(pictured in 2017). The song received generally positive reviews from critics, many of whom compared its sound to that of
U2.
The Atlantic Spencer Kornhaber called the song's arrangement "cool" and "unusual". Furthermore, he said that the bells, dance pulse, drums, and guitar parts "[drop] out for a bit before the two-minute mark, and you retroactively realized you just experienced the chorus, when Martin sang the title of the song twice to the tune of that guitar line you'd heard earlier. The second verse doesn't end in a chorus, but rather launches into an
Arcade Fire-style 'ohh-ohhhh” refrain.'" Adam Silverstein of
Digital Spy wrote, "Before Martin's split from Gwyneth and the emotional
Ghost Stories that followed, Coldplay were on their way to a poppier place with 2011's
Mylo Xyloto. 'A Head Full of Dreams' gladly re-conjures those bright and shiny colours again, while also spinning a guitar line that could have fallen off U2's
Joshua Tree. It's the first sign that Martin is ready to move on, joyfully hatching a world where dreams come to life. Welcome back, Chris - we missed you".
The Guardian Alexis Petridis said, "The title track adds some pep to the tried-and-tested Coldplay formula – echoing guitars, bombastic piano, massed, stadium-rousing woah-oh vocals – by tying it to a disco pulse".
Pitchforks Stuart Berman wrote, "The title track eases us into the album on a glistening groove but halts its momentum for a now-obligatory 'woah oh oh oh' breakdown that sounds like it was focus-grouped into the song." Jon Dolan of
Rolling Stone mentioned that the song "sounds like U2 and New Order on a joint humanitarian mission".
Spin Andrew Unterberger also drew comparisons to the former band. Tom Breihan of
Stereogum claimed that "A Head Full of Dreams" and "Adventure of a Lifetime" decorate the kickdrums with "spangled pseudo-Afropop guitars" and charts.
Panorama ranked "A Head Full of Dreams" among the best songs of 2015. ==Music video==