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Nov 04, 2019 By Christopher Roberts Coldplay

Coldplay are releasing a new album, Everyday Life, on November 22 via Parlophone/Atlantic. On Friday and this weekend there was a flurry of Coldplay activity. First on Friday they shared an amusing fake press conference, with Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein (formerly of Portlandia of course) playing all the journalists, to announce some live-streamed concerts in Jordan on the day the album is released. Then on Saturday they stopped by Saturday Night Live perform two songs: recent single “Orphans” (partly performed in the audience with dancers) and a brand new song, album title track “Everyday Life.” Then right after that performance the band shared the studio version of “Everyday Life.” Check out all the videos and music below.

Previously Coldplay shared Everyday Life‘s first two singles: “Orphans” and “Arabesque.” “Orphans” was catchy but a bit Coldplay-by-numbers, whereas “Arabesque” was much more interesting. It’s nearly six minutes long and has an Afrobeat vibe, which makes sense considering Fela Kuti and is band contribute horns to it (it also features Stromae). “Arabesque” made it to #1 on our Songs of the Week list, a rare appearance by Coldplay.

The album was announced via postcards sent to fans and has been touted as an experimental double album, with one side titled “Sunrise” and the other “Sunset.” If the rest of the album sounds more like “Arabesque” than “Orphans” then it could turn out to be experimental by Coldplay standards, although “Everyday Life” is a fairly standard Coldplay ballad.

Coldplay also shared a video for “Orphans.” Mat Whitecross directed the video, which starts simply with frontman Chris Martin performing the song acoustically on some city steps but increasingly gets more elaborate, including some “Dancing on the Ceiling” moments.

Everyday Life is 53 minutes long and will be released on CD, vinyl, cassette, and digital formats by Parlophone/Atlantic. There will also be two U.S.-only vinyl versions released by Third Man, one on standard black and a limited edition gold version. “Orphans” and “Arabesque” are also available now on a seven-inch single via Third Man. The album’s cover art is “based around a 1919 photo of guitarist Jonny Buckland’s great-grandfather’s band.”

British actress Jodie Whittaker, who plays the first female Doctor in the long-running British sci-fi show Doctor Who, also recently covered Coldplay‘s hit “Yellow” with members of the band. It was recorded for Got It Covered, a new British charity album that benefits Children in Need.

Coldplay released their last album, their seventh, A Head Full of Dreams, back in December 2015 via Parlophone/Atlantic and released a follow-up EP, Kaleidoscope EP, in July 2017, also via Parlophone/Atlantic.

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