The Hardest Part
From WikiColdplay
"The Hardest Part" is the fourth single from Coldplay's 2005 album, X&Y. The song was released to UK radio and download sites on 3 April 2006 and was released internationally on CD in Europe, Japan, Canada, and Australia in May and June 2006. The international version of the single was made available in the UK on 19 June 2006. In France and the French speaking portions of Belgium and Switzerland "What If" was released instead of "The Hardest Part", and a Belgium commercial CD featured the same B-side, "How You See the World" recorded live at Earls Court.
Like the previous single from X&Y, "Talk", had been a tribute to Kraftwerk, "The Hardest Part" was intended by Coldplay as a stylistic nod to R.E.M.. In fact, according to the band, they felt "The Hardest Part" resembled R.E.M.'s 1991 hit "Losing My Religion" so much that they almost left it off the album.
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Release
Coldplay released The Hardest Part in the US and UK on 3 April 2006 as the fourth single of their third album. The single was pressed with a B-side, How You See The World, recorded live at Earls Court. The international version of the single was made available in the UK on 19 June 2006. Regional singles were released for Canada, Europe, Australia, and a different version for Taiwan. Promotional singles were released in the UK and US. The track peaked at number 37 on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.
Although the song did not chart on the UK Singles Chart, as the song was released as a radio-only song, the single peaked on the Italian charts on 11 May 2006 at number 19 and spent a week in the chart. Afterward, the song peaked on the New Zealand Charts at number 34 on 21 August 2006.
In 2009, a live piano version of The Hardest Part appeared on Coldplay's live album LeftRightLeftRightLeft.
Production and composition
The previous single from X&Y, Talk, was a tribute to the German band Kraftwerk; similarly, The Hardest Part was intended by Coldplay to acknowledge American band R.E.M. When asked why the song paid a tribute to R.E.M.'s lead singer, Michael Stipe, Chris Martin said: "I've lost all respect for fame, but I haven't lost all respect for respect. So the one great thing about being famous is that I get to meet people who I respect. Our relationship is akin to a dog and its master. I'll always look up to him."
The band felt the track resembled R.E.M.'s 1991 single, "Losing My Religion". The Hardest Part was left out of the album track list when the band sent an early version of the album to their record label, Parlophone. The track, however, was included when X&Y was finalized. When asked about the song's meaning, Martin referred to it as a "terrible song, good video". He does not give any reason for this statement, other than a short explanation of how the video was recorded.
The Hardest Part features a piano ballad sound. The song starts with a repeating two-note piano riff, and features an instrumentation of a singsong guitar. It also includes a slow tempo with a drumming rhythm. The track ends with the band playing the repeated instrument riffs.
Media reception
Critics were positive towards the song. In the Entertainment Weekly review of the album, music contributor David Browne wrote that the song "is imbued with the sense of regret and letting go that we've heard from the band before, but with added musical muscle."
Michael Hubbard of MusicOMH wrote: "A Message and The Hardest Part sound like companion pieces, both big songs." Critic Kelefa Sanneh of Rolling Stone noted that the song gets "less catchy as it goes along". Adrien Begrand from PopMatters wrote that "The Hardest Part" is a "pleasant slice of R.E.M. style pop." Cameron Adams of the Herald Sun reported that the song sounded "like the Smiths meets REM." David Cheal of The Daily Telegraph noted, "...'The Hardest Part' is lovely, straightforward, instantly accessible pop-rock".
Track listings
In the UK
- Promo CD CDRDJ6687 released in March 2006
- "The Hardest Part" - 4:25
- 12" 12R6687 Live EP originally scheduled to be released 6 April 2006, but later cancelled.
International 2-track CD
- EU CD 00946 3 63243 2 6 released 15 May 2006
- Japan CD TOCP-40189 released 24 May 2006
- Australia CD 0946 3 63242 2 7 released 13 June 2006
- "The Hardest Part" - 4:25
- "How You See The World" (live from Earls Court)
Cover images
 UK (promo) |
Music video
The music video for "The Hardest Part" was shot on 3 March 2006 in St. Petersburg, Florida at a yacht marina. The video is similar to Weezer's video for Buddy Holly, in that uses a clip from a short-lived 80s program "Attitudes" on the Lifetime network, and has the band digitally inserted. The band essentially plays beside a stage where an 84-year-old lady and her 25-year-old male friend put up an incredible act of athleticism, despite her age. Actress Linda Dano, who played "Felicia Gallant" on the soap opera Another World, is also featured via the Attitudes footage. The video was directed by Mary Wigmore. Another version of the video features a cameo from Chris Martin's father, Anthony Martin, but was never broadcast. It premiered on Wednesday, 22 March at 11:05 p.m. on Channel 4 in the UK.
Chart Performance
In the U.S., "The Hardest Part" entered Billboard's AC chart, peaking at #37. It's being played on Triple A radio, reaching #18 on the Radio & Records Triple A chart.
Lyrics
And the hardest part Was letting go not taking part Was the hardest part And the strangest thing Was waiting for that bell to ring It was the strangest start I could feel it go down Bittersweet I could taste in my mouth Silver lining the clouds Oh and I I wish that I could work it out And the hardest part Was letting go not taking part You really broke my heart, oh And I tried to sing But I couldn't think of anything And that was the hardest part, oh, oh I can feel it go down You left the sweetest taste in my mouth You're a silver lining the clouds Oh and I Oh and I I wonder what it's all about I wonder what it's all about Everything I know, is, wrong Everything I do It just comes undone And everything is torn apart Oh and thats the hardest part That's the hardest part Yeah that's the hardest part That's the hardest part.
External links
- The Hardest Part information page at Coldplaying.com
- Coldplay: Artist Chart History at Billboard.com
