Coldplay Concerts Were Built For Viral Moments Like This
That's because the band, currently on its 'Music of the Spheres' world tour, has been turning the camera on its fans for over a year, giving lead singer Chris Martin the opportunity to ad-lib goofy mini-songs about concertgoers.
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Business Insider
18 minutes ago
- Business Insider
The Coldplay 'kiss cam' situation underlines a lesson I learned as a 15-year-old cheerleader
Coldplay "kiss cam" participants: Welcome to Gen Z's world. By now, I'm sure you've heard of the viral " Coldplay" kiss cam saga. We can tease out the ethics of living in a surveillance state, but the reality is: Astronomer's former CEO just learned a hard lesson about leadership, social media, and the blurry line between public and private. Even when you think you're not being watched, you're being watched — and social media makes it easy for people to find out what you do after dark. For me, it's a story that feels familiar. You're always representing, even out of uniform As part of a generation raised with social media (I'm literally three years older than Facebook), certain lessons about digital presence were hammered into me from a young age. This particular lesson — that you're always representing the organization you're a part of, even in plain clothes — came at age 15, when I was a sophomore on the cheerleading team at my San Diego public high school. One morning before class, I was goofing around with a friend and fellow cheerleader at her house near our school. My friend picked up a bottle of Grey Goose vodka her mom kept on display, made a kissy face, and posed for the camera. I snapped a quick pic and uploaded it to my " finsta" — a second, more private Instagram account that was followed by 30 or so of my friends. I captioned it, "The real reason we take a free period." I thought I was being clearly sarcastic — I was a good student, I took AP classes, and I rarely went to parties. Obviously, my friend and I were not day drinking before honors pre-calc on a random Tuesday morning. So imagine my shock when my friend and I got called into a "crisis" meeting with our head cheerleading coach, and the facts of our transgression were laid before us. Someone's mom had apparently also seen the photo, which was then reported to our coach. The punishment was swift: My friend and I were both suspended from the team for two weeks, which meant we couldn't cheer at any games or perform in that week's pep rally. Our cheerleading program had strict standards around conduct, especially when we were in uniform. We were told we could not hug or kiss boys — even if they were our boyfriends — because we were representing the program, and there were already too many stereotypes about boy-crazy cheerleaders. The rules governing our conduct out of uniform, however, were a lot less clear. Even though we weren't wearing any cheer-related clothing in the Grey Goose photo, we were still representing the team, and therefore the school. I learned, at 15, you'll be seen as a representative of the organizations you're a part of — no matter what you're doing. Gen Z grew up being watched Knowingly posting something on social media is different from inadvertently being caught by a kiss cam. But the same principle applies: Actions taken in your personal life have the potential to spill over into your professional world. That's nothing new, but social media makes it even more pronounced — and it's knowledge that Gen Zers like me have literally grown up with. For now-former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, the whole kiss cam blowup resulted in resignation from the company. Neither he nor the company's head of HR, who was also pictured with him, has spoken about the incident, although the interim CEO has called the ordeal "unusual and surreal." For me, it ended a little better. I was eventually reinstated and cheered through my remaining years of school. The ordeal, however, continued to creep into the back of my mind. As a junior, my peers and I heard horror stories of kids who'd had their Harvard acceptances rescinded because of their digital footprints. Later, in college, many of my friends who joined sororities told of sky-high standards around social media posting. Given Gen Z's knowledge of how easy it is to be exposed online, it's not surprising that we're engaging in online behaviors that seek more privacy. In a survey of more than 600 Gen Zers by the Gen Z consulting and research firm dcdx taken last year, more than 60% of respondents said they wanted their online presence to be more private, not less. "Finsta" culture, which was all over my high school in 2017, is still alive in the form of " close friends" stories or secret second accounts, which create another level of exclusivity among those who can see what you post. Adam Mosseri, Meta's head of Instagram, recently said that much of the action on the app was happening in DMs — not on users' grids or feeds. The problem is that, as I've learned, even what you think is private isn't private. You can't control who screenshots and shares what they see. "Coldplaygate" is emblematic of a world Gen Z has been living in essentially since we were born: On social media, your public and private lives aren't separate. They're one post away from crashing head-on.
