Two years ago today, Coldplay released “We Pray.” It still sucks.
They crammed Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna, and Tini onto one track and still managed to produce something with the emotional depth of a wellness app notification. Four artists who could each carry a stadium solo, reduced to garnish on a track focus-grouped into existence by a committee chasing the “unity” tag on Spotify. Chris Martin out here collecting features like they’re loyalty points. The single charted, obviously, because Coldplay at this point is less a band and more a purchasing habit. Then it disappeared, which is the kindest thing anyone can say about it.
Here’s what you should listen to instead — five tracks from 2024 that were too busy being good to bother praying about it:
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Chase & Status ft. Stormzy — “BACKBONE” (watch) — Went straight to #1 in the UK by doing the one thing Coldplay can’t: hitting hard enough to leave a mark.
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Nia Archives — “Cards On The Table” (watch) — A 24-year-old put more heart into jungle-pop than Coldplay has summoned across ten albums and a planet’s worth of stadium pyrotechnics.
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Charli XCX — “360” (watch) — The song that started the summer of Brat. Coldplay also released an album that year. It was called Moon Music. Nobody remembers.
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Disclosure — “She’s Gone, Dance On” — House music built on an Ennio Morricone sample. Taylor Swift danced to it at Coachella. Coldplay could never because it would require taste.
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Fred again.. & Overmono & Lil Yachty — “Stayinit” — Proof that a feature-heavy track can be more than the sum of its parts when the people making it give a shit.