The only reason this review didn't happen sooner is because I wanted to give myself time to reflect on Linkin Park's latest single and really let my opinion of it be well rounded and not a knee jerk reaction. Being my favorite band, I wanted to be able to put my personal feeling aside and try to approach the song with a bit more of an objective view and less of a fanboy blind adoration.
This single is the first new song we've heard since the 2014 release of The Hunting Party, a raw and aggressive album full of heavy guitars and Chester's signature screams (see my review of that album here). "Heavy", ironically enough, is not as heavy as the last release in the slightest. It starts out with Chester's vocals over a fairly minimalistic instrumental, which was probably the goal as to put most of the focus on the vocals. They're very different from what Linkin Park has done in the past; it's more tender, more vulnerable than quite a lot of their previous releases. The band stated in interviews leading up to the release that this album was a different approach for the band; they started with the lyrics and vocals, and then built the instrumental around them, which is the opposite of what they've done before. It definitely shows here, with the fact that there are hardly any discernible guitars and that electronic drums and synths are the bulk of the backing track. It has more of a "pop" vibe than anything else they've ever put out, which has already had polarizing results amongst the fanbase.
The other big factor that sets this song apart from previous releases is the guest artist, Kiiara (her current hit song can be found here, "Gold"). They've done guest artists before, notably on The Hunting Party, but most have either been from rock, hip-hop, or EDM artists. Kiiara is pop through and through, and I think this was a good choice given the direction of the song. Vocally she almost steals the show, but the back and forth between her and Chester really brings the attention the the vocals. Especially near the end, when the instrumental builds for a moment and drums are crashing, the passion and vulnerability in their voices really shines.
I will say, however, that it took a while to get used to the sound. The first few listens left me a little underwhelmed, due to the pop nature of the song and the difference from their previous material. Instrumentally, it's not the most exciting thing they've done, which, as I've said before, was probably based on the decision to emphasize the vocals. However, it seemed to give the song less weight and less depth to it, although I was a fan of the lyrics (especially the line "I know I'm not the center of the universe, but you keep spinning round me just the same").
It was an interesting glimpse into the new sound being explored for the album, but will it go down as one of the best songs from the group? Most likely not.
The rest of the album, titled One More Light, will release May 19th.
Rating: 3/5
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