RogueSoul

While today we could have expected some information about the band's upcoming music video (as it is slated to be filmed today and tomorrow), we've gotten something maybe more exciting: Linkin Park is in their rehearsal space! Mike took to Snapchat to post a picture of Brad's T-shirt which dubs him "The Best Poker Player In Linkin Park," which Mike humorously commented "#FakeNews" on. What's most interesting in this picture is what's going on in the background - and we're not talking about Phoenix's photobomb (or the fact that Brad's holding a guitar). If you've been following LPLive for awhile, you'll immediately recognize the background. That's Linkin Park's rehearsal space, Third Encore. Normally, the band would spend time rehearsing a few weeks before they start touring... so could that mean we'll soon be seeing the band onstage? Looking back at past eras, the band being at Third Encore should mean that they will be on a stage in the coming months. Sure, this could be for their upcoming tour in South America to promote the new album in May, but that's still three months away - it may be even sooner that we see Linkin Park back onstage. In 2007, the band's big return following their two-year hiatus will recording Minutes To Midnight, they were in Third Encore in mid-March rehearsing new and old songs, and first hit the stage a little over a month later at the end of April. In previous years, the band has spent less and less time rehearsing there, but the start of the cycle usually takes about three weeks to a month to refresh them. They took quite a lot of time to rehearse for The Hunting Party cycle in 2014 too, for several reasons - they completely redid all of their gear AND they had to rehearse some songs from Hybrid Theory for the first time in nearly a decade for the Download Festival that year. Conversely, this session could just be the band rehearsing their new single for the music video - the day is still young, so there's plenty of time left to film. It does seem that there's quite a few crew members around, however. Could the band be gearing up to perform some TV shows or club shows to warm themselves up for the new cycle? Whatever the case, the band is getting ready to perform their new music, so some promotional and warm-up shows will definitely get the band going after a long time in the studio. If any dates pop up, be sure you follow LPLive on Twitter and Facebook so you find out about them first. The band is teasing their new music slowly but surely - make sure you read up on that discussion here. The cycle is just about to start, who's ready?

My guess for what the letters are going to spell out is "Onlooker," and that it will be the album name.

Not being a jerk at all, glad someone provided something to discuss! Yes, GATS being a heavier song and longer did play into it but keep in mind there's a radio edit of it and proper promotion is the key to ANY release, regardless of the format. Dropping something out of the blue really doesn't work unless you are incredibly popular or just don't care about the performance of it, which I guess in their defense they didn't really care with this album. KROQ wasn't ready for the single just like we were. I'm sure the radio edit wasn't ready because they just wanted it to be dropped, and the label wasn't really excited about promoting either. Well, Twitter and Facebook are pretty much some of the biggest social networks out there. Doing what they're doing is getting it out to the maximum amount of people, I don't think if they posted it on Google+, for example, that it would have that great of an affect on the performance. Plus, with their knowledge of how influential the fanbases are and the LPAmbassadors promotion, they're really doing everything they can to maximize the audience. True, it is speculation but as someone who makes music I can vouch for it being a very personal thing when wanting to release a song. Artists say that in general about their music. And with how personal the band has said this album is to them, I'm sure they have some emotional attachment to this record that'll make them want to properly do something with it. Plus, if they want the song to do well, they don't want to mess it up.

a) they did that (essentially) with GATS. Look what happened to album sales and single performance. Strategically speaking, it's a smart move, especially considering the band's last huge hit was four years ago. Teasing new music over a period of time will allow for many more people to see it and maximize the audience. Not everyone pays close attention to the band. c) LP just isn't the kind of band to drop things out of the blue when it comes to things like this, and as I mentioned before, look what happened when they did. They like the drama and excitement of a release - they've said this before. Look what's it's doing for the community, too - it's been more active in the last two days than it has been in nearly the entirety of 2016. d) It's been said again and again by the band members that this is a personal album to them. It's like, you wouldn't go out into the world after you have your first child and just through it into a crowded street. You appreciate the intimacy with him or her before you set them free. In many ways, that's what this album is like to the band, I bet. Something they've grown with for a long time that they need to give a proper send-off to.

