Coldplay’s video for their new song Hymn for the Weekend is being criticised by some for ‘misusing’ Indian culture.
Parts of the video were filmed in India during the Holi Festival which is characterised by people throwing brightly coloured powders at each other.
In the video Chris Martin can be seen travelling past some of India’s ancient sites and crowded streets in a tuk tuk.
However the ‘controversial’ video also features Beyonce, who appears wearing traditional Indian dress and this is what seems to be rubbing critics up the wrong way, reports the BBC.
It is raising questions about whether Beyonce, as a black American woman, should be dressing up as a Bollywood star leading some to complaini that the video represents cultural appropriation:
https://twitter.com/laramendonca_/status/693150588079570945
I love the new Coldplay and Beyoncé video, but the song is average and Beyoncé's cultural appropriation is tasteless pic.twitter.com/S5QFtOBcSP
— Paida Mangondo (@thelifeofpaida) January 29, 2016
Look @Beyonce and @coldplay are not appreciating my culture. This is appropriation. Stop trying to defend them. It is what it is.
— s (@samxnthababb) January 29, 2016
Other commenters have pointed out similar that other videos – including Coldplay’s own Princess of China which featured Rihanna wearing traditional Chinese dress have not come in for the same criticism…
Hey @coldplay collaborations with @Beyonce and @rihanna are great. Cultural Appropriation isn't. #HymnForTheWeekend pic.twitter.com/PjtE5B3prn
— Furquan Akhtar (@furquan) January 29, 2016
Another popular opinion is that the whole thing is nonsense, adding that Coldplay have actually spent quite a lot of time in India and have immersed themselves in the culture.
All this "cultural appropriation" talk. If anything, the vid showcases the beauty of India. No need for all the drama. #Coldplay #Beyonce
— Ekta (@protEkta) January 30, 2016
#Beyonce guilty of 'cultural appropriation' in the #Coldplay video? If dressing Indian makes her guilty what abt Indians who dress Western?
— Seema Goswami (@seemagoswami) January 29, 2016
Others have been annoyed on a completely different level:
why are we mad at Beyonce for cultural appropriation when we could be mad that she made us listen to a Coldplay song?
— scrapper 142 (@vmochama) January 29, 2016
Coldplay, controversial? Never thought those two words would appear in the same sentence.