Fox News
18 minutes ago
- Fox News
Woman who exposed tech CEO's alleged affair at Coldplay concert stands by posting viral video
NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! The Coldplay concertgoer who posted a viral video of a CEO allegedly cozying up with his head of human resources on the band's "Kiss Cam" this week, says a part of her "feels bad" for posting the awkward moment but thinks the couple's actions were their own responsibility. "I had no idea who the couple was," Grace Springer told The U.S. Sun Friday. "Just thought I caught an interesting reaction to the kiss cam and decided to post it. "A part of me feels bad for turning these people's lives upside down, but, play stupid games … win stupid prizes." Andy Byron, CEO of tech firm Astronomer, is now under formal investigation by the company's board after he was allegedly caught with his arms around the company's HR chief, Kristin Cabot, at a Coldplay concert Wednesday night. COLDPLAY KISS CAM TRIGGERS 'FORMAL INVESTIGATION' INTO ASTRONOMER CEO ANDY BYRON AND HR HEAD KRISTIN CABOT The couple quickly stopped their embrace and attempted to hide their faces when they were shown on the concert's jumbotron. Springer filmed the odd moment on her phone and later posted it online. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin joked after the pair separated that they were "either having an affair or just very shy." The company put out a statement after the incident Friday, writing on social media, "Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability," the company shared. "The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter, and we will have additional details to share very shortly." Later Friday, Astronomer said Byron had been placed on leave. "Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy is currently serving as interim CEO given Andy Byron has been placed on leave. We will share more details as appropriate in the coming days," Astronomer wrote on social media. BILLY JOEL ADMITS AFFAIR MADE HIM FEEL 'LIKE A HOMEWRECKER,' SAYS HE DESERVED BEING 'PUNCHED IN THE NOSE' Fox News confirmed Cabot and her ex-husband filed for divorce in 2018, and court documents appear to show their divorce was finalized in 2022. According to New Hampshire property records, Kristin and Andrew Cabot purchased a home as a married couple in April 2024. No divorce records have been found for Byron, who appears to still be married. "I hope their partners can heal from this and get a second chance at the happiness they deserve with their future still in front of them," Springer told the Sun. "I hope, for them, my video was a blessing in disguise." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP She said the moment was a "hot topic" with people after the concert, "but no one knew who they were" until she posted the video. "When I posted late last night before bed, it was picking up traction with a couple thousand views," she said. "I woke up to 7 million. Now over 30 million. Overwhelmed to say the least."
