Mike Shinoda - "Happy Endings" (Feb 19, 2021)

[Coizu]

9 minutes ago, YRQRM0 said:

I don't see him doing a super serious, purpose-driven solo album like what you're describing again tbh. 

Oh I think I didn't articulate myself properly there. If he just wants to go all out fun and throw out random singles that's also fine for me if that's his complete attitude right now. I just don't want him to give in to what fans ask for. Like in that case where people ask for an album and he is like "if you want an album I guess I could throw it together".

 

10 minutes ago, YRQRM0 said:

Taylor Swift's folklore album with Bon Iver/Jack Antinoff

folklore/evermore is definitely a Taylor thing and she wasn't like guided by someone else. Bon Iver was only invovled in one song (plus another one on evermore) and Antonoff is part of her team since 1989.

[LinkInThePark]

Listened to too much Rammstein the last days so I'm not in the right mood for such a song. Probably check it out later 😄

[LPLStaff]

35 minutes ago, Coizu said:

folklore/evermore is definitely a Taylor thing and she wasn't like guided by someone else. Bon Iver was only invovled in one song (plus another one on evermore) and Antonoff is part of her team since 1989.

 

Yeah agreed. Totally a Taylor thing, but the process was with Aaron Dessner from The National and Jack Antonoff almost from start to finish for folklore. The ideas kept bouncing off the three of them and it went so well... bam there's the album. In particular her writing with Aaron was clicking so well, they kept coming up with more and more ideas so there's evermore, which is almost exclusively Taylor and Aaron. That one was written right around when they did the folklore live album. The stories they've told about evermore are pretty cool. Drinking a ton of wine, waking up, and Taylor has the song ideas lol

[Bambitt]

If Mike would do an album with a female singer/songwriter, that would be really interesting. Especially if it would go in an experimental route. Anyone a fan of You&Me by Pink and Dallas Green? That was unexpected of Pink and it was great

[Somebodyangry]

28 minutes ago, Bambitt said:

If Mike would do an album with a female singer/songwriter, that would be really interesting. Especially if it would go in an experimental route. Anyone a fan of You&Me by Pink and Dallas Green? That was unexpected of Pink and it was great

I’d reeeeeally like Mike/LP to go on a weird road, experimenting even with a female vocalist (nothing against to it). 

[Bambitt]

5 minutes ago, PurpleFlinstoneVitamins92 said:

I’d reeeeeally like Mike/LP to go on a weird road, experimenting even with a female vocalist (nothing against to it). 

Right? I thought some time ago that LP moving on with a female vocalist would be really cool. But I dont know if that would be good for the band dynamics.

[Somebodyangry]

14 minutes ago, Bambitt said:

Right? I thought some time ago that LP moving on with a female vocalist would be really cool. But I dont know if that would be good for the band dynamics.

It’d be cool to have female collabs but maybe not a stable sixth female member, I don’t know. It’s always the same discussion: a new member entering in a band with a 20 + years old relationship, story and dynamics with the weight of taking Chester’s place. It’s really hard. 

[Bambitt]

28 minutes ago, PurpleFlinstoneVitamins92 said:

It’d be cool to have female collabs but maybe not a stable sixth female member, I don’t know. It’s always the same discussion: a new member entering in a band with a 20 + years old relationship, story and dynamics with the weight of taking Chester’s place. It’s really hard. 

Yeah, they are in a really rough place regarding the situation, I love the band and I will support their decision regarding their future, but I would like to know where we’re at tbh

[PizzaPino]

22 hours ago, PurpleFlinstoneVitamins92 said:

Don’t know if it’s a young/old thing, but I do like Invisible a lot more than this song (comparing pop to pop, it wouldn’t make sense to compare non pop songs with this one). 

 

haha that's funny because I absolutely dislike Invisible so much that I wished they would've just removed it from the album.

[Somebodyangry]

1 minute ago, PizzaPino said:

 

haha that's funny because I absolutely dislike Invisible so much that I wished they would've just removed it from the album.

Lol yeah that’s how a wide fanbase works, another example is that I LOVE heavy LP but Hit the  floor and War are among my least fav songs in their catalog 

[PizzaPino]

18 hours ago, Coizu said:

I also disliked the direction he took yesterday in the stream when he said that he has a bunch of songs and if people want an album, he could maybe make one. That's now how it should work in my opinion. In my head Mike should have a vision for what type of release he wants to go for, and then do it. What he said yesterday felt to me like "oh I have random songs, I guess I could just release them, like whatever". We had 3 "whatever" releases with Dropped Frames already last year.

 

I feel like he's completely lost at the moment when it comes to music. Even this song would've probably never surfaced if it wasn't for some random guy in his team who really liked it.

