Higher Power

Higher Power runs on a four-chord loop in F# minor that leans on the major III and VII scale degrees to stay euphoric rather than brooding. There are no secondary dominants, no chromatic borrowings, no key changes — the harmonic vocabulary is deliberately minimal. What Max Martin and Oscar Holter built around it (layered synth bass, electronic percussion, tightly stacked vocal harmonies) does the heavy lifting, turning a beginner-level progression into a radio-sized anthem. The approach is consistent with Martin's production philosophy: clarity of harmony so the emotional arc of the melody lands without interference.

Chris Martin came up with the title first but spent time unable to match it with a melody. The breakthrough came when he discovered a particularly resonant sink and started tapping it as a percussive beat. He moved to a piano keyboard and, as he told BBC journalist Mark Savage, 'the song just landed in one go.' The writing is credited to all four Coldplay members alongside Federico Vindver and Denise Carite.

Released on 7 May 2021 as the lead single from their ninth album Music of the Spheres, 'Higher Power' marked Coldplay's fullest embrace of electronic dance-pop, enlisting Max Martin as lead producer. Chris Martin's aspirational lyrics about finding 'the astronaut in all of us' rode a driving synth groove to a Grammy nomination and the highest PPL chart position for any band on British radio and TV that year.