"Sparks" | |
---|---|
Song by Coldplay | |
from the album Parachutes | |
Released | 10 July 2000 |
Recorded | 1999–2000 |
Genre | Soft rock |
Length | 3:47 |
Label | Parlophone |
Songwriter(s) | |
Producer(s) |
"Sparks" is a song by the British rock band Coldplay. They wrote and co-produced it with producer Ken Nelson for their debut album, Parachutes (2000). [1] Dubbed a "calming" piece, the song experienced a chart resurgence in the 2020s decade. [2]
According to producer Ken Nelson, "Sparks" was recorded at the same time as "We Never Change". [1] He described it as "basically a live take", with Jonny Buckland adding his guitar parts afterwards. [1] The lyrics of the song tell the story of a person asking for a second chance after letting down their partner ("And I know I was wrong" / "But I won't let you down"). [3] Mary Siroky from Consequence noted that "the waltz tempo ensures a feeling of intimacy and romantic longing persists". [4]
"Sparks" has been ranked among the best Coldplay songs by Billboard, [5] and Consequence. [4] The former said that "Even if the band thought it couldn't hold up as a single like ' Yellow' or ' Trouble', 'Sparks' is still one of the most raw displays of [ Chris Martin]'s gripping vocal abilities of Coldplay's catalog". [5] The song later experienced a resurgence on music charts during the 2020s decade after going viral on TikTok. [6]
The band have consistently performed the song during the Parachutes (2000–01), [7] and Music of the Spheres (2022–24) tours. [8]
American R&B singer Brandy integrated the opening lyrics of the song in "I Tried", from her album Afrodisiac (2004). [9] Kristina Train covered "Sparks" for I Give It a Year, a British romantic comedy released in 2013. [10] Ten years later, Jordana shared a cover of the track as well. [11]
Credits adapted from Tidal. [12]
Chart (2022–2024) | Peak position |
---|---|
Portugal ( AFP) [13] | 95 |
Singapore ( RIAS) [14] | 19 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia ( ARIA) [16] | 2× Platinum | 140,000 [15] |
Denmark ( IFPI Danmark) [17] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
Italy ( FIMI) [18] | Gold | 50,000‡ |
Portugal ( AFP) [19] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
Spain ( PROMUSICAE) [20] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
United Kingdom ( BPI) [21] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
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