Something Just Like This

The harmony of 'Something Just Like This' is deliberately minimal — a single four-chord loop (VI–VII–i–VII in B minor) that never modulates, never introduces a dominant chord, and never departs from the natural minor scale. This dominant-free, modal-plateau approach is characteristic of 2010s EDM-pop, where harmonic interest is subordinated to texture, dynamics, and production builds. The suspended A chord and the add9 on G provide just enough color to prevent the loop from feeling static, while the absence of a V chord (F#) keeps the emotional tone earnest and open rather than dramatically resolved.

The song emerged from a creative meeting between The Chainsmokers — Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall — and all four members of Coldplay: Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, and Will Champion. The lyrics center on the idea that one doesn't need a mythical superhero love story, just something genuine and relatable. Taggart and Martin shaped the vocal melody around the contrast between larger-than-life comic-book imagery and everyday human connection.

Released in February 2017, 'Something Just Like This' fused The Chainsmokers' festival-ready electronic production with Chris Martin's emotionally direct vocals to create one of the decade's most ubiquitous crossover hits. Peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching the Top 10 in over 30 countries, it became a defining example of pop-EDM collaboration and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.