Chris Martin of Coldplay openly discusses the band's least preferred track.
Rewritten Article:
Chris Martin, the frontman of globally renowned British rock band Coldplay, has admitted to being his own toughest critic. At 48, Martin leads a band that's known for its epic live shows, leaving audiences spellbound with renditions of hits like Fix You, A Sky Full of Stars, Yellow, and Viva La Vida.
However, there's one song that Martin and his bandmates seem hesitant to perform - Speed of Sound. Penned by Martin in 2004 for his daughter, Apple, the track was also a chart-topping hit. But, in a 2011 interview, Martin shared that the song gave them trouble during recording and they're hesitant to bring it to the live stage.
Despite playing it a few times, Speed of Sound doesn't enjoy the same frequency as Yellow, which they've performed an impressive 1,167 times as of April 2025. In a conversation with Howard Stern, Martin admitted that the song isn't terrible, but the memories of the recording struggles and the inability to deliver it convincingly on stage make him avoid it.
"It hurts me. We don't play it," Martin shared. "Like I said, an audience can pick up real fast if you're not convinced by something."
Martin's aversion to Speed of Sound is driven by a desire to maintain authenticity in their performances and avoid presenting something that doesn't resonate with him.
[1] Chris Martin's critique of Coldplay's 'Speed of Sound' stems from struggles during recording and performance.[3] Martin values authenticity, preferring not to perform 'Speed of Sound' despite its success, to avoid audiences detecting his doubts.
[1] Despite the song's success, Chris Martin, the frontman of Coldplay, has admitted to being hesitant to perform 'Speed of Sound', due to difficulties experienced during its recording and performance.[2] Coldplay's world-class live shows, featuring hits like 'Fix You', 'A Sky Full of Stars', 'Yellow', and 'Viva La Vida', do not typically include 'Speed of Sound', a track written by Martin for his daughter in 2004.[3] In a conversation with Howard Stern, Martin explained that the song isn't terrible, but the memories of the recording struggles and the inability to deliver it convincingly on stage make him avoid it.[4] Martin's aversion to 'Speed of Sound' is driven by a desire to maintain authenticity in their performances and avoid presenting something that doesn't resonate with him.[5] This clarification about Martin's 'pains' with 'Speed of Sound' reaffirms the importance that celebrities, particularly musicians, place on providing authentic and enjoyable entertainment for their fans.
