There are two main versions of the song: the full-band album version and a stripped-back single version. The single version exists because of a during Coldplay’s 2016 Glastonbury performance.

Rather than a typical "breakup song" filled with bitterness, "Everglow" is about the warmth and light that remains even after a connection has physically ended. The "Happy Accident" at Glastonbury

The song’s unique title came from an unlikely source. Lead singer Chris Martin was surfing when he met a guy who spoke with a classic surfer vibe. The man told him, . Martin was struck by the word and immediately felt it perfectly captured the "joyful residue" left behind after a person or a relationship is gone. The Inspiration: Conscious Uncoupling

When Martin realized his piano was out of tune, he stopped the band and performed the song solo in a different key.