Here are some photos of Chris Martin over the weekend in Cologne, Germany. He was with Coldplay and they were promoting their album. They were staying at the Hyatt Regency, just FYI. Last week, Chris was in London (interesting…) to do some promotional work and he sat down with BBC Radio 1’s Zane Lowe for a lengthy, intimate interview. I guess the full thing airs this evening in England, but the BBC released a bunch of quotes today. You know what’s interesting? Chris has a lyrical way of speaking. It annoys me, but I guess I understand why he’s a musician and songwriter – because this is the way he really thinks/speaks.
Did Chris Martin’s relationship breakdown with Gwyneth Paltrow inspire the band’s new album, Ghost Stories?
“I wouldn’t use the word breakdown,” Martin said. “This was more a realization about trying to grow up basically. Like I said, if you can’t open yourself up, you can’t appreciate the wonder inside. So you can be with someone very wonderful, but because of your own issues you cannot let that be celebrated in the right way. What changed for me was—I don’t want to go through life being scared of it, being scared of love, being scared of rejection, being scared of failure. Ever since our band came out, we have been a very polarizing group because we do a certain thing very well…About two years ago I was a mess really because I can’t enjoy the thing that we are good at and I can’t enjoy the great things around me because I’m burdened by this—I’ve got to not blame anyone else and make some changes.”
While the musician doesn’t directly address his 10-year marriage to Paltrow, it’s easy to read between the lines. When Martin, 37, and Paltrow, 41, announced their split, the exes said they had been “working hard for well over a year” on their relationship. Ghost Stories will address such struggles.
“Up to a certain point in my life I wasn’t completely vulnerable and it caused some problems. If you don’t let love really in then you can’t really give it back. So what Ghost Story means to me is like you’ve got to open yourself up to love and if you really do, of course it will be painful at times, but then it will be great at some point,” Martin said. “I think in life everyone needs to be broken in some way…I think everyone in their life goes through challenges, whether it’s love or money, kids, or illness…You have to really not run away from that stuff. Life throws these colorful challenges at you…what we decided to do on Ghost Stories was to really be honest about it and say, this is what’s been happening.”
In the wide-ranging interview, Martin also revealed he has the hots for another British band.
“I think One Direction are the biggest band in the world. Their songs are great. I’m saying One Direction are brilliant and I’m not kidding. You know why? Because their songs are really good and I don’t think that any of them are going to go solo. I think they appreciate their chemistry from watching their movie,” Martin explained. “[Harry Styles] has come to a couple of our shows. I think I probably said the same thing about chemistry. I can’t remember—I was too enamored with his haircut. I was like this: ‘I was pretty sure I was a straight guy before.’ I was having a hot flush.”
Lord, reading Chris Martin’s verbal prose is like reading the lyrics to a Coldplay dirge. I understand that it’s very “English” to talk around the issues instead of speaking about them directly, but it does leave a lot of grey area to parse. I guess he’s saying that Gwyneth came at him with nothing but love but he wasn’t open to love and so their split is his fault? So, he’s falling on his sword for Gwyneth? He “wasn’t vulnerable” enough… to her. But was he vulnerable with Alexa Chung?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
…With Bullshit sprinkles, dont forget the bullshit sprinkles
Bullshit sprinkles? Is that what he’s on..?
….and how can I get my hands on summadat?
I can feel them falling off and running down my hand…hate that!
Boy, QQ, bullshit sprinkles is the word for this interview. I’m getting the sads that they split – they kinda compliment each other in the word vomit department.
Right? Who knew someone else could out pukey goop?
Exactly… these two twatwaffles were super well suited to each other
…and now we know why the Goop website started to crash after the “conscious uncoupling”. We was the ghost writer.
Bullshit Sprinkles. I’m stealing that QQ.
Wow, I thought his music was boring.
This is a real eye-opener, how did Goop stay awake long enough to have babysex?
He sounds like a person going through a deprogramming period, following an escape from a cult. He’s trying to articulate his feelings but can’t quite get around to speaking the language of the free yet.
