New Linkin Park, who this? The California group debuted the first song off of its forthcoming seventh studio album, One More Light. It's called "Heavy," and it is not what you expect.
For one, Linkin Park enlisted "Gold" hitmaker Kiiara to sing on the track. This is the first time Linkin Park has ever featured a female voice on any of their music. "We felt like it needed this other perspective," Mike Shinoda tells Billboard. "If you hear another voice on it, it would make it feel like it's coming from more than one person." She does, indeed, bring a nice lightness to the song. What's more, "Heavy" is the poppiest Linkin Park has ever sounded. The introspection and angst are still there, but it's being channeled over an alt-pop production rather than the aggressively rock-hip-hop fusion that made Linkin Park the voice of the "It's not just a phase, mom!" youths in the early 2000s. It works!
One More Light drops May 19. In the meantime, listen to the new song below.
