…Chester Bennington.
I mean the Chester that we’re used to. The Chester whose vocal presence was “one step closer to the edge”. But, that’s not a bad thing, as we see on the veteran band’s newest single, which is ironically titled “Heavy”.
As a long time Linkin Park fan, I know this song will take some time for the average LP fan to get used to. To be honest, Bruno Mars could have just as easily fit on “Heavy”.
However, Bruno could not have owned this song the way Chester did.
The production was masterfully crafted, it seems, to reel in younger music listeners. In today’s world where reading the news even feels like a burden, it’s inspiration to see that falling skies aren’t exclusive to little people like us:
I don’t like my mind right now
Stacking up problems that are so unnecessary
Wish that I could slow things down
I wanna let go but there’s comfort in the panic
And I drive myself crazy
Thinking everything’s about me
Yeah I drive myself crazy
Cause I can’t escape the gravity
For a few seconds, I forgot this was the guy who used to fly into Stone Temples. He seemed more like the co-worker in the cafeteria at work, talking to me in confidence about his old lady.
But then the bridge came, and the slightly raspy, cracking of his voice reminded me that Linkin Park’s lead vocalist was still present inside of his current form.
Kiiara was also a great addition to this song. She does more than just complement the production. She holds her own with sultry vocals that explode into a powerful performance on the hook that was so convincing, it sent me to Google to find more of her music.
In conclusion, there are some listeners who will label this song as Pop. In my eyes, genres are just another tool of division. The love of music is one of the few things we all have in common. Music is all about expression, emotion, and beauty.
And those are the same things that make “Heavy” so sexy.
Review Score: B+
What did you think of “Heavy”? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments!
Pre-Order ‘One More Light’
Linkin Park have announced their brand new album will be titled ‘One More Light’ and will be releasing May 19th, 2017. Their website has been updated with new information about the album with a number of preorder options. These include CD packages, vinyl packages and deluxe packages that include a 48-page hard cover album art book with photos from the album.
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