
The track went multi-Platinum in almost 10 countries and in that regard had its best showing in Italy. Note is that the late EDM musician Avicii (1989-2018) also made contributions Rik Simpson produced this track along with a popular Norwegian production duo known as StarGate. “Hymn for the Weekend” was written by Martin, Buckland, Champion and Berryman, who are all members of Coldplay.Īnd A-list songstress Beyoncé participated on this song at the behest of her homey, Coldplay’s frontman Martin.
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This track is from Coldplay’s noted album “A Head Full of Dreams”. And it was released as the second single from that project, by Parlophone and Atlantic Records, on 25 January 2016. It garnered well over one-billion views on YouTube going into the year 2020. However, the music video still went on to be a big hit. cultural appropriation) for their own personal gain. Many accused the artists involved (Coldplay and Beyoncé) of pimping Indian culture (i.e. And there was also a bit of controversy concerning the clip. The music video to “Hymn for the Weekend”, which was filmed throughout India in late 2015, had Ben Mor as its director. Moreover considering that he did in fact enlist a female singer, Beyoncé, to collaborate on this track, as stated earlier, the insinuation is that it is indeed romantic in nature. And in that regard, all of the colorful metaphors used throughout ultimately point to the idea of his romantic interest having a profound, uplifting effect on his life. So applying a spiritual significance to it, despite there being a number of angelic references, would likely be tantamount to stretching its meaning. But the word “weekend” also being present is indicative of the reality that this track was originally conceived as a party song.

Or some may view this “angel” as being exactly that – a type of spiritual being. Indeed that fact that the word “hymn” is present in the title would imply as much. Questioning the intention of the people slamming the video, another user wrote, "Beyonce guilty of 'cultural appropriation' in the Coldplay video? If dressing Indian makes her guilty what about Indians who dress Western?"But whereas the implication is that Chris Martin’s “angel” is indeed a lover, there is no clear indication of such. Owing to this, these lyrics can be interpreted on another level, as in the addressee being someone who has had the aforementioned effect on him, though not necessarily his sweetheart.

No need for all the drama," one user tweeted in support. If anything, the video showcases the beauty of India. Many Indian fans, however, praised the band for beautifully depicting the carefree feeling the country has. The four minute-20-second video focuses on everything Indian be it a ride in the famous black-and-yellow taxi of Mumbai to life on the streets to saints and temples. Why do you want to make it seem like all we do is dance in the streets," another user wrote. "No thanks for the bundle of stereotypes No wonder then that India will be known as the country of snake charmers & sadhus," a Twitter user posted.Ĭalling it another Slumdog Millionaire one user tweeted, "Coldplay's new video "Hymn For The Weekend" looks like 'Slumdog Millionaire' had a holi sequence." don't exoticise us.

While a lot of fans have applauded the band for showcasing the myriads colours of India in a beautiful way there are some who have slammed the video for cultural appropriation. The video has been shot in the streets of Mumbai and other parts of India with its theme anchored around the festival Holi. "A story to tell my grandkids! I was in a video! Woo hoo! #biggestfan," the excited actress tweeted.Ī story to tell my grandkids! I was in a video! Woo hoo! #biggestfan Beyonce has put henna on her hands and sports an ethnic outfit and jewellery.ĭirected by Ben Mor, the video also features a cameo by Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor. The song is a collaborative effort of the band and Beyonce and the video has the pop sensation playing an Indian film star with the poster of her latest film 'Rani' on the billboards.

'Hymn for the Weekend' is the latest single from the band's seventh album A Head Full of Dreams. Coldplay may have shot the video of their song 'Hymn For The Weekend' in India with an intention to celebrate its vibrant and mystic hues, but it has sparked a debate on social media, with some calling it a "stereotypical" portrayal of the country.