Mike lately seems to just make a lot of things but really has no direction or drive. That's also why he started streaming because he completely lost his routine and needed a schedule.

I can imagine that he's really unfulfilled with most of his art off stream.

[Stranger]

2 minutes ago, PizzaPino said:

 

I feel like he's completely lost at the moment when it comes to music. Even this song would've probably never surfaced if it wasn't for some random guy in his team who really liked it.

Mike lately seems to just make a lot of things but really has no direction or drive. That's also why he started streaming because he completely lost his routine and needed a schedule.

I can imagine that he's really unfulfilled with most of his art off stream.

 

nahhh. he's been in music industry more than 20 years. it's time for him to take a break from making serious business and enjoying what he's doing now. he's not completely lost. if LP still around, sure he wont have time to spend like this. just give him a break. he's not really owe anyone. if you like his stuff, that's good. if not, well, there's always other artists out there who's making music that suits your cup of tea.

[Somebodyangry]

23 minutes ago, Stranger said:

 

nahhh. he's been in music industry more than 20 years. it's time for him to take a break from making serious business and enjoying what he's doing now. he's not completely lost. if LP still around, sure he wont have time to spend like this. just give him a break. he's not really owe anyone. if you like his stuff, that's good. if not, well, there's always other artists out there who's making music that suits your cup of tea.

Definitely this. I’m not a fan of this song and don’t care about DF but I think he’s doing what he wants at the moment, he definitely doesn’t want to put out a “serious” record with 1st single, promotion,  videos, cd/vynil, press and stuff. I respect that if it’s what he’s up to right now. It’d be childish and stupid if I’d force myself to like this song or if I’d get mad because I don’t like it, we’re grown up people, I’m nearing 30 😊

Edited February 20, 2021 by PurpleFlinstoneVitamins92

[Cesar656]

32 minutes ago, PizzaPino said:

 

I feel like he's completely lost at the moment when it comes to music. Even this song would've probably never surfaced if it wasn't for some random guy in his team who really liked it.

Mike lately seems to just make a lot of things but really has no direction or drive. That's also why he started streaming because he completely lost his routine and needed a schedule.

I can imagine that he's really unfulfilled with most of his art off stream.

I think you couldnt be more wrong lol

He is experimenting and enjoying doing stuff without a serious purpose, while working after the twitch streams in his projects as a producer.

You can tell how much he enjoys his streams and mixing the weirdest stuff together.

And again, HE is so good

[Somebodyangry]

28 minutes ago, Cesar656 said:

I think you couldnt be more wrong lol

He is experimenting and enjoying doing stuff without a serious purpose, while working after the twitch streams in his projects as a producer.

You can tell how much he enjoys his streams and mixing the weirdest stuff together.

And again, HE is so good

As much as I really don’t like the song, I totally agree with you about Mike’s actual situation, he’s comfortable and even during Fantano stream he said that he’s in a weird situation but he likes to be in there 

[PizzaPino]

Ok I’m glad I’m wrong here. That’s just how I felt but I didn’t really follow his stream. Just once in a while and it seemed to me like that even though I really like the song. 

[blackout]

First of all, I would like to say that I like the song very much. I love the production on this, the track sounds excellent. The rap verses are dope and the chorus is catchy. I probably enjoy it the most from all MS songs released after Post Traumatic. I'm sure I'll listen to it frequently.

However, I understand people who don't like it. Mike's trying hard to follow all the trends - I'm not accusing him of anything, just my observation. It's okay though as I think I'm similar in that case. For example, I like trap-rap route many pop artists take now and try to incorporate it in my music as well to some degree. It's exciting to make very "modern" and "trendy" track, it's something that music producers want to do. I'm also very anti-genre in general - if the song is enjoyable for me, I listen to it. 

 

I've also observed an interesting discussion about Mike's losing his track with the music he releases. Well, if he finds it the right way now, I don't have a problem. Still, I need to admit that I believed that he was creating something behind the curtain and had a more specific idea. His comments from yesterday are nothing wrong but a little bit disappointing, at least for me. I like Mike in his "album mood", definitely. However, I understand that he wants to try something different and be "more free" when it comes to realasing and creating stuff. When LP is not active, I even think that it's a right track. I just hope that it's not a sign of him losing his drive in general.  

