Coldplay surprised fans in El Paso, Texas on June 14 by performing “Speed Of Sound” in full for the first time since 2016. The song, a fan favorite from their 2005 album X&Y, had long been absent from their live setlists—until now.
The British superstars are currently mid-way through the North American leg of their massive Music Of The Spheres World Tour, which kicked off in May. During their show at El Paso’s Sun Bowl Stadium, the band dusted off the iconic track for a long-awaited full-band performance, much to the crowd’s excitement.
“Speed Of Sound” was Coldplay’s first Top 10 hit in the U.S. and their first Number One digital download—but despite its success, frontman Chris Martin has openly struggled with the song’s live arrangement, saying, “We never got it right.”
Speaking to the audience before the performance, Martin explained the band’s motivation:
“Why don’t we try and reclaim the song ‘Speed Of Sound’? At some point, we’ll do a proper edit of the song.”
He added that they aimed to make it “a little bit quicker, a little bit shorter, a little bit tighter”, before launching into the performance with renewed energy.
As Coldplay prepare for a string of huge UK stadium shows this August, including residencies at Hull’s Craven Park and London’s Wembley Stadium, fans are left wondering what other classics may return to the setlist.