Brian Eno News

Is it a rush of hype to the head or is Coldplay on verge of issuing some "genius" new music? 

The Grammy-winning, multiplatinum-selling rockers have announced plans to return to the studio to begin recording their fourth album, with frontman Chris Martin promising fans the most unforgettable song Coldplay has ever written.

"In order for us to get excited about a new album, we have to have one song that we feel like everybody has to hear...before we die, otherwise we'll be terribly depressed," the singer told reporters Sunday at a press conference in Mexico City before the final date of the band's Latin American tour.

"So luckily with this new record we're going to make, we have that one song. I can't tell you about it, but it's basically genius."

Martin & Co., who are coming off a jaunt that included stops in Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, say they are excited about taking the band in a new creative direction, enabling them to stretch out musically, while continuing the monster success of their previous three releases, 2000's Parachutes, 2002's A Rush of Blood to the Head and 2005's X&Y.

"I think for a long time people felt like we were a band in black-and-white, and now we feel like because we have this incredible job, now we can do whatever we like and try all kinds of new things," said Martin, who celebrated his 30th birthday last month on a Mexican beach.

When he wasn't being peppered with questions concerning wife Gwyneth Paltrow, with whom he has two kids, Apple and Moses, Martin plugged his pet social causes.

The vocalist talked about Coldplay's work on behalf of activist organization Oxfam to reduce poverty and provide basic health care to those in developing nations. Coldplay distributes Oxfam flyers at its shows.

The band also actively supports Amnesty International and has performed at various charity events, including Band Aid 20 and Live 8.

At a November benefit gig for the U.K. charity Mencap, which aids people with learning disabilities, Martin unveiled three new Coldplay tunes—"Mining on the Moon," "The Fall of Man" and "Bucket for a Crown"—which are rumored to be included on the new disc.

The quartet has tapped Brian Eno, the former Roxy Music keyboardist and superstar producer  known for his work on U2, Talking Heads and David Bowie albums, to supervise the recording sessions.

Eno confirmed the collaboration and Coldplay's plan to shake up their sound in an interview with the BBC Radio 4 program Front Row, in January, saying he imagined the yet-to-be titled record "will be very original and very different from what they've done before."