Coldplay frontman Chris Martin has reiterated his claim that the band will only make 12 albums. Their tenth, Moon Music, will be released on 4 October.
This isn’t the first time that Martin has suggested that Coldplay’s studio career has a limited lifespan, and speaking to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, he’s made that clear once again.
“We are only going to do 12 proper albums and that’s real. Yeah. I promise,” he says.
“Because less is more. And for some of our critics, even less would be even more! It’s really important that we have that limit.”
Elaborating on why the self-imposed cap is in place, Martin explains: “There’s only seven Harry Potters. There’s only 12 and a half Beatles albums. There’s about the same for Bob Marley, so all of our heroes.
“Also having that limit means the quality control is so high right now, and for a song to make it [on an album], it’s almost impossible, which is great. And so where we could be coasting, we’re trying to improve.”
Coldplay’s previous album - 2021’s Music of the Spheres - divided critics, but the band has kept faith with its producer, Max Martin, bringing him back on board for Moon Music.
Of his own songwriting inspiration, Chris Martin says: “There’s something about the Coldplay thing. That’s just what? I don’t know where the songs come from. I don’t know where the ideas come from, but that’s just been coming to me for about four or five years now.”
Although, after Moon Music, Coldplay fans may only have a couple more full-length albums of new material to look forward to, Martin isn’t discounting further tours or working on “something different, or a side thing, or a compilation of things we hadn’t finished.”