Coldplay’s streams skyrocket 25% after viral kiss-cam moment

A viral kiss-cam moment at Coldplay’s Boston concert has led to a 25% surge in the band’s on-demand audio streams.

The incident involved Andy Byron, CEO of Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, the company’s chief people officer, who were displayed on the big screen during the concert on July 16.

As they realized they were on camera for the kiss-cam segment, Byron ducked out of frame, and Cabot turned around, covering her face.

Coldplay’s Chris Martin couldn’t help but comment on the situation, saying, “Uh oh… Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy.”

It was later revealed that both Byron and Cabot are married to other people. The clip quickly went viral, garnering over 60 million views and turning into a meme sensation.

According to data from Luminate sourced by Billboard, Coldplay’s on-demand audio streams jumped from 28.7 million in the five days before the Boston concert to 35.7 million in the five days after the scandal, a 25% increase. Specific songs that saw significant boosts include:

• Fix You: 34% increase, from 1.1 million to 1.5 million streams
• Hymn for the Weeken: 27% increase
• The Scientist: 27% increase
• Sparks: 18% increase, currently sitting at No. 42 on Spotify’s Top 50 USA chart

Following the backlash, Byron resigned from his role as CEO of Astronomer. The company released an official statement, saying, “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, and recently, that standard was not met.”