Coldplay performed “The Astronaut” on “Saturday Night Live”

2023 looks like a busy year for Coldplay. At the moment the band is preparing for the next stage of their work Music of the Spheres, which will begin in Sao Paulo, Brazil in March. Meanwhile, the legendary British band have hit the road Saturday night live Bands to perform some fan favorites.

In their first performance of the night, Coldplay performed “The Astronaut,” their collaboration with BTS’ Jin. During the performance, the band’s lead singer, Chris Martin, was joined by performers dressed in alien masks and colorful helmets, and carrying vibrant flares. As the performance continued, the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers joined the band on stage, adding equally colorful harmonies. Actress Natasha Ofili offered interpreters for deaf and hard of hearing viewers.

Jin himself was not present as BTS is currently serving with the Korean military for their mandatory enlistment. Last October, Jin performed The Astronaut with Coldplay in Chile. During this performance, Martin recalled how the song came about. His account was captured in a video shared by fans.

“About six months ago, one of [BTS’] Members called me,” Martin said, “and he said, ‘I have to leave the band in December [to join] the army in Korea because that’s the rule there. And he said, ‘I need a song that says goodbye to everyone for a little while and tells them I love them… And so I said, ‘Okay, let’s do a song together.’ And instead of worrying about it, I’m so excited about it, so grateful for this relationship that we have with BTS. And then this song came up and I was like, ‘This is one of our best songs – let’s give it to this gentleman.'”

You can check those SNL Performance of “The Astronaut” above.