Since the release of Every Teardrop Is A waterfall, I have been a Coldplay fan. Today I’m still listening to Take Me Back To The Start, Yellow and Something Just Like This. However, I listened to K-pop in 2013-2015 when I would religiously listen to Girls Generation for hours on end. Then I stopped only listening to Let it Rain now and then. I was aware of BTS’s existence, but I didn’t expect them to collab with Coldplay.
Is the collaboration ‘My Universe’ good enough to launch me into the solar system, or will I desperately need to go to an alternate universe?
Intro and First verse
Before we get the lyrics to the song, we get a high tempo piano note and synth drop.
You (You), you are (You are) my universe
And I (I), just want (Just want) to put you first
You (You), you are (You are) my universe, and I
The rhyme between the universe and first creates a nice couplet, but what hooks you is Chris Martin’s run on ‘first’. The repetitions of words create an atmospheric echoing effect that entices you to believe they’re shouting up in space–although you know they’re not.
In the night, I lie and look up at you
When the morning comes, I watch you rise
There’s a paradise they couldn’t capture
That bright infinity inside your eyes
I like the semantic field with infinities and eyes. It adds to the space travel feel the artists are trying to capture. It’s also delightful ( for some, it might be a bit sickly, but I enjoy it) and emphasises the love between the singer and imaginary human being well.
Pre-chorus
Now the pre-chorus is sung partly in Korean. I’ve gathered the English translation for those of us that can’t understand it.
Korean Lyrics:
매일 밤 네게 날아가 (가)
꿈이란 것도 잊은 채
나 웃으며 너를 만나 (나)
Never-ending forever, baby.
English translation:
I fly to you every night (Fly)
Forgetting that it’s just a dream
I meet you with a smile (Meet)
Never-ending forever, baby
When I first heard this, I didn’t notice the Korean lyric change and just thought it sounded good, and then I realised and got thrown for a loop as I was trying to figure out whether I liked it or not!
Ultimately having Korean lyrics in a pop song that’s primarily English instead of English lyrics thrown into the Korean is not what people are used to in music. However, it’s no different to us listening to a K-pop song. Yes, I have no idea what the content of the lyrics is till ‘Never ending forever baby.’ But from listening, it fits the beats of the music well, and there are nice runs from Jung- Kook and pleasing tonality.
I’m now reading the English translation. And it makes sense with the story as the singer was in bed watching their lover. I like the continued repetition as it feels like shouting into space, and again with the instrumental, it all works well!
Verse 2:
Korean:
어둠이 내겐 더 편했었지
길어진 그림자 속에서 (Eyes)
And they said that we can’t be togethеr
Because becausе we come from different sides
English Translation:
Darkness used to be more comfortable for me
Within the long shadows (Eyes)
And they said that we can’t be together
Because, because we come from different sides
I can’t comment that much on the Korean lyrics more than they sound great. Even though I have the English translation in front of me, I can say that it matches up well with the storytelling within the lyrics.
However, the English lyrics within the Korean I can comment on!
I like how it’s meta, talking about love on all sides and how two people, despite differences, are coming together. However, It’s also poking fun at the idea that traditional British pop/rock like Coldplay and K-pop can’t work together and well, now it has.
Second pre-chorus:
Now I could’ve spoken about the bridge sung by j-hope and SUGA. However, that would’ve been another line where I say I don’t understand the words, but I love it, and that’s boring for me to write and for you to read.
Instead, I’m skipping to the second pre-chorus as that’s got English lyrics I can adequately criticise. Plus, I can talk about something new without repeating myself!
Korean:
너와 함께 날아가
When I’m without you I’m crazy
자 어서 내 손을 잡아
We are made of each other, baby
English Translation:
I fly together with you
When I’m without you I’m crazy
Come hold my hand now
We are made of each other, baby
I still think the storytelling is great and sticks to the space theme and universe image well. I think ‘we are made of each other’ imagery is reminiscent of metaphysical poetry and being made of one another.
Chris Martin (well, Coldplay) and Jung-Kook have some good harmonies that are perfect.
Although the song doesn’t finish here, there’s nothing new I can write. Ultimately the instrumentalisation is catchy. The synths, piano and drums give this an excellent up-tempo sound that is well sustained and held. And Coldplay and BTS work well together to make it as atmospheric as possible.
Even though I can’t understand half the lyrics, I still enjoy the song and admire these two for bringing two genres together that are strongly linked but never combined. It needs to happen more often. Three and a half stars because it’s just that upbeat, catchy and experimental!
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