Chris Martin says Coldplay aims to spread love even in the face of haters

CNN—ThroughoutColdplay’snearly 30-year career as a rock band, frontmanChris Martinhas heard it all.From devoted fans who’ve time and again turned out en masse to fill stadiums to see them perform in concert, to thehatersand internet trolls who can’t handle how utterly positive Coldplay’s message of peace, love and unity has become, Martin is used to feeling stuck in the middle of being both beloved and maligned.“As you become the biggest band in the world, you also become the least popular band in the world,” Martin told Rolling Stone in aninterviewpublished Thursday. “You can never escape. You can never win, if you’re looking for just winning. The stronger the light, the darker the shadow.”But after decades in the game, Martin also understands why there is, at times, so much polarization when it comes to how his band’s music is received.“We’re a very, very easy, safe target. We’re not going to bite back,” he said.Coldplay performing in New Zealand in November.Dave Simpson/WireImage/Getty ImagesBut for Martin, what outside critics are saying doesn’t weigh on him as much as his inner monologue does.“When I’m saying these things about world peace, I’m also talking about my own inside,” Martin said. “It’s a daily thing not to hate yourself. Forget about outside critics — it’s the inside ones, too.”It’s what he said he works hard to neutralize, which is why Coldplay’s own ‘kumbaya’-type messaging resonates the most with Martin himself.Coldplay is currently on their Music of the Spheres world tour, which is set to run through 2025. It has become thehighest-grossing tourfor a rock band in history, selling over 10 million tickets and earning over $1 billion in ticket sales.With such a massive platform, Coldplay’s mission now is about making a conscious effort to “fly the flag for love being an approach to all things” because, Martin said, “there aren’t that many (groups) that get to champion that philosophy to that many people. So we do it.”