Coldplay stream new album Ghost Stories online ahead of release

Chris Martin of Coldplay performing in Melbourne last November (Getty Images)

Coldplay’s new album Ghost Stories is streaming online a week in advance of its official release.

The British band’s sixth record is due to hit stores on 19 May but can be listened to on the iTunes website, alongside a full-length animation of the artwork, designed by Mila Furstova.

To coincide with the release next Monday, Sky Arts 1 will air a special Coldplay concert during which all nine tracks will be performed live.

The one-off gig was filmed in front of 800 fans and includes classic hits such as “Viva La Vida” and “Clocks”.

Frontman Chris Martin has described Ghost Stories as “42 minutes on an emotional treadmill” that starts off with heartbreak and ends with closure and acceptance.

One song, current single “A Sky Full of Stars”, features Swedish DJ Avicii on piano.

There has been much speculation that the forthcoming album sees Martin document his “conscious uncoupling” from actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

The 38-year-old told Radio 1’s Zane Lowe last month that his marriage troubles could be a result of his difficulty to “let love in”.

“If you can’t open yourself up, you can’t appreciate the wonder inside,” he said. “So what Ghost Stories means to me is you’ve got to open yourself up to love and if you really do, of course it will be painful at times, but then it will be great at some point.”

Read more: Chris Martin on Gwyneth Paltrow 'uncoupling'
Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow split after 10 years of marriage
Chris Martin forced to deny affair with US TV assistant