BY AUDREY WILSON
On February 10th 2023, twenty years after the release of Meteora, Linkin Park released a new song titled “Lost“, a song that was recorded by Chester Bennington and the rest of the band but was never included in the track list for that record. Hearing that this song was coming out was random and unexpected; however, as a Linkin Park fan, it was refreshing to hear something “new” given the circumstances. Luckily, for the twentieth anniversary of the record, we can expect six new songs this coming April.
While listening to the song and watching the music video simultaneously, it stood out to me how nostalgic the animated music video is, considering we have a video of this nature for the song “Breaking the Habit”. The video includes an animated version of Chester Bennington, which metaphorically shows the battles he was facing. Personally seeing that the animated character was him gave the song and video a much greater effect. The lyrics are heavy and really help depict the struggles he was facing mentally. The lyric that stood out to me the most was “I try to keep this pain inside but I will never be alright”. The lyrics are simple and easy to understand but really pull at your heart strings. As someone that battles with mental health issues, I felt this song and could relate to the words. From an instrumental standpoint, the song is somber and there is nothing out of the ordinary as it is the Linkin Park we all know and grew up listening to. We did not hear much from Mike Shinoda on this track as it is soley Chester which I think really influences the legacy he left behind and honors him. This is the perfect nostalgic song for Linkin Park fans and is sure to take you back to years ago. As an avid Linkin Park fan, it was refreshing and almost bizarre to hear the voice of an artist that has been gone for some time now on a track that no one has listened to yet.
Multiple members of Music Scene Media are avid Linkin Park fans as well so I asked for their input on the new song:
Editor-in-Chief Melanie Bryan:
“I honestly got into Linkin Park pretty late in life, but once I sat down and listened to them, I was instantly hooked. I wasn’t influenced by a particular album or anything, because when I got into them, I listened to everything all at once but I definitely feel that my love for their sound led to me discovering new artists. I guess you could say that they were a “gateway drug” for me into the world of nu metal and possibly what helped me get into hip-hop. I took Chester’s death pretty hard, so hearing this track was an emotional experience for me. It was new, yet familiar, and it felt like welcoming back an old friend”.
Interviewer/Photographer Megan Juarez-Fontana:
“Linkin Park was there for me in dark times when I didn’t realize I was going through something bad. I didn’t realize how depressed I was at the time but I was in an abusive relationship and linkin park’s meteora album was my life and outlet. They were there describing all my feelings that I didn’t realize I was feeling. It helped me to realize that I needed help. The new song to me signifies my journey of healing and how my abusive past still plays a role in my life today”.
Senior Photographer Jason Gonzales:
“Their songs were a part of the soundtrack of my life. As a mixed person with different nationalities and interests where I sometimes don’t feel like I fit in, the genre bending of Linkin Park resonated with me on such a deep emotional level. Not only did these lyrics hit home, they’re music personality made me feel understood. As soon as I heard “Lost” from the very first note, it was like I was 13 again screaming my lungs out with Chester. The song was great, but it didn’t matter because I never thought I’d ever hear his voice again on another song that I didn’t already know”.
It is exciting to see that we will continue to hear new tracks upon the 20th anniversary of Meteora. I think this will bring the music community together and give us something special to listen to and reflect on in the coming weeks as it will take us back in time to when this record was released while simultaneously honoring Chester Bennington.