A NEW LINKIN PARK?! | Rapper Reacts to Linkin Park - The Emptiness Machine (FIRST REACTION)
Linkin Park is back with a new song, and the internet is buzzing!
Lincoln Park is back! What's going on, YouTube? It's Will Oxo, and we are back with our Reaction Series. Today, the internet is buzzing because one of the most successful bands, Lincoln Park, who lost Chester—rest in peace to an absolute legend—is back with a brand new song. How is this going to work? How are we going to progress into the future? I'm very interested to see this. So, this right here, right now, is none other than "The Emptiness Machine."
"Your blades are sharpened with precision, flashing your favorite point of view. I know you're waiting in the distance, just like you always do." Already pulling me in, already under my skin. I tell you what, I love the way that we open up on this. Lincoln Park has been around for a long time, and there's a very nostalgic feel to this. You start with just a simple shot of this tapad and then Mike doing what Mike does best—creating. This is a dope little shot because you hear the drums, right? It almost sounds like they're underwater at this moment in time. You hear the live drum kit, but it's coming from a distance, almost like the drummer next door is practicing. It's not at the forefront of the mix right now, but what's really dope is that in sync with the percussive hits, you just have the flashes of different members of Lincoln Park.
"Your blades are sharpened with precision, flashing your favorite point of view." At first, I'm thinking, is this about a relationship and a very cat-nipped, enthralled ex who's coming after us? But no, the more I think about it, coming with blades and points of view sounds like the critics. It sounds like symbolism and a message to the critics. "I know you're waiting in the distance, just like you always do." The armchair critics, the people who always want to comment on how Lincoln Park is moving nowadays without Chester. It's so easy to comment from a distance when you're not actually a part of the scenery, when you're not there making the art and in the moment. Just like you always do, and that to me is why he's painting too. These lines, again, reference the critics, and then him creating his art here.
Critics and hate can get under your skin; they can really pull you in. Or we could go back to the relationship analogy with a very toxic female. "I let you cut me open just to watch me bleed. Gave up who I am for who you wanted me to be. Don't know why I'm hoping for what I won't receive, falling for the promise of The Emptiness Machine."
"Empty all around like a re-over. It's been decided how we lose." I'm gonna break down what—no, we have a new member of Lincoln Park. Now it makes sense. Mike Shinoda's setup makes sense, talking about how he moves, getting under his skin. This is a setup for people saying how the band should be. Rest in peace to an absolute legend in Chester, but unfortunately, he's no longer here. Time does go on, and if Lincoln Park is going to progress into the future, well, you need a new vocalist to help carry it besides Mike.
Lincoln Park is evolving with a new vocalist, and it's a wild ride!
The transcript reveals a deep dive into the evolution of a band, particularly focusing on the changes following the loss of an iconic member. The speaker begins by acknowledging the new member of the band, explaining that this change is essential for the band's progression. They emphasize that if Linkin Park is to move forward, they need a new vocalist to support Mike, especially after the loss of Chester, a legend who is no longer with us. This transition is crucial for the band's future.
The speaker then shifts to discussing the music video, highlighting the intricate details and how it has left them in awe. They note the smooth piano that kicks in unexpectedly, creating a unique build-up before the heavier rock drop. This musical choice is described as a moment where the audience anticipates a leap over the cliff edge, but instead, they are given a moment to breathe with the piano before diving into the heavier sound.
The lyrics are dissected next, with the speaker pointing out lines like "You gave up who I am for who you wanted me to be," which they interpret as a response to critics and the expectations placed on the band. The visual elements of the video, such as the glitch effect and the emptiness machine, are also discussed. The speaker ties these visuals to the lyrics, suggesting that they symbolize the grind of a 9-to-5 life and the internal struggles of the band members.
The narrative continues with a discussion of the revolver metaphor and the fire under the altar, indicating a sense of ongoing internal conflict and deception. The speaker is captivated by the new vocalist's performance, noting her gritty voice and how it brings a new dimension to the band's sound. They draw parallels to Chester's vocal style, particularly his ability to blend screaming and growling with melodic elements.
Finally, the speaker reflects on the line "it's been decided how we lose," interpreting it as an acknowledgment of the no-win situation the band faces after losing such an iconic member. They appreciate the new vocalist's ability to bring a fresh yet familiar energy to the band, noting how her voice adds a new layer to the band's dynamic. The speaker concludes by observing how the percussion, initially subdued, becomes more prominent, adding to the overall impact of the performance.
Linkin Park's new era is here with a powerful female voice and a fresh drummer, blending the old with the new while honoring Chester's legacy.
She's got that sort of screaming, almost verging on the metal edge with it, which you know Chester had such an amazing voice and an amazing vocal range. Some of my favorite Chester cadences and intonations were when he got more into the screaming, the growling at the back of the throat. But now we've got a female voice pushing it and doing it, man, that's wild.
Notice how the percussion, which I talked about as being drowned down or coming from the walls next door, is now suddenly more at the forefront with her voice. There's a fire under the altar—that's the line. You hear her voice, and then Mike starts to have a little duet with her, so you can hear how their voices are going to blend and come together going forward. The altar makes you think of church and that symbolism could be kneeling at the altar, praying to God, thinking about Chester and his passing. There's a fire because it feels like, will we ever get back to that? That innocence is lost now, that past is gone. Right now, it feels like everything's burning and everything's just up in flames. Yet again, how do we move through this and navigate into this future?
You see all the glitchy effects again, reflecting the emptiness machine because they vanish. "I keep you already pulling, already under my skin, and I know exactly how this ends. I let you cut me open just to watch me play, gave up who I am for who you wanted me to be. Don't know why I'm open for what I won't say, falling for the promise of the emptiness machine. I only wanted to be part of something." The graphics are wild because there are moments when I'm like, are we buffering right now? What is going on? I thought I had high-speed internet. "I only wanted to be part of something." When he started and they created Linkin Park together, that's all he wanted to do—just be a part of a group and make music and do what he loves. What happens when someone so close to you goes so soon and that all gets stripped away from you?
These are definitely very thought-out lyrics for this moment, for unveiling a new member. I saw someone else, and I'm trying to figure out what he's doing in his tie, and it looks like we might have two new members. "I only wanted to be part of something. I only wanted to be part of part of. I only wanted to be part of something. I only wanted to be part. Let you cut me open just to watch me play, gave up who I am for who you wanted me to be. Don't know why I'm so f*ing. I am falling for the promise of the emptiness machine. The emptiness was shame."
The emptiness machine is haunting. You know what the emptiness machine is to me? Social media just sucks and drains your soul right out of you. What's interesting now that I think about it is I kept commenting on the percussion because it felt like in the mix, in the production, they really wanted to make the drums noticeable in different ways through how it was being run through filters and how it was EQed. When it was prominent, when it drowned down in the mix, it still made a point on the eardrums. I think that's because it's super glitchy, but it looks like our new player is not an NPC at all. It looks like Linkin Park has a new drummer as well. So we've got a new singer and a new drummer. Wow, a new era and what a song and video and visual to announce it.
My mind is so split because there's that love and that missing of Chester still, but at the same time, there's also that change is hard, isn't it? Change is going to be hard for anyone, and it's in our human nature not to really want to accept change and to embrace it. But if we could find a way to break through those barriers, then the possibilities are limitless. I'm proud of Mike and I'm proud of all of Linkin Park for finding a way forward and giving us new music. Linkin Park, you are now certified.
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