Fox News
35 minutes ago
- Fox News
Coldplay Kiss Cam triggers 'formal investigation' into Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR head Kristin Cabot
A Coldplay concert Kiss Cam is causing major heat at a rising tech firm. Astronomer CEO Andy Byron is now under "formal investigation" by his board after allegedly being caught on the jumbotron with the company's HR chief, Kristin Cabot, at a recent Coldplay show—an eyebrow-raising moment that quickly exploded online. An Astronomer PR representative shared an official leadership update with Fox News Digital on Friday night. "Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy is currently serving as interim CEO given Andy Byron has been placed on leave. We will share more details as appropriate in the coming days," the statement said. The tech firm Astronomer posted a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, about the controversial matter. "Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability," the company shared. COLDPLAY'S CHRIS MARTIN CALLS OUT COUPLE ON KISS CAM, SPARKING AFFAIR ACCUSATIONS "The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly." The company emphasized that no other employees appeared in the video, and confirmed that Alyssa Stoddard, the Senior Director of People at Astronomer, was not present at the concert. Fans speculated that the embarrassed woman spotted beside Byron and Cabot was their co-worker Stoddard. When reached for comment, the company directed Fox News Digital to their statement on social media. The Coldplay concert Kiss Cam turned into viral chaos after frontman Chris Martin joked that a couple on screen were "either having an affair or just very shy." The pair, who online sleuths quickly claimed were Astronomer CEO Byron and his Chief People Officer Cabot, sparked a firestorm of speculation and mockery across social media. Within hours, an apology statement, allegedly issued by Astronomer CEO Byron, went viral. However, it turned out to be a fake. "I want to acknowledge the moment that's been circulating online, and the disappointment it's caused," the fake statement read in part. "What was supposed to be a night of music and joy turned into a deeply personal mistake playing out on a very public stage. I want to sincerely apologize to my wife, my family, and the team at Astronomer. You deserve better from me as a partner, as a father, and as a leader." The hoax statement continued, "This is not who I want to be or how I want to represent the company I helped build. I'm taking time to reflect, to take accountability, and to figure out the next steps, personally and professionally, I ask for privacy as I navigate that process." "I also want to express how troubling it is that what should have been a private moment became public without my consent. I respect artists and entertainers, but I hope we can all think more deeply about the impact of turning someone else's life into a spectacle." The fake statement concluded with Coldplay's song lyrics to "Fix You," "Lights will guide you home, and ignite your bones, and I will try to fix you." Astronomer shut down the false apology and said it was "not a real statement," according to the recent statement by the tech firm. A fake Coldplay account additionally posted that the band would be making changes to their performances after the viral Kiss Cam moment between the two alleged Astronomer execs. "Starting with our next show, we're introducing camera-free audience sections for people and their sidepieces," the post read. Reps for Byron, Cabot and Coldplay did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. WATCH: COLDPLAY'S CHRIS MARTIN CATCHES COUPLE ON KISS CAM, JOKINGLY ASKS IF THEY'RE HAVING AN AFFAIR While the two statements were deemed to be a hoax, the internet can't get enough of the awkward moment. Fans were quick to react on Coldplay's official Instagram account about the viral moment. "Show #207, Boston," the caption read with photo highlights from the concert, not including the Kiss Cam moment. "Coldplay released 'two' new singles that night," one fan quipped. LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Another comment read, "Did Karma have to pay for her ticket?" "You forgot the best photo of the whole tour," a fan wrote. Other comments read, "I always wanted to be part of a jumbotron at your concert, but then I realized that not all of the people feel the same way." MYSTERY COUPLE MISTAKEN FOR JEFF BEZOS AND LAUREN SÁNCHEZ AT CANNES During the band's performance at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on Wednesday, Coldplay's frontman serenaded the crowd with an improv of "The Jumbotron Song" where he sang about couples featured live on the big screen. "Whoa, look at these two," Martin said, as a man and woman were seen cozying up with one another. Once the attention was on the pair, the woman immediately turned away and dodged the camera. The man also exited the frame. "Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy," Martin joked as the audience laughed. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER Once internet sleuths made the claim it was Byron and Cabot, the affair accusations took off. Fox News has confirmed Cabot and her husband filed for divorce in 2018 and court documents appear to show their divorce was finalized in 2022. No divorce records have been found for Byron, who appears to still be married. Byron is the CEO of Astronomer, the cybersecurity startup, and Cabot, according to her LinkedIn, is the company's chief people officer. It seems they have worked closely together for years. Last November, Astronomer posted a press release, as the tech company announced Cabot as the newly appointed Chief People Officer. "Kristin's exceptional leadership and deep expertise in talent management, employee engagement, and scaling people strategies will be critical as we continue our rapid trajectory," Byron wrote of his new employee at the time. "She is a proven leader at multiple growth-stage companies and her passion for fostering diverse, collaborative workplaces makes her a perfect fit for Astronomer." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The press release also included Cabot's statement about her new job: "I prefer to think of my role as people strategy versus traditional human resources, as the real magic happens when you align the people strategy with the business strategy."
