Blackout

Album: A Thousand Suns (2010)
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Songfacts®:

  • This is a track from Linkin Park's fourth studio album, A Thousand Suns. The song finds Chester Bennington spitting lyrics about acid rain and anarchy.
  • A Thousand Suns was produced by vocalist Mike Shinoda and Rick Rubin. Shinoda told NME that the legendary producer urged the band to indulge in "automatic writing". "We were having a ton of trouble with the vocal and lyrics on the song 'Blackout', so we asked Rick for his advice," Shinoda explained.

    The singer added: "He suggested this technique he used with Johnny Cash and Neil Young, which basically means you get up on the mic and let the words flow. Going in there and actually doing it was terrifying at first but then the words just started coming out of nowhere, it was really surreal. It added a certain soul to the record and without that, I think it would have been really rigid and digital."

Comments: 5

  • Biggie Cheese from NyI always saw the song as Chester getting mad at someone for hurting him and then the mood changes to mike singing and its kind like hes telling him to calm down and it will be OK and i think that change from intense to calmness is the best part of the song
  • Shadow from Depression, VaThis song? Intense, insane, and Chester Bennington can, unlike some people say, rap like nobody's business. It's awesome :D
  • Shadow from Depression, VaI agree, Rick Rubin is awesome. But Chester Bennington is my all-time singer/songwrite IDOl, with Mike Shinoda as a close second. Linkin Park FOREVER!
  • Zero from Nowhere, NjChester's lyrics are actually very coherent, while Mike's lyrics are more abstract. Chester seems to be talking to someone who broke his trust, Mike to me seems to be talking to either God, or a kindred spirit of his.
  • Zero from Nowhere, NjRick Rubin's a freakin' genius!
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