Coldplay

Last year, Coldplay's Chris Martin learned a valuable lesson: Be cautious when invoking the sacred name of Bono. Martin broke this rule just prior to the release of X&Y, telling scribes he wanted the disc to hit U2-esque heights. As a result, critics were waiting for the CD with machetes...

By Michael Roberts

February 16, 2006

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Last year, Coldplay's Chris Martin learned a valuable lesson: Be cautious when invoking the sacred name of Bono. Martin broke this rule just prior to the release of X&Y, telling scribes he wanted the disc to hit U2-esque heights. As a result, critics were waiting for the CD with machetes unsheathed, and many of them took inordinate delight in carving up Martin's lyrics. Granted, the images sprinkled throughout the likes of "Swallowed in the Sea" weren't poppin' fresh, but hit single "Speed of Sound" and other cuts were as effectively anthemic as advertised. This material is actually vast enough to fill the Pepsi Center, where Coldplay will be joined by Fiona Apple, whose surname matches the handle Martin and wife Gwyneth Paltrow hung on their daughter. With Paltrow preggers again, tabloid types are eager to discover what moniker the couple will slap on their next-born. If they choose "Bono," they deserve what they get.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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