LMAO
LOL…..so true.
He really does. Let’s see what he says in a year.
For some reason I keep picturing him running while listening to (and singing along) George Michael’s song “Freedom”.
Hey Eve, we were talking about you. How do you accomplish italics on this forum?
On CB, you mean? I open the tag with arrow em arrow, then close it with arrow/em arrow.
Wait, this will explain it better:
http://www.w3schools.com/TAGs/tag_em.asp
Test.
Thanks. It used to work with “i”, but then stopped at some point.
You’re welcome. I think the tags depend on the site — most use the “i” tags indeed (or “b” for bold).
Eve! I love you.
P.S. Does this mean Chris is going to blow up his jukebox, Freedom style? (Please)
@mimif…Oh…HERE WE GO, more abuse of powers.
Cue the font police sirens!
Nah, I picture him doing that “running through a field/open arms” style of singing.
Think that scene from The Sound of Music (Julie Andrews singing “the hills are alive with the sound of music…” — come to think of it: he could be singing that one, too).
@Eve, LMFAO on the imagery.
@Eve: Funny, I pictured him dancing around a Technicolor village surrounded by Munchkins singing “Ding, Dong The Witch Is Dead”. But your visual works, too.
Are we sure Chris wasn’t the one who penned the unconscious coupling blog?
He’s killing me with that earring.
If I had to pick a team, it would be Chris hands down. At least he sounds a little more with it that queen anal retention.
please.
He looks so much older! He was just a lad when they married. I don’t mean his age – it just seems like he wasn’t very experienced. Now he looks more adult.
What did the rest of the band think of Gwinnie?
He wasn’t that young. 26 or 27.
Oh brother. I mean, I get what he’s saying, but why must they both be so… Precious and nauseating about everything.
Ha ha, that was my first thought. Can you just imagine them having a conversation? The mind, it boggles.
Hmm, maybe I can stop using ‘(The Original)’ in front of my name? The new Violet, whose views were often totally counter to mine, seems to have disappeared…
Totally disagree, One Direction will separate as they become older.
Also, I could totally see him with Liv Tyler (I know her and Goop are friends, so prob won’t happen).
He sounds high on McDonald’s fumes.
He is a vegetarian, I doubt he goes to McD.
… because Goop doesn’t allow any junk food, get it, get it? Haha
I am no vegetarian nor is anyone in my family and my foot will not step in that place nor will I put this s..t in my mouth. It’ s about loving myself, nothing to do with vegetarians.
Haha, he has probably eaten every meal there since they split.
I don’t give a sh*t about this break up or whatever comes with it. I love Coldplay, their music has really helped me through my life, and as long as they keep making it – I’m good.
Me, too. I love them.
Same here. Thank God they are big and no going away soon. Besides, I find him very agreeable and his talking completely fine without being unnecessarily direct. Good job.
He woke up one morning married to a bitchier version of Martha Stewart. There! Divorce explained.
That comment about Harry Styles was pretty funny. I remember every now and then Martin can be funny and self depreciating.
He’s been funny and self-deprecating in pretty much every interview I’ve ever seen. I don’t understand how someone could not like him. But I’m a huge fan of Coldplay so I’m biased.
I think it’s nice that he’s not blaiming her, at least in public.
You can tell when it was the MAN that wanted out. He is not depressed. He is talking in such mystical language. No weepy nights. Not pity me; feel sorry for me.. He underneath all weird talk is damn skippy. He looks actually happy.
Never wish a break up on anyone.. but sometimes 2 people that actually love each other should not be together. His next relationship will be a keeper. He already has kids so we shall see
Agreed … and well said. 🙂
If he has any sense he won’t settle down again anytime soon.
Can you imagine them trying to have a good old-fashioned air-clearing argument?
Goop: Chris, as my spousal, pair-bonded life partner, we need to share some metaphoric realities.
Chris: I will attempt to breathe in the light of your meditations on the tortuous path of our life and love.