The music video rumors from the other day got the fanbase going again, and now it's really time to start blowing up! Linkin Park has begun teasing new music! The first of eight clips has been posted online. It features Mike sitting alone in a room playing the piano and singing quietly. Clip 1: Released February 3. EDIT 2/6: Clip 2 is up! Rather than another clip of music, this clip features the band discussing the nature of the record very intimately. They say that the album is not about the problems of the world, but rather, it's about the honest feelings you feel in situations you are faced with. Clip 2: Released February 6. EDIT 2/8: Clip #3 is here, and now we have some lyrics! Chester and Mike discuss lyrics of new alleged single 'Heavy' with songwriter Emily Wright, even including Chester singing the chorus gently: "Holding on, why is everything so heavy?" The three discuss a few lines that Mike and Chester wanted to fix, as the whole song is about a downward motion. Emily Wright is a known contributor to the new record, Mike first mentioning her name in November 2016 on a Facebook livestream. Clip 3: Released February 8. EDIT 2/9: Clip #4 is out, and it features another band discussion. In this band talk, Mike starts pushing the idea that they need to start trying some of the "riskier" ideas they have, whether it means a very strange idea or the poppiest thing that comes to mind. Clip 4: Released February 9. EDIT 2/10: Clip #5 is out with an actual clip of new music! Watch Mike and Rob start getting out a track for a new song, with a clip of the intro and Chester singing in the first verse. Clip 5: Released February 10 EDIT 2/13: Clip #6 is entitled "Female Vocal Idea." Clip 6: Released February 13 EDIT 2/14: Clip #7 shows off Chester's vocals on the single. Clip 7: Released February 14 EDIT 2/15: Clip #8 features Kiiara. Clip 8: Released February 15 The splash page links seem to be spelling something out - the album or single name? So far, the five clips spell out "Onemo..." Any guesses as to what it'll be? It seems to be spelling out "OneMonth." The Linkin Park URL now reads "One More Light." The latest clips can be watched on linkinpark.com. Keep updated on when the next clip is released by following us on Twitter and liking our Facebook page! Tweet us "#LP2017" if you're excited for the new album!

Ah, cool. I enjoy the song too, just thought it being overplayed to hell would get you

I bet it's 'Closer' by The Chainsmokers based on his description haha

Technically, even before THP they were going on the pop route. "Pop" is such a trivial term when it comes to music, really. Hybrid Theory was pop. Linkin Park has intrinsically been a pop band since the start. I'm not saying this in defense of the album, but I will say that you shouldn't keep your expectations low just because of one song and one silly tag. If you don't enjoy it, that's your prerogative, but give it a chance before you say anything too soon.

Looks like "soon" is actually coming soon. Some tasty new details regarding new Linkin Park music were just found, and it looks like some new music is right on the horizon! We don't know much about the new single; just that it's coming "soon," as we've heard before, but now there are some new details that are making it more interesting. Firstly, it's just about confirmed that the up and coming pop singer Kiiara will feature on the song! An ad searching for a few roles appeared just recently, titled "Linkin Park ft. Kiiara Music Video." In particular, the roles ask for lookalikes for Chester and Kiiara, so it's safe to say that they will both be featured in the music video. It is currently unknown whether or not the band's previous shoot earlier in the year was just a photoshoot for promotional images or if the two shoots are for the same video. Josh from Casting Networks confirms to us that this is a real casting call for a real music video, if there were any doubts. Some plot of the video can also be found. The synopsis claims that "interesting characters meet in a therapy session!" That's a pretty odd tagline to say the least, but it doesn't really provide many other details than that. The role descriptions say that the actors impersonating the stars will be imitating their movements, so maybe we can expect to see some freaky shit you'd see in a horror movie. Probably not, but anything's up for grabs at this point. The tagline may not be to tantalizing yet, but we're sure it'll be pretty cool Surely it can't be any more boring than the 'Until It's Gone' music video... For those who don't know about Kiiara, here's a little synopsis: she's a new act in the pop world, most well known for her single "Gold." She found some big success in 2016, and she's on course to make her mark in 2017. She's support on The Chainsmokers' huge North American Tour this summer, and certainly a feature on a Linkin Park single will boost her up some more. Hell, it might even give Linkin Park some more momentum! She also appears to be a genuine fan of the band, tweeting out a few days ago that Hybrid Theory is one of the best albums ever created and, more recently, lyrics to 'In The End.' The band even sent her some exclusive merch, by the looks of it. Going further back in her tweets reveals that she had a session with Linkin Park in December - that's likely when the song came about. It might a be a 'What I've Done' situation, where the label wanted a song from the album for the radio ahead of the album. EDIT: It appears that Mike and Chester are already presenting new music! A Warner Bros. / iHeartRadio conference is being held right now, and Mike and Chester are there showing the crowd some new stuff. It appears the two may just be talking about the process of making new music, but it is unknown. More details are coming in slowly, so be sure to check back here. For live updates, follow us on Twitter and like our Facebook page. LP7 is almost here, get hyped!

Y'all think this wait is bad, try being a Tool or SOAD fan

More like "General sale began 2 hours ago!"

Lmao this isn't a well written article by any means but I can't help but feel like Geki was an influence on this somehow

I think this is it. Must mean a single is coming soon, maybe debuting a new song on BBC Radio like they did UIG I believe. Maybe they finally do a Live Lounge, too?

