The British group Coldplay debut in 2000 with their album "Parachutes" which has recently won the Best British Album of the Year 2001. Coldplay also won the Best British Group, beating other nominees like Badly Drawn Boy.

Before their 2001 Brit Awards honours, they were also named the band of the year by "select" magazine for they are Britain's biggest new band and their debut album "Parachutes" reached Number One in the UK album charts and hovered in the Top Ten for months to come.

Their debut single "Yellow" is a beautifully happy song, in contrast to the normal monotony of some British bands. The rest of the album is also rich in tune, so tuneful that it remains spinning in your player and the songs drown in your mind as you unconsciously sing and hum to the tune. Besides, the music is not particularly loud.

tracklisting

1. Don't Panic
2. Shiver
3. Spies
4. Sparks
5. Yellow
6. Trouble
7. Parachutes
8. High Speed
9. We Never Change
10. Everything's Not Lost

On the same May morning "Parachutes" was completed, Will's mother died. "I can't say I had a harsh childhood, but I've had a lot of things to deal with, especially in the last year," Will says pointedly. "People say 'You haven't suffered'. It's like, 'F*** you, you don't know what I've been through'."

The minimal video for "Yellow", with Chris walking alone down a beach, came about as it was the day of Will's mum's funeral: there was no way the whole band could appear. If you watch it again, knowing what's in the back of Chris' mind as he joyously trills along, it puts a lump in your throat.

Coldplay are: Guy Berryman, Jon Buckland, Will Champion, Chris Martin.