“Let Somebody Go” by Coldplay and Selena Gomez

Most simply put, Coldplay’s “Let Somebody Go” is a breakup song. The vocalists are portraying lovers or the respective male and female sides of the same coin. And there really isn’t anything complex or revolutionary going on here, except for the lyrics mildly operating along an astronomical motif. 

But the narrative being relayed is based on a premise that is perhaps the most common amongst these types of track, that of the vocalist beforehand being under the impression that his romance with the addressee would never end. But ended it has, and now comes the aftermath of being depressed, confused and most notably emotionally devastated.  Such is the result of ‘letting somebody you love go’.

The outro is perhaps the only part of the song that theoretically can point to two different ideas. On one hand, it may be the vocalist telling his significant other that even though the two of them have gone their separate ways, she will always be a part of his life. That would be the most logical explanation. 

But going a bit out on a limb, Chris Martin may also be celebrating having found a new love after already having his heart broken by another lady, thus meaning there would be two different addressees. But in any event, the thesis sentiment of this piece would be that having to “let… go” of the person you’re in love with is, in layman’s terms, emotionally painful.

Facts about “Let Somebody Go”

This track can be found on Coldplay’s ninth-studio album, “Music of the Spheres”, which was released on 15 October 2021 via record labels Parlophone and Atlantic. Said project also features another collaboration of the likes we thought we’d never see, with Chris Martin and co. teaming up with K-pop’s BTS. 

And “Let Somebody Go” is in fact the first time the band has partnered with Selena Gomez. 

Moreover, it was actually Coldplay’s idea to enlist Selena for this track. And, as implied above, the British band has also set out to drop more diverse collaborations into the future, at this point in their career trajectory.

There is an official lyric video to this song, directed by Victor Scorrano and Pilar Zeta, that came out on the same day as the track. 

The first time Selena Gomez and Coldplay performed this tune live was a few days after, on 18 October. The performance took place on The Late Late Show with James Corden.

The first teasing of this track was committed on the same day, 4 October 2021, by both parties involved.

More Interesting Facts

This song was co-produced by a couple of Swedish powerhouses in the world of music, Oscar Holter and Max Martin. And the other producer is Los Angeles based Bill Rahko.

And just like Max Martin, Bill Rahko was also involved in the creation of Coldplay’s most recent studio album prior to this one, “Everyday Life” (2019).

As for Selena Gomez, it can be said that, despite how successful Coldplay themselves are, she’s even more famous. That is because she is not only well known in pop music circles but is also an accomplished actress. This is on top of her being ridiculously popular on social media and in the tabloids. 

That noted, Gomez isn’t as prolific on the musical tip as Coldplay. But her last studio album, 2020’s Rare, still topped the Billboard 200, as did the two she released prior.

In addition to the three aforementioned producers of “Let Somebody Go”, the other co-writers are:

• Livvi Franc
• Metro Boomin

And of course the following members of Coldplay also hold writing credits:

• Chris Martin
• Guy Berryman
• Will Champion
• Jonny Buckland

Also interesting to note is that Chris’s firstborn, Apple Martin (whose mother is Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow), is also credited as an author of this song.