Looks like "DAC Offers" or something. Might not be an album title.

no, not at all. lol.

The only good thing about the Project Spark video for GATS was the little extra intro to the song. The video could have definitely worked out if they gave it more time and drama. No one wants to watch a 7 minute video of a video game character running with the same background. I'm glad they acknowledged that it was a mistake. I'm down for more collaborations like this in the future as long as they're better executed. A proper music video could've made THP a much bigger hit, but it looks like with whatever this single will be it'll at least have a proper (and seemingly personal and raw) video.

I called it that they were filming a video amidst the photo shoot. I'm not the most intelligible when it comes to photoshoots but all the location changes and production trucks they had on their Instagram story looked like more than a photoshoot to me.

Jamaica, wow. Very very interesting.

Just going to respond to some stuff I've seen here, perhaps for arguments sake and also for some clarity. Anyone calling this pop clearly does not know the nature of alternative rock, or rock in general. Alternative rock is not what it was in 2006 or 2007. It's definitely become more similar to pop rock than it was then, but the very essence of rock music in general is the same reason why it remains a popular genre today: it evolves. If rock never changed, it would still be the sound of Guns N' Roses and AC/DC. If you want that, there are still bands who cater to that kind of sound today - go listen to them. If you want 2007/2008 alternative rock, listen to music from then or other bands who have the same kind of sound today. This song in fact is probably one of the closest things you'll get This is one of the strangest and most disillusioned arguments so far. So much so that there really isn't any argument. This is no way indicative of anything related to Linkin Park. Everyone saying this seems to forget that Mike produced Avicii's 'Wake Me Up' in 2013 - one of the most popular house/EDM songs of the year. Also in 2013 came ALTNC. The next year came THP. You can't say anything about how this song sounds is indicative of what the next record will sound like. This is more of a side-project (in layman's terms) than anything. Mike is clearly a fan of the music, so he's doing something he believes in. You can't have a problem with someone working on something they truly believe in. I'd also like to comment on the whole "boyband pop" argument too. That is just nonsense. If that's what you think this song is, than songs like 'In Pieces' and 'Leave Out All The Rest' might as well fall under that category, too. There are plenty of LP songs that have had the same lyrical content this one has. A song doesn't need to be written be Shakespeare to have an emotional value. The simplest words can sometimes say the strongest things. The "13 y/o girls with "crushes" on older boys" is also nonsense. Perhaps because I'm in a long-distance relationship and have been for more than a year, I can really understand the message of this song. I'm not going to tell you that you have to like the song or even remotely enjoy it, but branding it as something like that when LP can easily be put in the same category while trying to defend your position is downright silly. There's a lot of stuff here I'd like to address. I'll just go down the line from top to bottom. "Rock band" can really mean anything anymore. So can pop rock. Pop rock is pretty much a subgenre of alternative rock at this point - listen to bands like Against The Current or even Paramore's latest record. This song right here is definitely in the crossroad of alternative and pop rock, I will admit that, but that doesn't diminish it's message or sound in any way. If it was some fabricated garbage (not from an opinion standpoint, but from a technical standpoint), I'm 100% confident Mike would not have given his time towards the song. He's not the kind of guy to work towards something he doesn't believe in. Paramore, 30STM, Fall Out Boy, even Opeth are all bands that went from a heavier sound to a lighter one and still succeeded with flying colors regardless of what your opinion of them are. "Poppier" is not an indicator of quality. You can't bash a band for trying to promote themselves. I don't see what you see as "stupid SJW shit" that they've been doing. If you mean donating to wildlife funds, charity, and so forth, then I think you need to re-evaluate your understanding of the term "SJW" even remotely refers too. And to go as low as saying "look at what they're wearing" as an argument just makes you an asshole. The way a band is able to stay relevant as well as give back to the world is exactly what they are doing: marketing themselves as well as giving back to the world. There's absolutely nothing wrong with what they're doing, and absolutely no relation to their music. I agree with most of what you're saying here, but there's also a lot of contradiction. I personally don't think ATS was an evolved form of the MTM sound whatsoever - the only real connection I can see are the political overtones of NMS carrying through on ATS. Meteora > MTM, MTM > ATS (to an extent), and LT > THP are all 180s for LP's sound. I don't get what you're trying to say about where THP falls in this argument because you just go back to talking about LT. Your argument is structured such that it says "All albums are good because they borrow from previous albums' elements. THP doesn't do that, but it's still good.. If the next album doesn't do that, it's bad." A lot of people misinterpreted what the message of THP's sound was. At no point was it a "fuck pop" statement. It was a message on what the band wanted to hear and what they weren't seeing enough of in rock music. Yes, they thought rock WAS getting a bit saturated and safe, but that's independent of pop music. They were in the mindset of creating that record because that's what they wanted to make. If that's the same mindset they have here, then so be it. You can't say "watch the interviews" to argue that Mike didn't say he hated pop, because look at his music tastes over the last few years. 75% of what he's listened to since the ATS era has been pop and electronic. Look at his tastes now in his playlist: I remember seeing BANKS (10/10), Post Malone, and more popular or upcoming artists today lately. It's been this way for ages. There's no indication of him hating pop during the THP cycle, so there is no irony to be found. You're entitled to your opinion about this song - I'm not here to defend it in anyway. I don't care if you don't like it or not. But all I'll say is that this song is definitively an alternative rock song. It's not the same sound that alt. rock was in the mid-2000s which I know is your jam (there's nothing wrong with that, the mid-2000s was a rockin' time for music), but it is alt. rock in its modern form. If you don't like what you're hearing and are to blind-sighted to be able to look forward beyond the fact that this isn't even a Linkin Park song, take this advice. Broman's the voice of reason. We've seen enough of the privileged fan attitude lately, everyone acting like LP losing one fan because they didn't like their sound is the end of the world. LP caters to whatever LP wants to hear. That's what we know and love about this band. They will never have a record that sounds the same. If you don't like it, you don't like it. So be it. Don't try to Not trying to start any hatred or anger here, nor am I attacking anyone; I just wanted to share some points that I've seen in this thread that are bothering and are being too self-absorbed about this whole process. If I responded to you just keep in mind I'm speaking generally rather than to you, if that makes sense.

