Hymn for the Weekend

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"Hymn for the Weekend"

Single by Coldplay

from the album A Head Full of Dreams

Released

25 January 2016

Format

Digital download

Genre

Pop rock
dance-rock
electronic rock

Length
4:18 (album version)
4:00 (radio edit)
Label
Writer(s)

Parlophone
Guy Berryman
Jonny Buckland
Will Champion
Chris Martin

Producer(s)

Rik Simpson

Stargate
Digital Divide
Coldplay singles chronology
"Adventure of a "Hymn for the
Lifetime"

Weekend"

(2015)

(2016)

"Up & Up"

(2016)

"Hymn for the Weekend" is a song by British rock band Coldplay. It features uncredited
backing vocals from American singerBeyonc. It was released on 25 January 2016 as the
second single from their seventh studio album, A Head Full of Dreams (2015), where it
appears as the third track.
Contents
[hide]

1Background

2Critical reception

3Music video

4Live performance

5Track listing

6Personnel

7Charts

8Certifications

9Release history

10References

11External links

Background[edit]

Chris Martin and Beyonc in 2006, attending a party held by Jay Z

The song was debuted on Annie Mac's BBC radio show on 30 November 2015, and Coldplay
bassist Guy Berryman dialed in after the song aired to talk about his brush with royalty.
According to Berryman, lead singer Chris Martin originally wanted the song to be a party song
with the lyrics "drinks on me, drinks on me", but his bandmates didn't think that would go well
with their fans. Martin's longtime friend Beyonc was asked to sing on the song, and she
accepted the request.[1]
Martin corroborated Berryman's story about the band protesting him singing, "Drinks on me,
drinks on me" in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. According to Martin, the original
kernel was that he was listening to Flo Rida or something, and he thought, it's such a shame
that Coldplay could never have one of those late-night club songs, like "Turn Down for What".
"I thought Id like to have a song called 'Drinks on Me' where you sit on the side of a club and
buy everyone drinks because you're so fucking cool," Martin recalled. "I was chuckling about
that, when this melody came, 'drinks on me, drinks on me', then the rest of the song came out.
I presented it to the rest of the band and they said, 'We love this song, but there's no way you
can sing "drinks on me."' So that changed into 'drink from me' and the idea of having an
angelic person in your life. Then that turned into asking Beyonc to sing on it." [2]

Critical reception[edit]
Jody Rosen of Billboard called it "the album's grooviest".[3] Helen Brown of The Daily
Telegraph wrote: "Beyonc makes more of her appearance on Hymn for the Weekend,
bringing her chunky harmonies and no-nonsense brass section to a peppy little excursion into
indie r&b which opens with a paradisiacal fanfare and finds Martin dropping out of his falsetto
autopilot into a more raw voice."[4] Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe wrote "... it's with the
third track, 'Hymn for the Weekend', that the album truly lifts off on the wings of an angelic choir
(including Beyonc), a swaggering piano, and a euphoric, lightly funky track bolstering Martins
exclamations of feeling high."[5]
In a mixed review, Carl Williot of Idolator wrote, "The Beyonc-assisted 'Hymn for the
Weekend' almost equals (the album's) energy, but it lacks the drama of 'Princess of China'",
adding, as a track featuring Beyonc "you'd expect a show-stopping moment." He concluded
"the guys sound like total goobers trying to do the club swagger thing, like a drunk dad doing
the rap dance du jour at a wedding."[6]

Music video[edit]
According to The Times of India, the video was shot in October 2015 at various Indian cities
including Varanasi Worli Village, Mumbai and Kolkata. The fort showcased at the start and in
between is Bassein Fort aka Saint Sebastian's Fort located in Vasai, Mumbai. The video is
themed on the Indian festival of Holi.The video was filmed by Ben Mor, and was released on
29 January 2016.[7][8] The video features Beyonc and Indian actress Sonam Kapoor.[9]

The music video was criticized on social media for its stereotypical portrayal of Indian society.[10]

Live performance[edit]
The song was performed for the first time during the 2016 Brit Awards on 24 February 2016.[11]
[12]

Track listing[edit]
Digital download
No
Title
.
1. "Hymn for the Weekend"

Length
4:18

Digital download (Radio Edit)

No
Title
.
1. "Hymn for the Weekend" (Radio Edit)

Length
4:00

Digital download (SeeB Remix)

No
Title
.
1. "Hymn for the Weekend" (SeeB Remix)

Personnel[edit]
Credits are adapted from A Head Full of Dreams liner notes.[13]
Coldplay

Guy Berryman bass guitar

Jonny Buckland electric guitar

Will Champion drums, drum pad, percussion, backing vocals

Chris Martin lead vocals, piano, acoustic guitar

Additional musicians

Tim Bergling additional programming

Regiment Horns brass

Beyonc vocals

Charts[edit]

Length
3:32

Chart (201516)

Peak
position

Argentina (Los 40 Principales)[14]

Australia (ARIA)[15]

24

Austria (3 Austria Top 40)[16]

10

Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[17]

Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[18]

Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[19]

32

Croatia (Airplay Radio Chart)[20]

Czech Republic (Rdio Top 100)[21]

26

Czech Republic (Singles Digitl Top 100)[22]

Denmark (Tracklisten)[23]

20

France (SNEP)[24]

Germany (Official German Charts)[25]

11

Hungary (Rdis Top 40)[26]

34

Hungary (Single Top 40)[27]

Chart (201516)

Peak
position

Ireland (IRMA)[28]

Israel (Media Forest)[29]

Italy (FIMI)[30]

Lebanon (Official Top 20)[31]

Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[32]

11

Netherlands (Single Top 100)[33]

18

New Zealand Heatseekers (RMNZ)[34]

Norway (VG-lista)[35]

14

Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[36]

Scotland (Official Charts Company)[37]

Slovakia (Rdio Top 100)[38]

South Africa (EMA)[39]

Spain (PROMUSICAE)[40]

14

Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[41]

38

Peak
position

Chart (201516)

Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[42]

UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[43]

US Billboard Hot 100[44]

64

US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[45]

US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[46]

Certifications[edit]
Region

Certification

Sales/shipments

Australia (ARIA)[47]

Gold

35,000

Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[48]

Gold

30,000

Italy (FIMI)[49]

2 Platinum

100,000

Poland (ZPAV)[50]

Platinum

20,000

Spain (PROMUSICAE)[51]

Gold

20,000

Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[52]

Gold

15,000

United Kingdom (BPI)[53]

Gold

400,000

Region

Certification

Sales/shipments

*
sales figures based on certification alone
shipments figures based on certification alone
x
unspecified figures based on certification alone
^

Release history[edit]
Country

Italy

Date

Format

5 February 2016

Label

Ref.

Parlophone

[54]

Atlantic

[55]

Contemporary hit radio

United States

26 April 2016