Global Citizen - EP 1 is the twelfth extended play by Coldplay and their only release under the pseudonym Los Unidades. It was released worldwide on 30 November 2018 through Atlantic Records in the United States and Parlophone globally as part of the lead-up to the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 event, presented and hosted by the Motsepe Foundation on 2 December 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The EP features a range of musical guests including Pharrell Williams, David Guetta, Stargate, Stormzy, and others. All proceeds from the release were donated to Global Citizen, an international education and advocacy organisation that seeks to catalyse the movement to end extreme poverty and promote social justice and equity through the lens of intersectionality.
Background[]
On 26 November 2018, Parlophone, Coldplay's record label, posted on their social media a stylised hazy image featuring a “new band” freshly signed by the record label called Los Unidades. The post included the characters “Y02LPAC81ODL” in the bottom corner of the image, an anagram that could be re-arranged into “COLDPLAY2018”.[2] Additionally, the trademark Los Unidades was submitted by Coldplay in December 2017, with Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, and Chris Martin listed in the document as the owners.[3][4]
According to Global Citizen, the EP was inspired by “[Nelson] Mandela's lifelong fight for justice and universal equality and galvanizing messages for change and hope can be heard amid a blend of global sounds” throughout the record. Hugh Evans, CEO of Global Citizen, stated that the EP was conceived to “bring people together to drive activism and demand change”; the collaborators featured on it stand with the organisation's aim, which is reducing and ending extreme global poverty by 2030. Chris — who is the creative curator of the annual Global Citizen Festival since 2015 — also curated the EP.[5] Co-president of Parlophone, Mark Mitchell, declared that the artists and the music featured on the record could “help spread awareness and open up Global Citizen to a whole new audience.”[6]
Release and promotion[]
Pharrell Williams and Chris Martin performing "E-Lo" at Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100.
The following day after Parlophone's tease post, on 27 November, the song "E-Lo" was released as the EP's first promotional single, along with an official lyric video.[7] The EP's release date was also announced to 30th November, with proceeds supporting Global Citizen's campaigns and advocacy efforts to end extreme poverty as well as its work in areas such as gender equality, education, water, and sanitation.[8]
The EP was released in anticipation of the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100, which sought to honour the legacy of late South African anti-apartheid activist and politician Nelson Mandela, who would have turned 100 in 2018. The event took place on 2 December 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa, and featured performances by a number of artists, such as Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Cassper Nyovest, D'banj, Ed Sheeran, Eddie Vedder, Femi Kuti, Pharrell Williams, Sho Madjozi, Tiwa Savage, Usher, Wizkid, and Chris Martin.[9]
Promotional singles[]
- "E-Lo", Los Unidades and Pharrell Williams' track featuring American singer Jozzy was released on 27 November 2018 as the EP's first promotional single, accompanied by an official lyric video, directed by James Zwadlo and inspired by Nelson Mandela's life story.
- "Voodoo", Stargate and Los Unidades' track featuring Tiwa Savage, WizKid, Danny Ocean, and David Guetta was released on 3 December 2018 as the second promotional single exclusively on the streaming platform Spotify.[10]
Track listing[]
Coldplay's songwriting members are Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, and Chris Martin.
Global Citizen - EP 1
| No. | Title | Artist(s) | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rise Up" | Stargate featuring Nelson Mandela | Mikkel S. Eriksen • Tor E. Hermansen • Nelson Mandela | Stargate | 3:03 |
| 2. | "E-Lo" | Los Unidades and Pharrell Williams featuring Jozzy | Coldplay • Jocelyn Donaldson • Letta Mbulu | Pharrell Williams • Bill Rahko (co.) • Federico Vindver (add.) • Angel Lopez (add.) | 3:34 |
| 3. | "Timbuktu" | Cassper Nyovest and Los Unidades featuring Stormzy, and Jess Kent | Coldplay • Caiphus Semenya • Clarence Charles • Michael Owuo Jr. | Nyovest • Rahko | 3:44 |
| 4. | "Voodoo" | Stargate and Los Unidades featuring Tiwa Savage, WizKid, Danny Ocean, and David Guetta | Coldplay • S. Eriksen • E. Hermansen • Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun • David Guetta • Daniel Morales • Tiwatope Savage | Stargate | 3:57 |
Trivia[]
- "Rise Up" is the only track on the EP that does not feature involvement from Coldplay in any stage of the song's development process.
References[]
- ↑ https://twitter.com/stargate/status/1068558501096566785
- ↑ https://twitter.com/parlophone/status/1067121189947142146
- ↑ https://vivacoldplay.com/2018/11/tudo-indica-que-coldplay-lancara-material-inedito-com-o-nome-de-los-unidades/
- ↑ https://www.spin.com/2018/11/coldplay-and-pharrell-release-e-lo-under-new-band-name-los-unidades/
- ↑ https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/media/global-citizen-ep-1/
- ↑ https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/global-citizen-ep-1/
- ↑ https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/global-citizen-ep-pharrell-video-8486784/
- ↑ https://www.wmg.com/news/global-citizen-ep-1-be-released-november-30-33896
- ↑ https://www.wmg.com/news/global-citizen-ep-1-be-released-november-30-33896
- ↑ https://open.spotify.com/intl-pt/track/7AWHfGAWeZarkcoHMPeDeD