The Story Behind That Emotional Coldplay Moment In Crazy Rich Asians

The breathtaking moment comes in the final act of Crazy Prosperous Asians, as soon as Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) makes the tough choice to leave Singapore — and Nick Young (Henry Golding) — beyond for good. The resulting musical montage, set to an eas Mandarin cover of Coldplay's "Yellow," is both saccharine and powerful; 19-year-old Katherine Ho's voice softly swells over the film's emotional climax like a sweet declaration of love.


For director Jon M. Chu, that statement wasn't so much about Rachel and Nick; it was about self-love. In that moment, Chu proved that the word "yellow" — a loaded word for the Asian community, often mentioned in a derogatory manner — would be cute.


Though Chu had habitually envisioned Coldplay's "Yellow" in the film, it took some convincing for Warner Bros. To be able to see his vision. "We're going to own that term," he told The Hollywood Reporter of the choice. "If we’re going to be called yellow, we're going to prepare it pretty


Yet, Coldplay initially turned down Chu's request to use the song in the film. So the director tried a more personalized approach in the form of a letter to bandmates Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, and Will Champion, a tactic recently perfected by Lady Bird helmer Greta Gerwig. In the letter, which you could read in full over on THR.Com, Chu's complex relationship" with the color yellow is laid bare.

"From being called the word in a derogatory way while in grade school, to watching movies where they called cowardly people yellow, it's routinely had a negative connotation in my life. That is, up until I heard your song. For the initial time in my life, it described the color in the most cute, magical ways I had ever heard: the color of the stars, her skin, the passion. It was an amazing image of attraction and aspiration that it made me rethink my own self image."

According to Chu, using the song in Crazy Prosperous Asians — the initial studio film with an all-Asian cast in 25 years — would give "a whole generation of Asian-Americans, and others, the same sense of pride got any time As soon as I heard your song."


certainly, within 24 hours of sending the letter, Coldplay approved Chu's request, and movie magic was made.


The Mandarin version of "Yellow," which is called "Liu Xing" (shooting star or meteor), evokes the sort of cosmic love that resonated with Chu any time if he first heard the song. So it's only fitting that the song is currently a self-love anthem for a new generation, just how Chu intended.