Goop: You know we have an innate trust in each other to consistently present the best of our emotions within our own personal orb of love, despite the occasional mystical attraction to others we may have known in previous lives or future lives so that we must explore these mystical attractions in order to learn more about ourselves and the karma we must fulfill.
Chris: Yes my brilliant muse, mother of my spawn, and shining inspiration in everything I do.
Goop: And sometimes our karmic paths become deeply intertwined with other karmic paths to the extent that we lose focus of what is real, precious and wonderful within our orb of love.
Chris: Erm…yes my soul partner…
Goop: STOP SCHTUPPING [insert name here] OR THE GAME IS OVER!! YOU HEAR ME, O.V.E.R. I WILL CONSCIOUSLY UNCOUPLE YOU IN A NEW YORK NANOSECOND!
LMAO
Hahaha! Fantastic
this.is.too.damn.funny!!! the sad thing is that they probably really argued like this!
I’ve met Chris Martin before and he was such a nice guy and extremely well mannered. I look forward to Coldplay’s new album.
Chris looks very distraught and handsome.. Meanwhile, Gwyneth is partying with her fake friends. I believe they both are cheaters and equally destroyed their marriage. Where are Apple + Moses, and who is caring for them? Bizarre.
Me too, at work. They are all cool.
“Ever since our band came out, we have been a very polarizing group because we do a certain thing very well”
PFFFFFFF , like what, annoy people? I would agree!
So what I am getting from that is that he wouldn’t let himself open up enough to love Gwyneth as he should have, as a husband and he realized it so he let her go?
Yes, while he was consciously coupling with other women.
I have no idea what he’s going on about. I mean, it all sounds good, but what the hell does it mean? It just sounds like psychobabble.
To me, it sounds like he really means he just wasn’t that into her.
Yeah, “it’s not you, Gwyneth, it’s me…I’m just not vulnerable enough…” Right.
Yeah, that is sort of the feeling I got – as if he never felt “in love” with her the way he imagined love should be. Perhaps, he has an over-romanticized idea of love. Perhaps he has an immature idea of love. Perhaps he loved the idea of Gwyneth more than Gwyneth herself. Clearly, he loves his children which is why I believe he parsed his words in that ambiguous, psychobabbling way and blamed in on himself. Classic “it’s not you, it’s me”. Still, I find it annoying when people speak cryptically and with cutesy literary flourish instead of just spitting it out.
Despite the spacey self help talk I actually think Chris comes off as quite earnest here. I remember Gwyneth talking about his “artistic temperament” in interviews (i.e. him being a moody pain in the bu*t) and he clearly takes ownership of that now. Yeah it might have boiled down to him having an affair and whatnot, which is kinda sad and predictable. But I don’t feel like he is trying to put on a facade here, which I appreciate.
My only thought when I read this is, either he is as vapid and stupid as Goop is, or she is totally making him say this crap! Or maybe they hired the same P.R. firm for the divorce? If so, I would fire them immediately.
Not sure about the same P.R-thingie, but they probably have the same therapist by the sound of it!
@Johanna, who wrote: “Yeah it might have boiled down to him having an affair and whatnot, which is kinda sad and predictable. But I don’t feel like he is trying to put on a facade here, which I appreciate.”
I’m pretty sure the ‘affairs’ happened with both parties. It seems like Gwyn and her PR Team are tryng to put everything on Chris in an attempt to preserve Goop’s brand, which isn’t fair.
Yes I wonder if Gwyneth will be as earnest about her shortcomings when (or if) she does her first tell all-interview. She does seems more concerned about her public image than Chris is.
He is just as spacey and new age as her. I am not sure why people thought he was this ordinary put upon guy living with a stuck up new Age princess. Sounds like they were perfect for each other.
IKR, he wooed and married her, they had a ten year marriage, he was into her and she him. It didn’t work out but they seem compatible and equally self-involved to me.
