The song “Something Just Like This” begins with a three-chord progression that sounds exactly like “Closer.” Or is it “Roses,” maybe? Doesn’t matter. Seven seconds go by and then you hear Chris Martin’s warm, familiar voice. More seconds go by, the music begins to build up and then it drops into oddly similar beats. Now I think it might sound like “Paris,” or maybe “All We Know.” Whatever. The rest of the song goes through the same cycles of quiet, buildup and drop — it’s typical and disappointing.

I’m going to be brave and just say it: I don’t like The Chainsmokers. I really wish I did, especially since we all know that the cute, ex-frat star Drew Taggart also used to endure the cold Syracuse winters when he was a student here. I still think it’s cool that he’s an alumnus, but it doesn’t really excuse the generic electronic dance music that he and his friend, Alex Pall, produce.

This collaboration with Coldplay only proves my point. It also makes me question if this duo is capable of doing anything other than altering the same three chords and bouncing around the stage. Sure, maybe they’re being smart by targeting their market, but I’m really tired of hearing these same songs play in the background of every college house party.

It’s often a challenge to tell the difference between any of the duo’s songs. “Something Just Like This” is just like their other music, except this time they partnered with Coldplay, a band that has recently been criticized for similar problems.

The large difference between the two groups is that Coldplay has been ruling the music industry for almost two decades and The Chainsmokers have only been recognized by the mainstream for the last couple of years. I don’t put too much blame on Coldplay for this bland song because it’s just another old band struggling to stay relevant. However, The Chainsmokers are at their prime, and any new artists just breaking into the music industry should be the trendsetters. Instead, the duo is really just producing the same vanilla EDM pop that does nothing new.

I’m not letting Coldplay remain blameless, though. Even the band’s haters can confess that they’ve shed a tear to “The Scientist,” and it is frustrating to realize that this same band would decide to release this boring single. Coldplay brought the world classic hits like “Yellow” and “Fix You,” and it brings me great sadness to see that the band has resorted to “Something Just Like This.” This substandard song only shows how much this beloved rock band is struggling to stay in the music industry.

I didn’t mean for this song review to turn into a roast for The Chainsmokers and Coldplay, but this single fails to satisfy. I expected more from the recent Grammy-winning duo and another well-awarded band. If the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences can recognize that these musicians can make good music, then I’m wondering why I’m still not convinced. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt and say “Something Just Like This” is a misrepresentation of both groups’ potential and musical talents. But all I want for these two different artists is for them to prove me wrong and produce the original, quality music that everyone knows they can.

Christine Chung is a senior communication and rhetorical studies major. Her column appears weekly in Pulp. She can be reached at chchun02@syr.edu.

Published on February 26, 2017 at 9:31 pm