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Orphans (song)
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Orphans
| type = single
| artist = Coldplay
| album = Everyday Life
| cover = Coldplay - Arabesque - Orphans.png
| caption =
| alt = Picture sleeve for (7-inch vinyl) double A-side single
| released =
| recorded =
| genre =
| length =
| label = Parlophone
| writer =
* Guy Berryman
* Jonny Buckland
* Will Champion
* Chris Martin
* Moses Martin
| producer =
* Rik Simpson
* Dan Green
* Bill Rahko
| prev_title = Miracles (Someone Special)
| prev_year = 2017
| year = 2019
| title = Orphans
| title2 = Arabesque
| next_title = Higher Power
| next_year = 2021
| misc =
}}
"'Orphans'" is a song by British rock band Coldplay from their eighth studio album 'Everyday Life'. It was released on 24 October 2019, along with the single "Arabesque" and appears on the second side of the album 'Sunset'. The song was written by the band members and produced by The Dream Team.
Background and promotion
On 24 October 2019, the band announced the release (on the same day) of the songs "Arabesque" and "Orphans" as a dual release and as the first singles off 'Everyday Life'. About the content of the songs, lead singer Chris Martin said in an interview with BBC Radio 1 that "some of its very personal, about real things in my life, and some of its about things that I see or we see, and some of its about trying to empathise about what other people are going through". On the day of the release, the band set up a timer counting down to the release of the songs.
The subject matter of the song includes the plight of refugees of the Syrian civil war. Martin told the BBC, It seems to me that one of the things that might help people have a better time is to put themselves in other peoples shoes, whether thats these kids who have to leave Syria, or who grew up in Baltimore, or whatever it might be. Rather than judging from afar, maybe to think I wonder what its like to be there.' Coldplay donated 10% of the worldwide proceeds from the song to the refugee charity Hopeland.
Recording
The song was recorded last-minute during the mixing of the album 'Everyday Life', for which it served as one of two lead singles.
Music video
The song's music video, directed by Mat Whitecross, premiered on 25 October 2019. The music video shows the development of the song from its earliest roots, a voice memo by Chris Martin in which the singer is heard talking about the tuning of his guitar before playing what would become the song's main riff, to the fully polished song that was released. The music video won an award at the 2020 MTV VMAs for 'Best Rock' music video.
Live performances
The song was performed live for the first time during NBC's 'Saturday Night Live' on 2 November 2019. In a rehearsal, Martin explained to the dancers who accompanied the band's performance, "This song is about, you see all these pictures of young people like you and a bit older people like us, having to leave their countries and everyone calls them refugees or migrants rather than just people. So we were thinking about, this could be any of us who is in these camps or at the border or whatever. And that's what this songs about, it's like people like us saying, 'I just want to go home and be normal.'" "Orphans" was later played live on the 'Annie Mac Show' on BBC Radio 1 on 27 November 2019 along with "Arabesque", "Everyday Life", "Lovers in Japan", and "Guns".
Personnel
Credits adapted from the "Orphans / Arabesque" liner notes.
* Guy Berryman bass guitar
* Will Champion drums, percussion, backing vocals
* Jonny Buckland guitar
* Chris Martin guitar, vocals
* Aluna choir vocal
* Garine Antreassian choir vocal
* Jocelyn 'Jozzy' Donald choir vocal
* Nadeen Fanous choir vocal
* Marwa Kreitem choir vocal
* Apple Martin choir vocal
* Max Martin keyboards
* Moses Martin choir and backing vocal
* Bashar Murad choir vocal
* Ben Oerlemans choir vocal
* Bill Rahko choir vocal
* Norah Shaqur choir vocal
* Rik Simpson keyboards
* Daniel Green producer
* Emily Lazar mastering
* Max Martin producer, programming
* Bill Rahko producer
* Rik Simpson producer
* Erwan Abbas assistant engineering
* Chris Allgood assistant mastering
* Matt Glasbey assistant engineering
* Pierre Houle additional engineering
* Matt Latham assistant engineering
* Baptiste Leroy assistant engineering
* Bastien Lozier additional engineering
* Issam Murad assistant engineering
* Anthony De Souza assistant engineering
* Federico Vindver additional engineering
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
References
Category:2019 singles
Category:2019 songs
Category:Charity singles
Category:Coldplay songs
Category:Parlophone singles
Category:Songs written by Chris Martin
Category:Songs written by Guy Berryman
Category:Songs written by Jonny Buckland
Category:Songs written by Will Champion
Category:Music videos directed by Mat Whitecross
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