Linkin Park Explores The Weight Of Expectation In Their Second New Single ‘Heavy Is The Crown’

Amid their first run of dates with vocalist Emily Armstrong, Linkin Park has released the second single from their upcoming album, ‘From Zero’, ‘Heavy Is The Crown’. 

The track had its live debut in Hamburg, Germany as an encore and has had fans hailing Armstrong’s vocals ever since. 

Lyrically, the track explores the weight of expectation and how this can lead to feelings of defeat, with lines like, “You can't win if your white flag's out when the war begins”, echoing sentiments of surrender before the battle has even begun. As the band emerges with new members, and with the crown of lead vocalist now on the head of Armstrong, it could be interpreted that the weight of expectation discussed is one felt by the new singer. As the crown of Linkin Park's lead vocalist is on Armstong’s shoulders, fans have been vocal in their opinions on the band’s resurgence following the passing of Chester Bennington. 

When discussing the new track, Mike Shinoda remarked that ‘Heavy Is The Crown’ was a “highlight of this new era for us”, combining the band’s signature sound with an infusion of fresh energy. Linkin Park is by no means erasing their past, and that is clear in this new release with clear recollections of the band’s sound in the early 2010s, with recollections of ‘Faint’ both structurally and in the atmospheric opening.

Armstrong’s scream at the 1:47 mark is a standout in the track, showing the vocalist's capabilities even further following the first single ‘The Emptiness Machine’. Packed with so much power, it immediately sends sparks up your spine and stands your hair on end. Pairing this with the signature guitar sound in the breakdown, ‘Heavy Is The Crown’ only continues to add anticipation for the album’s release in November. 

Megan-Louise Burnham

@mgn.lb

Image: James Minchin III