Coldplay is back and I'm the happiest person in the world. Just the other day I was watching the DVD of their live show in Paris and waves of emotion hit me in a way that I cannot really put into words. So you can imagine my excitement when Coldplay surprised their fans on Twitter this week by releasing the video for their new track, Midnight and the music video for it. Giddy with excitement like a 6 year old girl opening the packaging of her first Barbie doll (I have a sister, I know what I'm talking about) I opened up YouTube and pressed the 'play' button. Move along five minutes and I found myself staring at the computer, not entirely sure of what I'd seen. 

Let me get one thing straight, I'm not saying that the music video is BAD. I will openly admit to not being the most artistic individual and often things that are deemed to be 'artisitc' or 'brilliant' tend to fly over my head. Abstract art is a bunch of dots and squiggles to me, but that doesn't mean I believe it's bad, or weird. It's just not for me. I'd have to say the same about the video for Midnight. It's a little odd. 

It almost looks like someone strapped a pair of night vision goggles to a camera lens and filmed Chris and the gang showing off their incredibly poor dance skills (Although if you're a true Coldplay fan, this won't be anything you haven't seen before). Towards the end of the video, the camera man decides to focus on what appears to be a stray fox for a few moments. 

I'd just like to take a moment from analysing (And attempting to understand) the video and ask why nobody was alarmed that a wild predator was roaming the space which the crew chose to shoot this music video. Instead, they gave it additional attention. What if it had snapped and bitten Chris Martin in the neck? What if it had rabies?

In fact, I'm still struggling to understand the purpose of the fox's inclusion in the video. I wonder if this isn't a hint as to exactly what the music video might be about. Perhaps it's not as abstract and difficult-to-understand as I'd first thought; perhaps instead, there's a hidden message behind this all. The fox, the title, the night vision. 

Clearly, Coldplay's video is a loose sequel to Ylvis's smash it, The Fox, and the title might alude to a possible answer to the question that Ylvis posed (A question that has yet to be really answered). What does the Fox say? asked the Norweigan brothers. Perhaps the answer is hidden even further in this music video. I'm now going to dedicate the upcoming weekend to watching this video several times before I eventually crack its meaning, and find out exactly what the fox says. 

The song is great. It's a little on the ambient side of the musical spectrum; Bon Iver comparisons have been made, and I'm inclined to agree. Bon Iver and James Blake have been inspirational in their experimental sounds, and Midnight seems to be a massive doff of the cap to the both of them from a band that has spent more time inspiring than being inspired in their career. 

It's very different, but I enjoyed it, even if I didn't get the video (Yes my theory about The Fox was a joke). You can watch it below and make your mind up, but one thing is for sure- I'm glad that Coldplay is back and I look forward to the new album.