Music of the Spheres, the ninth album from Coldplay, is the auditory culmination of years of electronic experimentation. Over the course of about two decades, Coldplay transitioned away from acoustic earthly music and into the world of big-budget production. Five of the 12-track song titles are emojis, reflecting the astronomical nature of the work.

And while Music of the Spheres seems to be missing the intimacy of the band’s debut, Parachutes, the very intentional narrative of 2008’s Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, or the raw vulnerability of 2019’s Everyday Life, Coldplay seems to have loaded the electro-pop/soft rock sound they made a grab for in Mylo Xyloto right into a SpaceX rocket and into the stratosphere.

In general, the instrumentation on this album is interesting, fun and sometimes thought-provoking. The brainchild of legendary Swedish producer Max Martin, Music of the Spheres is, in many ways, a marvel of orchestration. In particular, songs with limited vocals seem to shine, like the interludes “♾” and “🪐,” or the 10-minute escapade, “Coloratura.” The latter is a stark reminder that Chris Martin is a gifted pianist. The mellow electric guitar solos that cap off the entire album feel like a more refined, profound version of music you’d find on the Calm app.

The album features a pretty wide range of guest artists, from BTS to Selena Gomez and Jacob Collier—all trendy choices—although the BTS collaboration surely must have surprised some fans. Gomez’s feature on “Let Somebody Go” fits with her sweet, airy voice and encapsulates the romantic, existential and dreamy tones on the rest of the album into one compact ballad. Additionally, “My Universe,” an extremely groovy, amphitheater-ready tune that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100, provides BTS with a few verses in both Korean and English.

One of the main pitfalls of the songs themselves is the lyricism, which leaves an enormous amount to be desired. Unfortunately, it ends up following the post-pandemic trend of celebrities attempting to spread universal love and kindness in the most generic and kitschy way possible. The song “❤️” reflects a similar kind of otherworldly and nostalgic sadness, integrating exceptional harmonies with devastatingly glib lyrics, as Martin woefully sings, “Boys don’t cry/ They keep it all inside.” “Humankind,” while bouncy and easy to move to, includes the middle school poetry face-plant line, “Before I was dying/ I feel it inside/ Now I’m flying.”

“People of the Pride” is another example of a grand exploration into the sensory world of music, complete with mildly asinine lyrics like, “Heaven is a fire escape you try to cling to in the dark.”

Music of the Spheres is a beautifully produced electronic and colorful voyage into space that reflects on the nature of humanity and the need for universal love. But in the back of my mind, I can’t help but think that these days, only billionaires can afford to go into space, looking at humanity from a measured distance. While Coldplay attempts to bring listeners into the astral realm with them, there’s something inauthentic about a discernible attempt at spiritual insight and emotional depth. While the accompaniments are relaxing, meditative, engrossing and enthralling, the lyrics take these celestial melodies and bring them right back down to earth.

Follow writer Sara London at Facebook.com/slondogbusiness and Twitter.com/sjessielondon.