Chris Martin is now "working for" Rihanna.
The Coldplay singer sat down with Fresh 102.7 this week and discussed a potential collaboration with one of the world's most popular stars.
"I love being in the studio with Rihanna," Martin said. "I wasn't necessarily 'with,' I was working for her. I don't think she even asked, I just said, 'Please, can I try something?'"
The two artists collaborated on "Princess of China," a 2012 single from Mylo Xyloto.
Martin said that the competition to do a song with Rihanna has amped up considerably, and compared it to "winning American Idol." Asked if Rihanna will be on the band's next record, Martin could not confirm 100 percent.
"I hope so," he said. "I have a really nice song."
Coldplay released Ghost Stories this May, which featured a shift in tone. Avicii-produced single "A Sky Full of Stars" had traces of EDM, and Martin said he's embracing different styles of music as the band prepares to record its seventh studio album.
"We're just having a lot of fun with music," Martin said. "I don't worry about the categories anymore, where we're supposed to fit. It doesn't really matter. To not do a song like ("A Sky Full of Stars") would be to deny part of me that, I really, I love that kind of music."
One of the most consistent bands in the business, Coldplay have hit No. 1 on the UK charts with every one of their albums, and they've claimed the top U.S. spot with their past four releases. Ghost Stories was the most recent example.
"The idea came from the concept of alchemy, in terms of taking things that seem bad or past experiences—the ghosts that everyone has—and turning them into gold," Martin said. "Working out, 'Where's the blessing?'
"We knew we wanted to make this thing called Ghost Stories and then make something else. That's probably the worst answer of all-time. But we have just an idea, and then we're going to go and tour after that."
It's easy to predict more success for Coldplay, but it's not easy predicting if and when Rihanna will be back in the studio to help them out.
"I don't know," Martin said. "She has so many amazing people writing for her."
