Chris Martin: Paltrow split inspired new Coldplay album

Chris Martin says his break-up with Gwyneth Paltrow inspired the writing process for Coldplay's latest studio album.

In an interview with Radio 1's Zane Lowe, the singer also admitted he was feeling hopeful despite the split.

"I think in life everyone needs to be broken in some way," he said.

"I think everyone in their life goes through challenges, whether it's love or money, kids or illness. You have to really not run away from that stuff."

Martin and Paltrow separated last month after a decade of marriage.

The singer says the issues the pair were having influenced the writing on Ghost Stories, which is due out in May.

"Up to a certain point in my life I wasn't completely vulnerable and it caused some problems," he said. "If you don't let love in then you can't really give it back.

"So what Ghost Stories means to me is like, you've got to open yourself up to love and if you really do, of course it will be painful at times, but then it will be great at some point."

Paltrow, 41, and 37-year-old Martin announced their break-up in March on her blog in a post titled Conscious Uncoupling.

"It is with hearts full of sadness that we have decided to separate," the couple wrote.

The band's lead single, Magic, was released in March and was one of the tracks played on their Radio 1 Live Lounge set last week.

Describing the song, Martin said: "It's not a question of you either really love someone or you really hate someone, it's more nuanced than that - especially with the modern world's complications - like travelling and all the stuff that comes to life, and illness and addiction and all that sort of thing.

"It's just saying - ultimately - there is magic between two people no matter what anyone else thinks."

The pair, who married in December 2003, have two children - Apple, nine, and Moses, seven.

In the message on Paltrow's Goop.com website, the couple said they had "come to the conclusion that while we love each other very much, we will remain separate".

Speaking about the break-up, he said: "I wouldn't use the word breakdown, this was more a realisation about trying to grow up.

"If you can't open yourself up, you can't appreciate the wonder inside.

"You can be with someone wonderful, but because of your issues you can't let that be celebrated in the right way."

The musician also explained his decision to go on Zane Lowe's radio show.

"The reason I wanted to do this was because I love your Kanye interview," said Martin.

"That guy is amazing and I think he is misunderstood by people who only look on the surface. I understand what he is talking about and I understand what he means."

Last week the band appeared on Fearne Cotton's Radio 1 show to reveal they would be headlining the Saturday night at Radio 1's Big Weekend in Glasgow.

Earlier today Nick Grimshaw confirmed One Direction would be opening the main stage that day.

"I think One Direction are the biggest band in the world, their songs are great," said Martin.

"I'm saying One Direction are brilliant and I'm not kidding. You know why? Because their songs are really good and I don't think that any of them are going to go solo.

"Harry has come to a couple of our shows. I was too enamoured with his hair cut. I was having a hot flush."

Meanwhile, Coldplay are to reveal the lyrics for all nine songs from their upcoming Ghost Stories album by hiding Chris Martin's handwritten lyric sheets in libraries across the world.

The lyrics will be hidden in ghost story books in libraries in nine countries.

Clues to the exact locations of the lyrics will be posted from Monday on the band's Twitter account using the hashtag #lyricshunt.

One of the hidden envelopes will contain a special golden ticket, giving the finder and a guest a free trip to London to see Coldplay perform at the Royal Albert Hall on 1 July.

The full hour-long interview with Chris Martin will be broadcast at 20:00 BST on Monday night on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show.

You can listen live on BBC Radio 1, via mobile and the BBC iPlayer radio app and you will also be able to watch the interview on Radio 1's YouTube channel after 21:00 BST on Monday.

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