How Coldplay stays on top

Coldplay may be the blueprint for the 21st-century rock band.

These days, rock stars are fewer and farther between, to the point that Nielsen Music says that so far in 2017, hip-hop has overthrown rock as the most popular genre in America for the first time. In Pollstar's list of the top 50 tours so far this year, there are only three rock bands that were established this century — Twenty-One Pilots, Kings of Leon and Panic at the Disco — all lodged near the bottom of the list.

Coldplay, however, is bucking that trend. The British band's last album, "A Head Full of Dreams," sold nearly 2 million copies worldwide, enough to land it at No. 8 for all of 2015, even though it was released only that December. The band has been playing stadiums for the past year, including a stop next Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Its most recent single, "Something Just Like This," a collaboration with the Chainsmokers, peaked at No. 3 this spring, one of the few rock tracks to make an impact on pop radio this year.

That kind of collaboration may be the secret to Coldplay's success.

"When you've been a band for nearly 20 years, finding fresh inspiration isn't always that easy," Coldplay drummer Will Champion told the Los Angeles Times. "So when someone new comes in, you grab the chance."

But the collaboration is not just for inspiration. Lisa Worden, music director at L.A. radio station KROQ-FM, told the Times that working with Beyoncé or the up-and-comer Tove Lo helps the band stay relevant in the ever-changing pop landscape.

"It keeps them in touch with a younger audience, which hears 'Adventure of a Lifetime' and says, 'Coldplay is still speaking to us,' " Worden said.

However, Coldplay looks like it plans to take its new inspirations and run with them. It's a long way from "Yellow" to "Adventure of a Lifetime."

"We felt like rock music has been done," singer Chris Martin told the Daily Telegraph when "A Head Full of Dreams" was released.

"There's an awful lot of rock music already out there," agreed bassist Guy Berryman. "I'm not sure there is anything left to add."

However, this new hybrid of rock and pop and dance music that Coldplay has been working on seems to be working for both the band and its fans.

Coldplay's new EP, "Kaleidoscope" (Atlantic), is heavy on the collaborations, featuring its smash hit "Something Just Like This" with the Chainsmokers, as well as the new single "Miracles (Someone Special)" with rapper Big Sean. "A L I E N S," which the band co-wrote with the great Brian Eno, will also be released as a single with proceeds going to Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), an international group that rescues migrants and refugees struggling in the Mediterranean Sea.

By maintaining Coldplay's A-list status, the band also gives the causes it supports a higher profile.