Rihanna Is ‘Princess of China’ on New Coldplay Track

Rihanna lent her pipes to Coldplay's 'The Princess of China,' a new song from the band's fifth studio album, 'Mylo Xyloto,' set for release Oct. 24. The tune is a definite departure from Coldplay's whimsical sound, replacing guitars with a synthesized melody and includes an R&B groove throughout.

Martin admitted he was shy about asking the Bajan beauty to join him on the track but after seven Grammys and six Brit Awards, he decided to take the chance.

"The album is designed as a whole piece. It has boy and girl lead characters and top of our list for the girl part was Rihanna ... but it took a while to pluck up the courage to ask her," he told The Sun.

Rihanna and Martin blend their voices to create a moody, haunting song that transports the listener into a dark club far away, where the bass rattles the night away. 'The Princess of China' is a narrative starring RiRi as Martin's love interest, and is the band's first foray into electro-pop.

It turns out Rihanna didn't only 'Talk That Talk' but walked the walk, impressing Martin through every step of the recording process.

"She's one of the top five singers in the world," Chris Martin told EW. "It was very organic. I played her the song on the piano, and then she said 'OK, leave it to me.' And then the next thing you know, you've got a f---ing beautiful Rihanna record. She's amazing."

Be sure to check out the rest from 'Mylo Xyloto' for some unexpected shifts in Coldplay's signature sound.