As they journey further into this new world known as Kaotica, Coldplay are bringing more guests into their new realm. First debuting the new Max Martin-produced single for their new era, “Higher Ground,” with a real astronaut on a space station, the British band have now enlisted none other than director Dave Meyers to tell the visual story of the track. In their “Higher Power” video, which premiered today, the band explore the planet of Kaotica, which is a colorful trash planet that comes complete with dancing aliens (courtesy of Seoul’s Ambiguous Dance Company), robot dogs, and giant holograms. (Don’t worry Gaga fans, besides the intergalactic nature and name similarity, Kaotica and Chromatica are very different.)
Along with a live performance of the song on American Idol, today’s new video makes it clear that the band are going all in for this new pop-focused phase… with a little bit of sci-fi sprinkled in as well. For the “Higher Ground” video Meyers said it he thinks it reflects the isolation and alienation that most people felt during the pandemic. “The video is a metaphor for how, right now, we all feel alienated, far removed from our world, almost like we’re on an alien planet,” he said in a press release. “And ultimately we find love in the streets and that euphoria shoots us off into the stratosphere of our own energy and higher power.”
Check out the clip above and see if you can catch references to iconic films like The Terminator, Blade Runner, and The Fifth Element in the mix.
