Coldplay Unlock Their Inner Child in ‘Champion of the World’ Video

Coldplay’s Chris Martin goes back to his schoolyard days in the band’s new music video for “Champion of the World.”

Directed by French filmmaker Cloé Bailly and filmed in Los Angeles, the clip sees the Coldplay frontman portraying a little boy who gets bullied at school, berated by his parents, and ostracized by everyone around him — but finds solace through music and imagination.

The song “Champion of the World” features a co-writing credit for the late Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchinson. According to Martin, Hutchinson’s solo track “Los Angeles, Be Kind” was a major inspiration for the song.

“When I first heard [‘Los Angeles, Be Kind’], I thought it was going to go one way; but it went another,” Martin said when the single was first released. “Anyway, ‘Champion of the World’ is the song that came from following the other path, and that’s why Scott is a co-writer on this song.”

Everyday Life dropped in November. Previous singles from the LP include “Orphans,” “Arabesque,” the title track, “Daddy” and “Cry Cry Cry,” which was accompanied by a music video directed by Martin’s partner, Dakota Johnson.