"Paradise" is a song by Britishalternative rock band Coldplay. The song was released on 12 September 2011 as the second single from their fifth studio album, Mylo Xyloto[1]. The song received its radio debut at 7:50am on The Chris Moyles Show (BBC Radio 1) on 12 September 2011[2][3]. According to Coldplay's official website, the single was not initially chart eligible in the United Kingdom, because it was avaliable on iTunes as an "instant grat" (immediate download) when pre-ordering the album.[4] Following the release of the album on 30 October 2011, the song became chart eligible in the UK and entered the UK Singles Chart at number 14. To date it has peaked at No11 on the UK Singles Chart. It has been met with generally positive reception from critics. On November 30, the song was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category, Best Pop/Duo Group Performance. The winner will be announced on February 12, 2012 at the 54th Grammy Awards.
Following release on 12 September 2011, "Paradise" was revealed chart inelligible in the United Kingdom, having been offered as an "instant grat" (immediate download) for anyone who pre-ordered the album, Mylo Xyloto. The release of the album on 24 October 2011 saw "Paradise" debut at number fourteen on the UK Singles Chart with sales of 27,277 copies; having sold 118,547 copies in the six weeks of chart inelligiblity.
It climbed up the chart to No11 in 27th November in the UK Singles Chart. It was also a Top 20 hit in many countries in Europe.
In the US it reached No15 on the US Billboard Chart.
Coldplay initially announced that the single's music video would be directed by Hype Williams (who previously directed the first version of the "Viva la Vida" music video)[5] but that version was scrapped after shooting and the band decided instead to record a new version directed by long-time collaborator Mat Whitecross. The video was released on 19 October 2011[6]. In the video, a man dressed as an elephant (played by Chris Martin) escapes from a zoo in London and attempts to hitch-hike his way to another country (doing so finally by stowing away inside a suitcase). An aerial shot reveals that his initial destination was Cape Town, South Africa. He is then seen wandering around Johannesburg, at one point, walking past Nelson Mandela Bridge and a set of railway tracks in Braamfontein. He then earns enough money by busking (which appears to be ZAR 67.05, roughly equivalent to USD 8.40) on the street for a unicycle, and after a seemingly hopeless wander comes across three other elephants (the rest of Coldplay) playing the song in the veld (South African grasslands). The video shifts to the band playing a live show at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg before returning to the desert where they run towards the camera. The music video was shot on location in London, Cape Town, the Klein Karoo in the Western Cape and Johannesburg.[7]
