The Hardest Part (Coldplay song)

Single infobox
Name = The Hardest Part


Artist = Coldplay
from Album = X&Y
B-side = "How You See the World (Live from Earls Court)"
Released = 3 April 2006 (UK radio) 19 June 2006 (UK import)
Format = Digital, CD
Recorded = 2004–2005
Genre =
Length = 4:25
Label = Parlophone
Producer = Coldplay, Danton Supple
Chart position =

• #8 (Latvia)
• #25 (Dutch Top 40)
• #37 (US Adult Contemporary)
• #42 (Australia)
#43 (Italy)

Reviews =
Last single = "Talk"
(2005)
This single = "The Hardest Part"
(2006)
Next single = "What If" (2006)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = X&Y
Type = studio
prev_track = "Low"
prev_no = 9
this_track = "The Hardest Part"
track_no = 10
next_track = "Swallowed in the Sea"
next_no = 11

"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. [cite web|url=http://www.coldplaying.com/page.php?file=/html/discography/thehardestpart.htm|title=The Hardest Part Information Page]

At the band's official site, Coldplay.com, Chris Martin refers to "The Hardest Part" 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. [cite web|url=http://www.coldplay.com|title=Chris Martin - Feelings towards the song, and the making of the video|work=Coldplay.com|accessdate=10 July|accessyear=2007]

Track listings

Promotional CD (CDRDJ6687)

#"The Hardest Part" – 4:25

International CD release

#"The Hardest Part" – 4:27
#"How You See the World (Live from Earls Court)" – 4:16
*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

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 it uses a clip from a 1980s televison program ("Attitudes" on the Lifetime network) with the band digitally inserted. The band essentially plays beside a stage where an 84-year-old woman 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

On the U.S., "The Hardest Part" entered Billboard's AC chart, peaking at #37. Reached #18 on the Radio & Records Triple A chart.

In Peru the single was a moderate hit compared to previous singles peaking at #49. [ [http://bkperu.forogratis.us/viewtopic.php?p=10#10 Foro Gratis SIN Publicidad - Crear Foro - Crear un Foro Gratis ] ]

External links

* [http://lyricwiki.org/Coldplay:The_Hardest_Part "The Hardest Part" lyrics]
* [http://www.coldplay.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.wikicoldplay.com Coldplay Wiki]
* [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=401639&model.vnuAlbumId=754845 Coldplay: Artist Chart History - Billboard]

References