[martinez]

3 Promo photos: 01, 02, 03

 

Press article from Warner Records:

 

Spoiler

 

MIKE SHINODA OF LINKIN PARK

CAPTURES THE MOMENT WITH NEW SINGLE

“HAPPY ENDINGS” FEAT. IANN DIOR & UPSAHL 

 

First-Ever Major Label Artist to Initiate NFT Auction

for Launch of Single + Original Artwork 

 

 

February 19, 2021 (Los Angeles, CA) - Today, Linkin Park’s multi-platinum GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer Mike Shinoda returns with a brand new single entitled “Happy Endings” featuring genre-bending, platinum-selling artist iann dior & Arizona pop disruptor UPSAHL. “Happy Endings” is available HERE via Warner Records and lyric video HERE. 

 

Bouncing with frenetic energy, this upbeat anthem manages a pitch-perfect story of frustration with the start of 2021. Shinoda once again challenges sonic boundaries, inviting iann dior and UPSAHL to join him at a nexus between alternative, hip-hop, and pop in an intimate and inimitable collaboration. “Happy Endings” culminates on the powerful, provocative, and pensive refrain, “Still at least in my mind, I’m feeling like I’m the hero that saves me.”

 

Shinoda paved the way for “Happy Endings” earlier this week via social media, Twitch, and cryptocurrency authorities. Teasing out its impending arrival in groundbreaking fashion, he becomes the first major label artist to launch a single via NFT auction. The 75-second clip immediately piqued interest among fans and tastemakers; the final top 10 bidders will each receive an original print of the single artwork signed by Shinoda and contemporary artist Cain Caser. Proceeds from the auction will benefit ArtCenter College of Design. Coin Telegraph and Musicxtechxfuture discussed Shinoda’s embrace of NFTs. He’ll be the featured interview on The Needle Drop’s Twitch channel at 10am PT this morning with Anthony Fantano.

 

Shinoda has spent the better part of the past year creating brand new music with fans and teaching production live each morning on Twitch, and, in recent weeks, producing tracks by fans—a dream come true for the artists, mostly found on social media. Both Spin and Forbes chronicled his “Dropped Frames” series; Alt Press described it as “unlike anything he’s ever done" and mxdwn added, “The album is unique and definitely stands on its own.”

 

Be on the lookout for the official music video and more from Mike Shinoda very soon.

 

About Mike Shinoda:

Mike Shinoda is a songwriter, performer, record producer, film composer and visual artist with a B.A. in illustration and Doctorate of Humane Letters from ArtCenter College of Design. He is best known as co-lead vocalist for multi-platinum GRAMMY® Award-winning rock band, Linkin Park, who has sold over 55 million albums worldwide and commanded a massive fan following, holding the title as the most-liked band on Facebook and amassing over 7.7 billion YouTube views. Shinoda is the founding member of the group, which achieved the best-selling debut of this century with their Diamond-certified album, Hybrid Theory, selling over 10 million copies in the U.S. alone. Collectively, they sold out stadiums around the globe and earned a multitude of accolades including 2 Grammy Awards, 5 American Music Awards, 4 MTV VMA Awards, 10 MTV Europe Music Awards, 3 World Music Awards, and most recently, “Rock Album of the Year” at the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards for their seventh studio album, One More Light. In 2005, Shinoda launched his first solo project, Fort Minor, releasing The Rising Tied to criticalbacclaim and the every-sport anthem “Remember The Name.” In June 2018, Shinoda released his second solo effort, Post Traumatic. The deeply personal 16-track album garnered critical raves and unanimous acclaim, earning praise from the likes of NME, Variety, NPR, GQ, Forbes, Billboard, Rolling Stone, Complex, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Shinoda toured across the globe, including festival sets at Reading and Leeds (UK) and Summer Sonic (Japan).

 

About iann dior:

Puerto Rican-born, Corpus Christi-raised Michael Iann Olmo (also known as “iann dior”) found success with the first song he ever wrote. After uploading to SoundCloud, the song gained 10,000 plays in its first week and caught the ear of Internet Money founder Taz Taylor who invited the budding songwriter to work with him in LA. Shortly afterwards, iann dior inked a deal with Elliot Grainge’s label 10K Projects in April 2019. Iann has since become one of the industry’s fastest growing new artists, something he joked about with the naming of his 2019 record Industry Plant. He has 3 RIAA-certified Gold records, 1 Platinum record for his feature on the Billboard #1 hit “Mood” with 24KGoldn, reaching 1 billion+ streams and counting today, and has released songs with acts like Lil Baby, Machine Gun Kelly, Travis Barker, Clean Bandit, Trippie Redd and more. Known as a highly versatile talent, iann’s work has charted in Alternative, Pop, Rap and Electronic/Dance genres and has earned him the #1 spot on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart. As he prepares to release new music in 2021, iann dior assures his fans this is only the beginning. “A number one album is up next… I want to become the Number One artist in the world, and I am fully determined and obsessed with being the greatest.”

