Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, often referred to as simply Viva la Vida, is the fourth studio album by British rock band Coldplay, released on 12 June 2008 on the Parlophone label. "Viva la vida" is a Spanish phrase that translates into English as "long live life", "live the life", or simply "live life".[1][2][3] Lyrically, the album contains references to love, life, death and war.
"Viva la Vida (album)" redirects here. For other albums of the same name, see Viva la Vida (disambiguation).Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
12 June 2008
November 2006–April 2008
- The Bakery (London)
- The Magic Shop (New York City)
- The Nunnery (Barcelona)
- A Church (Barcelona)
45:49
Recording sessions for the album took place from November 2006 to April 2008 and featured production by Jon Hopkins, Rik Simpson, Markus Dravs, and Brian Eno. The album was Coldplay's first to be produced by Eno, and also their first album to not be produced by long-time Coldplay producer Ken Nelson. The band forced themselves to explore new styles, as Eno required every song on the album to sound different.[4] Development of the album delayed the release date several times. The album cover of Viva la Vida is the 1830 painting Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix with the album title over it in bold lettering.
Viva la Vida was both a critical and commercial success. Five songs were released in promotion of the album: "Violet Hill" and "Viva la Vida" in May 2008, "Lovers in Japan" and "Lost!" in November 2008, and "Strawberry Swing" in September 2009. "Viva la Vida" became the band's first song to reach number one in both the United States and the United Kingdom. It won Best Rock Album at the 2009 Grammy Awards and was also nominated for Album of the Year. It was the best-selling album of 2008.[5] By 2011, the album had sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.[6] Viva la Vida was re-released on 25 November 2008 in a deluxe edition containing the original album and the Prospekt's March EP, which contained another hit, "Life in Technicolor II".
Background[edit]
In October 2006, two weeks after bassist Guy Berryman had a child, reports circulated that the band were taking a five-year hiatus. The new baby, and the fact that Coldplay had no touring or recording schedule at the time, had fans wondering if the band's new album would not be released until 2010. Dispelling such reports, Ambrosia Healy, spokesperson to Capitol Records, sent an e-mail message to MTV saying that there was no self-imposed hiatus. However, Healy clarified that Coldplay was indeed "enjoying a much-deserved break", and that there was no timetable for the follow-up to the band's third studio album, X&Y.[7]
Work on the album began in November 2006, only being interrupted by the Latin American leg of their Twisted Logic Tour in early 2007.[8]
Composition and themes[edit]
Viva la Vida is a rock album,[17] which has been more specifically described as alternative rock,[18] art rock,[19] pop rock,[20] indie pop[21] and art pop,[22] with dream pop influences.[23] Musically, it contrasts with their previous records. The title track uses an orchestra, while "Lovers in Japan" features a tack piano. "Lost!" is influenced by tribal music, whereas "Strawberry Swing" incorporates Afropop music.[24] Martin described Viva la Vida as a new direction for Coldplay: a change from their past three albums, which they have referred to as a "trilogy".[25] He said the album featured less falsetto, as he allowed his voice's lower register to take precedence,[25] which is particularly evident on such tracks as "Yes" and "Death and All His Friends".[26]
The album contains an array of different themes such as love, war, and revolution. Unlike their previous releases, the album has a more universal approach, dealing less with personal problems and more with issues of humanity.[26] Songs like "Life in Technicolor II" (which didn't make it to the final track list but instead was released on Prospekt's March) and "Death and All His Friends" talk about war and politics, while "Violet Hill" has been described as the first anti-war protest song from the band.[27][28] Martin stated the lyrics of "Violet Hill" were a commentary on Fox News.[29][30] Other songs, such as the double track "Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love" and "Yes", are about love and desire.
Revolutionary themes are also an important part of the album and its promotion. Coldplay used customised French revolutionary costumes throughout the Viva la Vida Tour and in the videos produced for the album's singles.[31] In an interview for the Latin American TV channel Boomerang in 2010, Martin said that a big inspiration for the record was Victor Hugo's book Les Misérables—which can be noted by the French revolution themes on "Viva la Vida", for example.[32]
The work of the Beatles is apparently an inspiration throughout the album, starting with orchestration on the title track.[27] The song "Violet Hill", with its distorted guitar riffs and bluesy undertones,[25] references the Beatles' album Abbey Road (1969), being named after a street near Abbey Road[33] and borrowing its rhythm from the Beatles. At the 2009 Grammy Awards, when accepting the award for Song of the Year, Will Champion joked: "I'd like to say, first of all, thank you and sorry to Sir Paul McCartney for blatantly recycling the Sgt. Pepper outfits."
Release and promotion[edit]
In a Rolling Stone magazine interview, vocalist Chris Martin announced the album's release date and its title, Viva la Vida, which is a Spanish phrase that means in English as "long live life".[40] It takes its name from a painting by Frida Kahlo, an acclaimed 20th-century Mexican artist.[41] The album cover art is an 1830 painting by Eugène Delacroix titled Liberty Leading the People. On 10 April 2008, a new journal entry appeared on the band's website announcing the track list and release date, as well as hinting at new tracks to be issued before the album's release. "Violet Hill" was confirmed as the first single from Viva la Vida, with a release date of 5 May. In May 2008, Coldplay featured in an advertisement for Apple's iTunes with the song "Viva la Vida".
The band's official website was updated in late April to reveal the official Viva la Vida artwork as well as a free release of the single "Violet Hill", which became available for download for one week from 29 April 2008.[42] The album was leaked around 5 June, so the band decided to make the album available to stream via their Myspace profile from 8:30 pm WEST on 6 June. On 25 June 2008, the band became the third band ever to perform on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, performing "42" and "Lost!".[43] On 27 June at 7:00 am EDT, Coldplay began a live outdoor performance for the Today Show on the streets outside of Rockefeller Plaza, New York.[44] The band performed on the Late Show with David Letterman on 30 June and on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on 17 July.
In August 2008, Coldplay announced they would be releasing an EP, Prospekt's March, consisting of unreleased material from the Viva la Vida recording sessions.[45] The album was re-released on 25 November 2008 in a deluxe edition, titled Viva la Vida – Prospekt's March Edition. It contains tracks from the original album and Prospekt's March.[46]
The stage setup for the Viva la Vida Tour consisted of a stripped-down main stage and two catwalks; Coldplay also performed among audience members at the back of venues in a special acoustic set.[47] Instead of a giant video screen on-stage, the band opted for six hanging giant lightbulbs that displayed images and closeups.[47] The band started the tour playing a concert at the Paradiso in the Netherlands, on 5 June 2008, and played their first UK show of the tour at Brixton Academy eleven days later on 16 June. Free shows at Madison Square Garden on 23 June, and they ended the tour in Barcelona.
Legacy[edit]
Shawn Cooke from Billboard considered Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends the "last massive experimental rock album" when writing its tenth-anniversary review, mentioning how "We haven’t seen another super-popular, multi-platinum rock record with a No. 1 single really swing for the fences" ever since.[137] The album has been retroactively described as transitional, being "simultaneously the most Coldplay record, but also the most unlike anything they'd done before", as the band continued to explore new musical styles in subsequent albums.[137] After citing them as one of his inspirations, American singer-songwriter and producer Finneas O'Connell stated that Viva la Vida is his favourite Coldplay record as well as one of the influences behind his sister Billie Eilish's When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019).[138]
All tracks are written by Coldplay (Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, and Chris Martin) except where noted.
Notes
Credits adapted from AllMusic.[142]
Additional personnel