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Album: A Head Full Of Dreams (2015)
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Songfacts®:

  • This poignant, optimistic reflection on the end of a relationship finds Chris Martin remembering the good times he had with his ex-partner.
  • Swedish songbird Tove Lo shares the mic with Martin on the ballad. Tovo Lo achieved a solo breakthrough with her 2013 hit single "Habits (Stay High)," which peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. In addition to her solo work, Lo has co-written a number of songs for other singers, including Girls Aloud's "Something New" and Ellie Goulding's "Love Me Like You Do."
  • The song was produced by Tove Lo's fellow Scandinavians, the production duo Stargate. The Norwegian songwriting and production pair of Tor Erik Hermansen and Mikkel Storleer Eriksen are behind a stream of big hits by such global stars as Katy Perry, Rihanna and Beyoncé. Stargate shared production duties with longtime Coldplay comrade Rik Simpson on all but one song on A Head Full Of Dreams.

    The collaboration came about after Chris Martin went into the studio with Stargate to write a song for Rihanna. That didn't work out, but the Coldplay frontman enjoyed the experience so much he asked them to do some test sessions with the band. "I was nervous about Guy (Berryman, bass) and Will (Champion, drums) saying this is too pop," he told Q magazine. "But they got along so well with Tor and Mikkel. It's marrying these two worlds, often in two different rooms."
  • Tove Lo admitted to The Sun that she originally thought the invitation to sing on a Coldplay song was a prank. "I got an email which said, 'Hey it's Chris Martin from the British band Coldplay' and I didn't believe it," she recalled. "I have been a huge fan of the band for ever and used to sing all of their songs at school. But then we spoke and he asked me to sing on the song."
  • The Swedish songbird was full of nerves during the recording of her contribution. "I was in Brazil at the time and so when I got the track sent I was listening to it over and over again. I was really nervous in the studio, questioning whether I was really good enough," Tove Lo said. "It's the only song I have ever sung on without writing anything myself and I think wanting to deliver it the way they wanted was really surreal."

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