Assembling an essential collection of generational anthems, LINKIN PARK will present their first-ever career-spanning Greatest Hits album entitled Papercuts (Singles Collection 2000-2023) on April 12 via Warner Records. Pre-order/Pre-save HERE.
It will be available at all DSPs and in various physical configurations, including CD, Cassette, and double Vinyl. For the latter, there are several limited edition color vinyl variants, a Zoetrope picture disc and black vinyl.
The fan enthusiasm and fervor for both Hybrid Theory (20TH Anniversary Edition) in 2020 and Meteora (20TH Anniversary Edition) last year ultimately inspired the band to curate and carefully piece together what would become Papercuts. It offers a comprehensive retrospective of their journey so far in the span of one album highlighted by everything from Crawling and Somewhere I Belong to the sought-after rarity QWERTY.
In addition to the classics, LINKIN PARK uncovered the never-before-released track Friendly Fire. Recorded during the 2017 sessions for their seventh album One More Light, it features a powerhouse vocal performance from the late Chester Bennington. The video was directed and edited by long-time collaborator Mark Fiore and features never-before-seen studio and live footage. Cinematic keys and a delicate beat underline emotionally charged verses as humming guitar uplifts the introspective chorus, “We’re pulling apart for no reason, we’re pulling a trigger in a useless war…what are we fighting for.” It embodies the style, soul, and spirit of classic LP.
About Friendly Fire Brad Delson added, “‘Friendly Fire’ was always one of our favorite songs from the One More Light sessions. Something about it wasn’t quite right so as close as it got to the finish line, we chose to set it aside for later. When we started looking for an unreleased track to include on our greatest hits collection, I was blown away by the power of the song, the power of the storytelling, the power of the vocal, the sonic landscape and I actually thought that it was closer than maybe we had realized at the time.
We got together to work on it and connect some of the missing pieces that for whatever reason hadn’t revealed themselves during the recording of One More Light. I can’t wait for people to hear it. It’s such a beautiful, compelling, heartbreaking, hopeful story and it really resonates with me today.”
Said Mike Shinoda: “In the making of each Linkin Park album, I want to love and believe in each individual song completely. I hope that if any one track is heard on its own in the world, it is something I can feel proud of, and something that takes root inside the listener and becomes part of the energy that connects us.
Curating the tracks for Papercuts was a joy. Each song in this collection is both a singular moment on our timeline and an evolving story that is as much ours as it is yours. From our first release ‘One Step Closer’ to the brand-new ‘Friendly Fire,’ this tracklist spans all our chapters so far. Thank you for being a part of our journey. We hope you enjoy Papercuts.”
