Vocalist and pianist Chris Martin stated that the song was written after the band had listened to English singer Kate Bush.

"Speed of Sound" was named the Song of the Year by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and later nominated for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards.

It then climaxes with the anthemic chorus, which features a huge roar of instrumentation that includes electric and bass guitars, drums, and synthesizers.

"[10] The fourth line in the second verse alludes to discovering one's place in the world: "How long am I gonna stand/with my head stuck under the sand.

"[10][11] In his review of X&Y, Bill White of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper noted that the "slowing ... creative juices" evident in "Speed of Sound" compare to "melodies from both Jeff Buckley ('Last Goodbye') and Keane ('Everybody's Changing')".

[12] Coldplay released "Speed of Sound" in the US on 18 April 2005 and in the UK on 23 May 2005 as the album's lead single.

Pitchfork Media likewise criticised the song's "uncanny resemblance to 'Clocks'" and continued "Certainly, it rarely hurts to stick with what works, but this is not just a near-exact replica of its successful predecessor; it's also a less memorable song riding a piano hook that has so deeply infiltrated the pop-culture landscape that I've become numb to it."

"[17] Paste Magazine praised the song, saying that it "reveals the hand [Coldplay are] playing: a piano riff as memorable as the one in 'Clocks,' ringing guitars, martial drums, orchestral pomp and, in the center, Chris Martin's keening vocal, so vulnerable and yet forceful enough to stand out from the mass of sonic detail."

Rolling Stone magazine gave a mixed review, calling it "an appealing but not thrilling song" and noted "...it sounds a bit like...'Clocks' but without the swagger.

[25] The single marked the first time a British band entered directly in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart since the Beatles.

[26][27] A ringtone was available from Cingular Wireless, which had a song clip from "Speed of Sound" available a week before it was heard on radio.

[38][39] The video features the band performing in front of a curved ellipse wall that consists of 640 Element Labs' VersaTubes placed on 6-inch (150 mm) centres.

In the end, Romanek and Michael Keeling, the lighting designer, opted to use Chris Martin's vocal track to animate "because it had such dynamics.

[40] The video opens in pitch-black, followed by a light framing Martin as he reaches skyward out of the shadows.

When Martin spread his hands, the two-storey-high LED lights erupt in a colour of rainbow hues.

The video concludes its ending with the band lined up, one-by-one, and the LED set displaying a white light background.