at least 12,000 comments in a day. Facebook later removed the post.
Coldplay also collaborated with a Palestinian band, Le Trio Joubran, to create a song titled Arabesque. According to thenationalnews.com, Joubran stated that Coldplay, including members Johny Buckland, Guy Berryman, and Will Champion, wanted to collaborate on the album Everyday Life.
Joubran mentioned that Martin’s vision for the album was to convey a message of peace in the Middle East. “Coldplay is very sincere, and we think this is a good initiative from someone not from Palestine. It is very touching,” he said.
To promote the album Everyday Life released in 2019, Coldplay performed at The Citadel in Amman, Jordan. During the performance before singing “Something Just Like This,” Martin emphasized that Coldplay stands for peace.
“I believe that everyone has the same right to go anywhere in the world, and that’s what we fight for. We disagree with any oppression, and we stand for love, peace, and brotherhood,” said Martin on November 25, 2019, as quoted from nme.com. – AGENCY