I'm saying the 20th or 27th, or Early February.

Chester's sounding good! Haven't watched his KOC performances but I've heard he was sounding fantastic on that tour. Glad to see he's holding up for LP songs too.

I mean, not really. Giant projections of their logo all over the world and a #1 trending song on YouTube sounds like some pretty dramatic promotion to me

Highly Suspect would be an amazing opener, great call on that.

News has been pretty slow as 2016 winds down, but we have a little more new information from Mike Shinoda himself! A recent interview with Kerrang! magazine has revealed some more details about the band's upcoming record. The interview asked nine main questions; here's a summary of what was said in the interview: Q: What stage are you at with the new record? M: "We're at the stage where all the fans are saying, 'For crying out loud, guys, why the hell is this album taking so long?!' We're mixing right now, but taking our time to get it right... It won't be this month, but we're getting close!" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: Has it been a comfortable and collaborative process? M: "Collaborative? Yes. Comfortable? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It’s turning out to be a really personal album. Usually, we make the music and see what it inspires [lyrically], but this is the first time we started each song with concept and lyrics... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: You reinvent yourselves going into pretty much every record. Has that been the case this time? M: "It’s important to make sure all six of us are inspired each time we write new music – and that usually means finding new things to learn or explore... Having a concept and vocal first meant turning our songwriting process backwards, which was really fun." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: Where have you been working, and who with? M: "We’ve been writing and recording mostly in LA, but we had a few sessions in London and Canada, too... This time we’re producing it ourselves... We also worked with some new people, including Andrew Dawson, Eg White, Justin Parker, RAC, Blackbear, and Corin Roddick... In the most basic terms, a guest might come in once or twice a week, and they would kinda just merge in with whatever we were making... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: Can you tell us about the direction it's taken? M: "Each one of our albums is like its own little art gallery exhibition, with its own theme and style, and sometimes one is nothing like any of the others. I think that’s the kind of album we made." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: And lyrically, where are you coming from? M: “Fans often tell me our best lyrics are ones where we say the things they wanted to say, but never had the words. I hope they find those kind of lyrics in this album." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: Have you been influenced by the political shitstorm that has been raging all year, or have you tried to stay away from that? M: “The lyrics of this album were written mostly before the U.S. election concluded. But there is a connection, in terms of an emotional reaction to things that are out of your control... I think that sentiment is present in the lyrics, even though the album is not at all political.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: Does it have a title yet? M: “It’s really hard for us to agree on titles. We’ve been working on this album for over 12 months, and we still don’t have a name for the damn thing!” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: Do you have big plans for the rest of 2017? M: "We have some shows coming up in Europe, other dates are constantly being announced, and of course there’ll be the surprises when we kick off the next album cycle.... The community around the band gets really vibrant and excited around the release of new music. And that time is almost here!" There you have it! Be sure you check out the full interview in Kerrang! magazine. To read up on everything we know about the next record, check out our page on Linkinpedia. The album is expected sometime in the spring or summer of 2017, so stay tuned for more information regarding it here. Follow us on Twitter and check out our Facebook page to stay updated. Happy holidays and a happy new year from LPLive!

Sorry for the delay on updating this. Finally got around to it.