Coldplay's "Trouble In Town" Video Depicts Racism And Police Violence Via Anthropomorphic Characters

I argued last year that Everyday Life is the best Coldplay album in a very long time. One the strongest arguments for the album is “Trouble In Town,” a moody reflection on institutionalized racism and police violence that builds to a stunning climax reminiscent Radiohead’s “All I Need” set to disturbing audio a Philadelphia stop-and-frisk. It’s an amazing song, and now it has a video directed by Aoife McCardle.

Coldplay being Coldplay, the video further explores the song’s themes — and by extension many other systemic problems — a bunch anthropomorphic characters who chase, harass, and physically assault each other. As the group’s publicist explains it, “Inspired by George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the video is set in a dystopian world populated by animals, including politician pigs, street-hustling foxes and an ficious snow leopard cop.” Yes, they’ve gone and Coldplayed the thing.

Is this video ridiculous? Yes. Is it helping me convince you to take Coldplay seriously in Anno Domini 2020? Probably not. Can you watch it below, assuming your face isn’t in your palm right now? You can. Will you? Let us know in the comments.

Everyday Life is out now on Atlantic/Parlophone. Get it here.