Aliens (Coldplay song)

"Aliens" (stylised as "A L I E N S") is a song by British rock band Coldplay. The song was written by all four members of Coldplay as well as Brian Eno, with production handled by Markus Dravs, Rik Simpson and Brian Eno. It was released on 6 July 2017, as the third promotional single from the band's thirteenth EP "Kaleidoscope EP" (2017).
Background.
"Aliens" was released as a charity single on 6 July 2017. All proceeds from the song will be donated to the international NGO Migrant Offshore Aid Station, which rescues migrants and refugees in peril at sea in the Mediterranean. On 21 July, a remix of the song by Markus Dravs was released as a single.
Critical reception.
Jeremy Gordon of "Spin" magazine wrote: "The skittering percussion and swirling electronics that open up the song are completely dissimilar from the EDM components they picked up on the way to their regrettable successful Chainsmokers collaboration; the spooky tones permeating the spaces in between Martin's indefatigably earnest vocals sound like background music from an "X-Files" episode. The song is constantly in motion, as all the elements pulse and hum in the same direction. It's cluttered, but not distracting. Martin's lyrics, which address the refugee crisis, lean hard on the maudlin side, which is not an unfamiliar space for the band to be." Althea Legaspi of "Rolling Stone" magazine wrote: "The song's pulsating rhythms emulate the racing heartbeat that might accompany searching for safety in a bleak world." Bianca Gracie of Fuse called the melody "blippy" and "space-age". Darragh Berry of "Joe" wrote that the song has "the distinctive Coldplay sound" and called the lyrics "deep" and "meaningful".
Music video.
The animated lyrics video was directed by Diane Martel and Ben Jones. It shows a family running from explosions on the ground and foreboding creatures in the sky, as they escape from a planet.
Credits and personnel.
Credits adapted from Tidal.