"Why Is Everything So Heavy?"

New Music: A Review

Welcome to my first music review blog post. I hope that you find the opinions and viewpoints that I project both informative, and enlightening. I aim to provide you with info about the track/album, the artists viewpoint on the music, and hopefully some insight as to why they wrote, recorded, and presented the track/album in the way they did. So without further ado let's begin.

Heavy - Linkin Park feat. Kiiara

The first track I am taking on in my review is none other than the first single off of the new album "One More Light" by Linkin Park. This track has already received a fair bit of negative reception from those who have been longtime fans of the band. They cite things such as the instrumentals and the use of newer "pop" sounds rather than the grungier and heavier than their previous work. And before I begin my true review let me address that issue. I am not a veteran of the music industry, nor am I in a band at the moment. But a music career, like any other career, must go through changes. And these changes include not only band line-ups, but also they go through stylistic changes as well. This can come from a number of reasons. From the line-up changes, to the impact and influence that the artist has in mind for the song. Or it can come as the band is looking at a new chapter in their lives. Such as what we see in the song "Heavy". 

From the start we hear these new directions and a new message from the band. The lyrics start off with " I don't like my mind right now. Stacking up problems that are so unecessary", words that give off the vibe that the singer is at a crossroads. They are tired of their previous ways of thinking. Ways that have on brought on problems that shouldn't even be there in the first place. The next lines "Wish that I could slow things down. I wanna let go but there's comfort in the panic", show that even thought they want to move on they can't escape the comfort of their panic and it drives them crazy thinking about it all. Yet they still can't escape the gravity that pulls them back to the situation.

The second verse sees the entrance of their featured artist, Kiiara, an up and coming pop artist. The second verse continues with the overall theme of things that they have created in their own mind have become a source of agony for them. It starts off with something that later contradicts the later half of the verse. The singer paints the picture of being paranoid, thinking the world is out to get them and that the whole situation seems to focus on them. But the later half is a statement of the singer admitting that they are not the center of the universe, and yet the universe keeps spinning around them in their heads. Yet they feel like the choice wasn't theirs to make, and yet they still end up in the situation.

Then they break into the choruses. Talking about holding on, wondering why everything is so heavy. Carrying a wait that is so much more than they can carry. Wishing that they could let go and be free. Asking, wondering, pondering why their thoughts keep dragging them down. Then the bridge breaks in with them singing out a repeat of  parts of the first and second verses. Screaming out how they know the universe doesn't revolve around them but their minds keep running around with it doing just that. All the while it is driving them crazy because they think everything is about them.

They even wrap things up in a nice bow that is the music video for it. Depicting a person getting ready for the day, surrounded by the things that influence their thoughts and fuel their paranoia. An AA meeting where the person can admit the things that have weighed them down, giving them an essence of freedom from the things that have affected them. We see what appears to be a physical battle between one of the protagonist and what seems to be weighing them down. 

All in all this song and accompanying video represent a struggle that all too many people face. One that has caused so many a person to self destruct, or worse, bring others very close to them down with them as they implode. The struggle I am taking about is largely depression. An illness that impacts a surprisingly large amount of the population. The people affected by it reach far more than the actual number who suffer from it. The sufferers can experience

So before this becomes a discussion on depression and its many forms let's wrap up the review. If you are a die-hard LP fan then you will appreciate their new music. Because, in my opinion, a true fan will want to grow with the band as they grow. And this track is a really good way to show that you are one of those fans. Because if you stay the same forever then you will never move forward. As far as the technical aspects of the song are concerned, these guys knocked it out of the park. It might seem so simple but the way they present it, the lyrics they wrote behind it, and the video accompanying it were very well put together. I can honestly say that I am excited for their new album in the coming months! So if you haven't heard their new single then give it a listen and let me know what you think. Also check out my socials that are listed below as well as my YouTube page.

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