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Revision as of 11:55, 31 December 2010

"Christmas Lights" redirects here. For the 2004 ITV show, see Christmas Lights (television special). For decorations, see Christmas lights.
"Christmas Lights"
Song

"Christmas Lights" is a song by British alternative rock band Coldplay released on Wednesday December 1, 2010, at 8PM GMT as a digital download.[1] Described by the band as "a mid-tempo number" that is in the key of G major.[2] The cover art is by Yu Matsuoka Pol.[3]

Release and promotion

The single's release date was announced through the official Coldplay website on November 24, 2010.[1] A countdown in minutes and seconds to December 1, 8pm GMT, appeared on the homepage of the website, accompanied by an animated GIF of the album art.

Coldplay released three 'making-of' videos through their iTunes Ping page, showing the creation of the music video. Another video was also released on their website, giving a preview of the music video and the song itself, plus more 'making-of' footage.

It was originally thought that "Christmas Lights" would be a song from their fifth album, but this was confirmed not to be the case by Coldplay's official fan-question answer system The Oracle on two separate occasions.[4][5]

For the week ending December 18, 2010, "Christmas Lights" both debuted and peaked at position number 25 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and position number 12 on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart.

Music video

Coldplay began filming the music video on November 24. The video appears to be one continuous shot, and while it might have been filmed with a single camera, all we know is that several hours and many takes went into the video. Whether this means the finished product is a mix of many seamless clips stitched together is unknown.[6] It begins with the starting up of a record player, and the camera panning across a player piano, then the four members of the band. Martin begins to sing the first verse as the camera pans and zooms out to show the piano - which is now next to him - then back. Martin has changed his position, and the rest of the band are nowhere to be seen. Martin rises up from the stage where he is lying, then begins to play the piano, which is now on a stage in front of the Thames. Curtains open to reveal the rest of the band, who join in playing the song, accompanied by fireworks and three violin-playing Elvises (who are friends of the band: the British actor Simon Pegg, the 'fifth member' of Coldplay Phil Harvey and Tim Crompton, friend of the band and frontman of The High Wire).[7][8] One hundred fans of the band appear in the music video; they release coloured balloons from a boat on the Thames whilst singing along to part of the song.

"Credo Elvem Etiam Vivere" is written across the top of the stage. In Latin this means "I Believe Elvis Yet Lives".[9] This is likely connected to the three Elvises appearing in the video, which is, in turn, connected to the lyrics of the song.

The video was directed by Mat Whitecross, a long-time friend of the band and director of several of Coldplay's other music videos, such as "Bigger Stronger" and "Lovers in Japan".

Just hours after the release of the video it was removed from YouTube after the IFPI claimed a breach of copyright,[10] despite the video being on one of Coldplay's official channels. However, as of 21 December 2010 this has been fixed.

Track listing

  1. "Christmas Lights" – 4:02

Charts

Chart (2010) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[11] 32
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[12] 40
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[13] 18
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[14] 3
songid field is MANDATORY FOR GERMAN CHARTS 26
Italy (FIMI)[15] 2
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] 2
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17] 34
Slovakia (IFPI)[18] 72
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[19] 14
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[20] 25
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] 46
UK Singles (OCC)[22] 13
US Billboard Hot 100[23] 25
US Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[24] 12
US Regional Mexican Airplay (Billboard)[25] 15

References

  1. ^ a b "Coldplay - Christmas Lights release". Coldplay.com. 24 November 2010. Retrieved 2 December 2010.
  2. ^ Webb, Chad (24 November 2010). "Music - Coldplay to Release Christmas Song Next Week". 411mania.com. Retrieved 2 December 2010.
  3. ^ "Coldplay Oracle". 8 December 2010.
  4. ^ "Coldplay Oracle - What Did You Mean..." Coldplay.com. 1 December 2010. Retrieved 2 December 2010.
  5. ^ "Coldplay Oracle - Is Christmas Lights..." Coldplay.com. 29 November 2010. Retrieved 2 December 2010.
  6. ^ "Coldplay Oracle". 8 December 2010.
  7. ^ "Coldplay Oracle". 29 November 2010. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
  8. ^ "Coldplay Oracle". 1 December 2010. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
  9. ^ http://www.yuni.com/library/latin_1.html
  10. ^ "Image of Coldplay.com Home". 2 December 2010. Retrieved 2 December 2010.
  11. ^ "Coldplay – Christmas Lights". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  12. ^ "Coldplay – Christmas Lights" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  13. ^ "Coldplay Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  14. ^ "Coldplay: Christmas Lights" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
  15. ^ "Coldplay – Christmas Lights". Top Digital Download.
  16. ^ "Coldplay – Christmas Lights" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  17. ^ "Coldplay – Christmas Lights". Top 40 Singles.
  18. ^ http://www.ifpicr.cz/hitparadask/index.php?hitp=R&rubrika=1218/
  19. ^ "Coldplay – Christmas Lights" Canciones Top 50.
  20. ^ "Coldplay – Christmas Lights". Singles Top 100.
  21. ^ "Coldplay – Christmas Lights". Swiss Singles Chart.
  22. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  23. ^ "Coldplay Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  24. ^ "Coldplay Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard.
  25. ^ "Coldplay Chart History (Regional Mexican Songs)". Billboard.
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