Coldplay and BTS Reminisce About Love in Their New Collaborative Track "My Universe"

Announced early in September 2021, the collaborative track between Coldplay and BTS titled "My Universe" has finally hit streaming services, and fans are as excited as can be to hear the American and Korean superstars join forces on a singular track.

Exploring the ideas of love and its difficulties, and overall promoting unity, "My Universe" sees the stars crossing over into new territory in pop music, and the final product seems to be a smash hit among listeners of both groups already.

With that being said, what exactly is the full meaning behind "My Universe," and what spurred this collaborative effort between BTS and Coldplay? Keep reading for a complete breakdown of the new song, including what Chris Martin told Kelly Clarkson about the song's meaning.

The new collaborative effort from the two music giants stands as a testament to the notion that no matter what cultural divides keep people apart, anyone can come together over a love of genuinely good music. Coldplay and BTS have both individually smashed records and released countless chart-topping hits, but "My Universe" stands out as a unique approach to the sounds that made each group as famous as they are.

Released with an accompanying lyric video, "My Universe" is a synth-heavy ode to both Coldplay and BTS. It leads off with Coldplay singer Chris Martin's signature vocals, belting out, "You, you are my universe / and I just want to put you first."

Chris then goes into describing waking up next to someone he loves and the feeling of happiness it evokes, singing, "There's a paradise they couldn't capture / That bright infinity inside your eyes."

Those lyrics then fade into Jung Kook's heavenly singing, carrying on Chris's message from the previous lyrics. Translated from Korean, he sings, "I fly to you every night (fly) / Forgetting that it's just a dream / I meet you with a smile (meet)" and is then joined by Chris to harmonize "Never ending forever, baby."

It's clear through those words alone that the track is focused on love and all of the beautiful aspects of being with someone you truly care about. However, after a reprisal of Chris's chorus, RM joins in to reflect on some of the darker moments of that feeling as well. The singer hones in on the idea of not being able to be with someone you care about because of unnamed differences.

Translated into English, the K-Pop star says "Darkness used to be more comfortable for me / Within the long shadows (eyes) / And they said that we can't be together." He is then joined by Chris, who harmonizes "Because, because we come from different sides."

The chorus reprises yet again, but the vibe of the track shifts afterward to include some rapped lyrics from J-Hope and singing from SUGA.

The duo returns to the original meaning of the positive aspects of being in love, with J-Hope rapping, "What brightens me up / Are the stars embroidered with your love / In my universe, you / Make another world for me." SUGA then taps in and sings, "Because, you are my stars and my universe / These hardships are just temporary / Always shine bright as you always do / We will follow you through this long night."

The song's pre-chorus sees Jung Kook, Jimin, and Chris all exchanging lyrics one after another, singing, "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."

Chris's chorus is reprised yet again following that, but then he and the BTS members all harmonize on the outro. In the lyric video as the song fades out, the message "We are all one in the universe" is shown on screen, a nod to unity and togetherness, core elements of the track.

Per NME, Chris told Kelly Clarkson during an interview on her namesake show, "We really don’t believe in any boundaries or separation of anything really, and so the song 'My Universe' is about someone being told they can’t love a certain other person, or can’t be with this race, or they can’t be gay, whatever it might be, and we thought it would be good to sing this with BTS because maybe we’re not supposed to be together."

Clearly, the song is a resounding success for both groups, as it tallied up nearly 12 million views less than 12 hours after premiering on YouTube. "My Universe" serves as the third single released so far off of Coldplay's forthcoming album, "Music of the Spheres," which is set to come out on Oct. 15, 2021.