 

About UPSAHL:

Early in her career, UPSAHL released songs which gained much-deserved recognition throughout the Phoenix music scene. As a graduate of the Arizona School for the Arts, she went on to ignite a groundswell of fan adoration and tastemaker praise by way of numerous indie alternative gems. “Can You Hear Me Now” achieved a palpable viral buzz followed by the widely praised single “Drugs”, which was featured on her debut Hindsight 20/20 EP via Arista Records, and has been used in nearly 2,000,000 TikTok videos, reaching #6 on the TikTok Viral Chart and #1 Sound on the TikTok Trends Chart. “Drugs” led to a momentous year for the “up-and-coming indie-pop queen”—according to Alternative Press. 2019 saw UPSAHL take the stage at Lollapalooza and support acts including PVRIS, Joywave, BROODS, Max Frost, and Young the Giant. Additionally, “Smile For The Camera” hit Top 40 on Alternative Radio as it attracted glowing critical acclaim and YouTube claimed UPSAHL as their ‘Artist on the Rise’. Nylon proclaimed, “She’s on her rock star ish,” and American Songwriter labeled the track, “intelligently written.” 2020 was a standout year for UPSAHL, releasing her second EP Young Life Crisis, which Billboard crowned as one of the top 25 pop albums of 2020. Earlier in 2020, UPSAHL undertook her first co-write on “Good in Bed” for Dua Lipa’s Grammy-nominated chart-topping blockbuster, Future Nostalgia, and recently lent her pen to Madison Beer on her fiery single “BOYSHIT”. UPSAHL's rise to pop ubiquity (on her own terms) has only just begun.

###

  

Follow Mike Shinoda:

Instagram | Twitch | YouTube | Twitter | Facebook | Website

 

 

 

 

[OKCrew]

Good find with that press article! I just wanna add that the more I listen to it the more i like it. First of all, it’s incredibly bittersweet that that theme seems to be an exploration of cognitive processing during a time of so much turmoil at the macro level, and the conclusion of that processing is to simply just imagine that you’re saving the day because every other tangible option is out of your control.

 

“If I’m pretending, why not write happy endings?” That’s super deep for pop, which is consistently Mike.

 

Second, having Iann Dior do Mike’s doubles and ad-libs during Mike’s verses is a really fun stylistic choice and just speaks to how he continues to be one of our generations best collaborators. I can go on and on. There’s so many choices made in the music that sound to me like they were made simply out of love for the song itself, and it’s also cool to make out the Samantha Ronson influence in there as well. I give it 10/10 but I’m biased

Edited February 20, 2021 by OKCrew

[Somebodyangry]

1 minute ago, OKCrew said:

Good find with that press article! I just wanna add that the more I listen to it the more i like it. First of all, it’s incredibly bittersweet that that theme seems to be an exploration of cognitive processing during a time of so much turmoil at the macro level, and the conclusion of that processing is to simply just imagine that you’re saving the day because every other tangible option is out of your control.

 

“If I’m pretending, why not write happy endings?” That’s super deep for pop, which is consistently Mike.

 

Second, having Iann Dior do Mike’s doubles and ad-libs during Mike’s verses is a really fun stylistic choice and just speaks to how he continues to be one of our generations best collaborators. I can go on and on. There’s so many choices made in the music and that sound to me like they were made simply out of love for the song itself, and it’s also cool to make out the Samantha Ronson influence in there as well. I give it 10/10 but I’m biased

10/10 to the song ? 

[OKCrew]

6 minutes ago, PurpleFlinstoneVitamins92 said:

10/10 to the song ? 

Yes sir

[Somebodyangry]

21 minutes ago, OKCrew said:

Yes sir

Holy shittt!  It’s 5/10 for me (being generous)

[martinez]

27 minutes ago, PurpleFlinstoneVitamins92 said:

Holy shittt!  It’s 5/10 for me (being generous)

 

Really good rating, at least it's not 1/10.

[Somebodyangry]

25 minutes ago, martinez said:

 

Really good rating, at least it's not 1/10.

I’d never “1” a Mike song, it’s easily one of my least fav things done by Mike but I don’t hate it (and I like the ending with the vocoder thing and the bridge with him singing about retweets and sharing, really like his flow there). 

[martinez]

30 minutes ago, PurpleFlinstoneVitamins92 said:

I’d never “1” a Mike song, it’s easily one of my least fav things done by Mike but I don’t hate it (and I like the ending with the vocoder thing and the bridge with him singing about retweets and sharing, really like his flow there). 

 

The rating is how much you like the song, if someone totally don't like it can rate it at 1/10, it doesn't mean that you have to hate something.