Princess of China

This article is about the Coldplay and Rihanna song. For Badoura, see Princess of China (One Thousand and One Nights). For the 1946 book, see Pixie O'Harris § Written and illustrated by Pixie O'Harris. For a description of Chinese nobility, see Emperor of China § Consorts and children.

"Princess of China"
Single by Coldplay and Rihanna
from the album Mylo Xyloto
Released14 February 2012 (2012-02-14)
Recorded2011
Studio
  • The Bakery and The Beehive, London.
  • Lethal Studios, Barbados.
  • Rihanna vocals recorded at Westlake Studios, Los Angeles.
  • Mastered at Gateway Studios.
Genre
Length
  • 3:59 (album version)
    3:39 (radio edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Coldplay singles chronology
"Charlie Brown"
(2011) 		"Princess of China"
(2012) 		"Hurts Like Heaven"
(2012)
Rihanna singles chronology
"Take Care"
(2012) 		"Princess of China"
(2012) 		"Birthday Cake"
(2012)
Music video
"Princess of China" on YouTube

"Princess of China" is a duet recorded by British rock band Coldplay and Barbadian singer Rihanna for Coldplay's fifth studio album Mylo Xyloto. The song was written by band members Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, and Chris Martin, with additional composition by Brian Eno and a sample from "Takk..." performed by Sigur Rós. The song was released as the fourth single from Mylo Xyloto and was sent to US Mainstream radio on 14 February 2012. It was later released as a digital download on 13 April 2012. A companion EP to the single, featuring an acoustic version of the song, was released on 1 June 2012.

Influenced by the music genres of electronic rock, electropop and R&B, "Princess of China" met a mixed response from music critics, with some praising the collaboration between Martin and Rihanna, and others criticizing it as generic and uninspiring. The song performed well on international charts, peaking at number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the UK Singles Chart. It has also reached the top ten of the Australian and New Zealand charts and five other international charts.

The song's accompanying music video, directed by Adria Petty and Alan Bibby, was filmed in March 2012 in Los Angeles and released on 2 June 2012. The video depicts a complicated love story of Rihanna and Chris Martin, scenes of which include a sword fight and Rihanna imitating a multi-armed goddess. The video received positive reviews, with critics praising the Asian theme. The song was performed live on the 54th Grammy Awards held at Staples Center in Los Angeles.