LINKIN PARK will release a greatest-hits album, “Papercuts (Singles Collection 2000-2023)”, on April 12 via Warner
The official music video for the LP’s first single, “Friendly Fire”, a previously unreleased song recorded during the 2017 “One More Light” sessions, can be heard below.
Speaking about the track, LINKIN PARK guitarist Brad Delson said: “‘Friendly Fire’ was always one of our favorite songs from the ‘One More Light’ sessions. Something about it wasn’t quite right, so as close as it got to the finish line, we chose to set it aside for later.
“When we started looking for an unreleased track to include on our greatest-hits collection, I was blown away by the power of the song, the power of the storytelling, the power of the vocal, the sonic landscape and I actually thought that it was closer than maybe we had realized at the time. We got together to work on it and connect some of the missing pieces that for whatever reason hadn’t revealed themselves during the recording of ‘One More Light’.
Delson added: “I can’t wait for people to hear it. It’s such a beautiful, compelling, heartbreaking, hopeful story and it really resonates with me today.”
“Papercuts (Singles Collection 2000-2023)” features 20 tracks, including hits like “In The End” and “Crawling”, as well as rarities like “QWERTY”.
“In the making of each LINKIN PARK album, I want to love and believe in each individual song completely,” LINKIN PARK‘s Mike Shinoda said. “I hope that if any one track is heard on its own in the world, it is something I can feel proud of, and something that takes root inside the listener and becomes part of the energy that connects us.”
Shinoda added: “Curating the tracks for ‘Papercuts’ was a joy. Each song in this collection is both a singular moment on our timeline and an evolving story that is as much ours as it is yours. From our first release ‘One Step Closer’ to the brand-new ‘Friendly Fire’, this tracklist spans all our chapters so far. Thank you for being a part of our journey. We hope you enjoy ‘Papercuts’.”
LINKIN PARK “Papercuts (Singles Collection 2000-2023)” track listing:
01. Crawling
02. Faint
03. Numb/Encore
04. Papercut
05. Breaking The Habit
06. In The End
07. Bleed It Out
08. Somewhere I Belong
09. Waiting For The End
10. Castle Of Glass
11. One More Light
12. Burn It Down
13. What I’ve Done
14. QWERTY
15. One Step Closer
16. New Divide
17. Leave Out All The Rest
18. Lost
19. Numb
20. Friendly Fire
Following the tragic loss of lead singer Chester Bennington in 2017, the band LINKIN PARK entered a period of hiatus.
Mike Shinoda, aged 47, shared insights regarding the band’s future during a Twitch livestream approximately two years ago. He mentioned that there are currently no plans for new music, albums, or live performances from LINKIN PARK. Shinoda emphasized the absence of tours, music releases, or forthcoming albums in the works, urging fans to refrain from fueling speculation about potential activities of the band.
Since October 2017, LINKIN PARK hasn’t appeared together in public, save for a tribute concert held in Los Angeles in memory of Bennington. The band has remained silent regarding their intentions post-Bennington‘s passing, refraining from making any official announcements about their future endeavors.
Addressing rumors from five years ago about the band seeking a replacement for Bennington, Shinoda clarified via Twitter in February 2019 that they are not actively scouting for a new vocalist. However, he expressed openness to the idea should it happen organically, without any intention of feeling like they are replacing Chester. Shinoda stressed the importance of any such development occurring naturally, reflecting the band’s reluctance to hastily fill Bennington‘s shoes.
Chester Bennington‘s death, ruled a suicide, occurred in July 2017 at his residence in Palos Verdes Estates, California. Throughout his career, he had been vocal about his struggles with mental health, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation, seeking treatment for addiction on multiple occasions.