He sounds like he just figured out he is gay with comments about Harry Styles’s haircut? Really? All of this pathos and opening up about himself being so closed up and he comments about another guys hair? And their “chemistry”? It does sound like they are going to same therapist.
Sounds like he feels guilty about wanting out of the marriage. Just go already…
I believe he was joking around , Rocket. But honestly, I am not against those two shipping. 😉
I actually listened to the interview now and it confirmed my initial feeling. While he sounds reeeaally spacey at times (there is a mention of a sufi teacher) he really does struggles to be earnest I think. There are hints about substance abuse (which could be a metaphor I guess), and he says that the new record is basically about their relationship and that the reaction when she heard it was “colourful”. And he comes off as pretty humble and low key.
I guess it is easy to assume that they are just some crazy new age narcissists, but to me it is rather clear that they had some very real struggles and not just colliding diet choices and whatnot.
Sounds like real love has finally been revealed to him- he opened himself to someone, and it ain’t Gwyneth.
He admires Kanye, I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts to make a complete fool of himself in the future.
Actually what he’s saying makes complete sense to me, and I have a major hate-on for New Age speak of any kind. He’s not being New Agey; he’s trying to be poetic while talking around the issue and there is a bit of (legitimate!) psychology-speak in there. It’s not massively deep or anything, but there’s no New Age nonsense.
Here’s what he’s saying: when he was with Goop, he was not able to be emotionally intimate. He was always scared and worried, unable to feel safe with her. He’s not blaming her for this, but he is saying he had to move on.
You said it better than he and whatever he said just comes across as garbled therapy speak. I agree with your assessment, relationships can become toxic environments that must be ended.
I second your interpretation! In the radio interview there is a point were Chris goes silent and the interviewer asks him if he doesn’t want to talk about the issue. But Chris says he wants to, but that he needs to find the right phrasing (or something like that). You can tell that he is struggling to find a way to talk about a deeply personal record and it’s meaning without hurting the people around him. I am not a fan of Coldplay (I agree with him that they are polarizing) but I will say that Chris comes off as pretty sympathetic person.
I’ve never been able to explain my aversion to Coldplay. I’m a born Anglophile, it’s an inherited trait, an X-linked recessive gene I imagine. In one fell swoop I have been relieved of a need rationalize this opinion. Of COURSE I hate them! Ahhhh….
Don’t worry, you’re correct. They’re horrible: Muzak with lyrics. In fact, I only hear them in big box stores.
The relationship with Gwyneth helped elevate them in the public consciousness above many much better bands. I think they specifically rip off The Doves, who did that dreamy soundscape vibe much, much better.
Also, those desperate Sgt, Pepper outfits a few year ago. Oy vey.
He was a very young guy with a relatively successful band who had never had a girlfriend when he got with Gwyneth, so it’s sort of understandable that that relationshop maybe started from a very different place from where it ended up. I loathe his band so I can totally see why he would doubt what they do too lol! That said, I can respect that they have a sound and style of songwriting that they stick to, so many bands just lack a real identity nowadays and at the moment they are all sounding like horrible Mumford & Sons imitators, even the supposed rockers.
Chris Martin – douche bag squared
Gwynnie P – insufferable, boring, up-herself asshat
Should have been a marriage made in heaven. Now they get to inflict themselves on unsuspecting possible future partners. Run.
This guy may sound very sympathetic now but he was a downright inconsiderate dog when he was having affairs. Goop also had affairs but hers seemed to be in response or because he wasn’t emotionally and/ physically available. Chirs also admits to being kicked out of the band at some point. He sounds like a moody pain in the ass.
This quote I loved but he left out one important word….. Loss. He should know to add this considering he wrote “Fix You” for Gwyneth regarding the loss of her father.
“I think in life everyone needs to be broken in some way…I think everyone in their life goes through challenges, whether it’s love or money, kids, or illness…You have to really not run away from that stuff. Life throws these colorful challenges at you…”
Otherwise yes, he pretty much speaks in rhymes and riddles.