TODAY, COLDPLAY DROPPED the video for their collaboration with Beyoncé, Hymn For The Weekend.
Shot on location in Mumbai, the video features Chris Martin walking the streets as children throw coloured powder in a Holi-inspired sequence.
And a fire eater.
It also features Beyoncé playing a Bollywood film star.
There she is in full Bollywood attire.
It’s essentially the equivalent of an artist shooting a video in Ireland, and only featuring mystical Irish dancers and bodhrán-playing storytellers.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the video has come under fire on social media with many accusing both artists of appropriating and exoticising Indian culture.
It has been criticised for perpetuating the same old stereotypes about India.
A Holi-themed video? How fresh and new.
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Meanwhile, people have been calling Beyoncé out for appropriating Indian culture.
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Source: hana ✨/Twitter
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Some have pointed out that Coldplay have form in this regard as Princess of China was also widely criticised upon its release for Rihanna’s, er, dodgy outfits.
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Others, however, have defended Coldplay and Beyoncé, claiming that the video ought to be viewed as a celebration of Indian culture, as opposed to cultural appropriation.
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You can watch the video in full below.
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