Coldplay's July 16 concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts made headlines—not for their performance, but for an awkward kiss-cam moment that quickly went viral.
The now-famous clip featured Andy Byron, former CEO of tech company Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, the company's chief people officer.
When the two appeared on the stadium's big screen, Byron ducked out of frame while Cabot covered her face with her hands. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin commented, "Uh oh. Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy."
The internet lit up after the video spread online. What followed was a wave of memes and online chatter, but also a major boost for Coldplay's music.
According to Billboard, Coldplay's US streaming numbers jumped 25% in the five days after the concert.
The band's catalog grew from 28.7 million audio streams (July 12–16) to 35.7 million streams (July 17–21).
Coldplay’s Streams Spiked 25% Following Viral Fan-Cam Moment: Since the July 16 concert in Massachusetts, fans flocked to the rock band's catalog. https://t.co/2mo6i0JVIF pic.twitter.com/e57ul0fkmf
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Coldplay Tracks Soar in Streams Following Kiss-Cam Controversy
The biggest winner from the surge was their emotional 2005 hit "Fix You," which jumped 34% in streams.
Other Coldplay favorites like "Hymn for the Weekend" and "The Scientist" saw a 27% boost each, while "Sparks," a song from the band's early 2000 debut, went up 18%, thanks in part to TikTok.
Coldplay already had a strong presence on the charts. As of July 26, six of the band's songs had landed spots on the Billboard Global 200 chart.
Most of the streaming increase happened after the official tracking week, which means the next chart update could show even more growth for the band.
Outside the music world, the fallout from the viral moment was serious. Astronomer announced that Byron has stepped down from his role as CEO, confirming the news in an official statement.
"Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability," the statement read. "That standard was not met." Cofounder Pete DeJoy is now serving as interim CEO, TheHollywoodReporter said.
Coldplay launched their "Music of the Spheres" World Tour in 2022, and it's already become one of the biggest tours ever, with over 11.7 million tickets sold to date.
The tour is set to continue through September, including a special 10-night stretch at London's iconic Wembley Stadium.
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