Coldplay hot for Bayka, Kyoka
Chris Martin, lead singer of British rock band Coldplay—considered one of the most influential bands of the 21st century, is giving thumbs up to Jamaican artistes Bayka and Kyoka.
Martin listed rising dancehall artiste Bayka’s She Like It and up-and-coming singer Kyoka’s Hurt People among his favourite songs. Among the other songs making the list are Looking For Somebody (to Love) by The 1975, Totally by Inhaler, Hide and Seek by Stormzy, and Tyrone (live) by neo-soul singer Erykah Badu.
In a post on Coldplay’s Instagram page, Martin wrote: “Hello everybody, I hope you’re all doing really well. Here are some things I love at the moment. We are in the studio. We send you all much love”.
The Jamaica Observer understands that British quintet is in the island recording at Gee Jam studios in Portland.
Bayka commented on Coldplay’s post “Guh [fi] dem my bros”, while on Twitter, Kyoka retweeted Coldplay’s post and wrote: “Unreal…Big up my bredda Bayka”.
Bayka, whose given name is Ronaldo Billings, is a student at The University of the West Indies. He is known for songs including Mobster, 1Uptown, Truth, Top Tier, and Equalizer.
“Life inspires the music that I do. Things that I see happening every day. But what I enjoy most about doing music is working with my engineer Sean God. He is the one who believed in me the most, and he also helps to master my sound,” Bayka told the Jamaica Observer last December.
Formed in the late 1990s, Coldplay also consists of guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion, and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University College London and began playing music together from 1996 to 1998, initially calling themselves Starfish.
After independently releasing an extended play, Safety (1998), Coldplay signed with Parlophone in 1999.
The band’s debut album, Parachutes (2000), included their breakthrough single Yellow and received a Brit Award for British Album of the Year, a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album, and a Mercury Prize nomination.
Their second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), won the same accolades and included the singles The Scientist and Clocks, with the latter winning a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
The group has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
