Coldplay Challenges Fans to a Global Scavenger Hunt—and Shares Lyrics From Their Upcoming Album That Are Out of This Universe

This week, Coldplay fans encountered an out-of-this-world mystery. Digital billboards appeared in cities across the globe, flickering with messages in an alien language that only the most dedicated listeners could decode. And online, social media was abuzz with speculation. Finally, after expert sleuthing, fans cracked the case. The symbols on the billboards were, in fact, lyrics from the group’s ninth album, Music Of The Spheres, which debuts tomorrow, October 15. Spotify partnered with Coldplay on the earthly adventure, engaging listeners worldwide in a week-long scavenger hunt to find the billboard sites. Clues on social media and on Spotify guided fans to the next location. Plus, the billboards’ cryptic displays contained a hidden Spotify code that, when scanned, took participants to the Music Of The Spheres playlist (available no matter what galaxy you’re in). The album launch marks another exciting chapter in the group’s 21 years of hit-making milestones. Coldplay has accumulated more than 16.7 billion all-time streams, so we took a look at our Spotify streaming data to see their impact. Though each of their albums is iconic, their top five most-streamed are:

1. 1. 1. A Head Full of Dreams with over 2.4 billion streams.
      2. A Rush of Blood to the Head with over 2.1 billion streams.
      3. Ghost Stories with over 2 billion streams.
      4. Parachutes with over 1.7 billion streams.
      5. Mylo Xyloto with over 1.5 billion streams.

With eight studio albums already under their belts, the artists also have an impressive catalogue of tracks. The top five most-streamed tracks are:

1. 1. 1. “Something Just Like This” (with The Chainsmokers) with more than 1.5 billion streams.
      2. “The Scientist” with more than 1 billion streams.
      3. “Yellow” with more than 940 million streams.
      4. “Viva La Vida” with more than 930 million streams.
      5. “Fix You” with more than 850 million streams.

And the release of Music Of The Spheres will likely add to those numbers. Already, the first single, a collaboration with K-pop sensation BTS called “My Universe,” has drawn new fans and excited longtime followers. The track also happens to have helped kick off the global scavenger hunt through a Spotify Canvas—a short looping video accompanying the track—that revealed clues to help locate the first billboard. For fans following along on social media, however, the first alien message came directly from Coldplay. On Sunday, October 10, the group sent the first hint to fans worldwide. The symbols, spheres, and coordinates teased of the adventure to come on Monday. Then, in the U.K., Londoners spotted the first billboard—quickly followed by a sighting in Moscow, Russia.

In London, fans learned the lyrics to “Biutyful.” While in Moscow, Coldplay made contact and shared “Humankind.”

Across the globe, in the United States, an unidentified floating billboard was spotted on Tuesday in Los Angeles, California. There, Selena Gomez fans had an exciting surprise—an upcoming collaboration with Coldplay on “Let Somebody Go.”

One of the final spooky sightings occurred today, in São Paulo, Brazil, where residents found extraterrestrials among themselves. The song “Human Heart” arrived courtesy of a flying saucer.

The other was in Johannesburg, South Africa, where a billboard sported the last words from outer space: “People of the Pride.”

Coldplay comes in peace. Start your intergalactic adventure and stream the Music Of The Spheres playlist now. Then, let the new release, Music Of The Spheres, transport you to another universe on October 15.