Heavy Is the Crown (Linkin Park song)

"Heavy Is the Crown" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. It was released on September 24, 2024, as the second single from the band's eighth studio album From Zero. The song serves as the main theme for Riot Games' 2024 League of Legends World Championship. A redone version with newly recorded vocals by Armstrong and Shinoda appears in Arcane's season two soundtrack.

"Heavy Is the Crown"
Single by Linkin Park
from the album From Zero
ReleasedSeptember 24, 2024 (2024-09-24)
Genre
Length2:47
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Mike Shinoda
Linkin Park singles chronology
"The Emptiness Machine"
(2024)
"Heavy Is the Crown"
(2024)
"Over Each Other"
(2024)
Music video
"Heavy Is the Crown" on YouTube

Composition

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Stylistically, "Heavy is the Crown" is described as a nu metal and rap rock song.[1][2] Emily Armstrong's vocals are compared to the late Chester Bennington's by Emmy Mack of Music Feeds, who stated "It's actually really easy to imagine Chester singing this one", and described the chorus as "gritty".[3]

Release

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"Heavy Is the Crown" is the second song released by the band since their return with new vocalist Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain, following a hiatus that lasted since 2017 due to the death of former vocalist Chester Bennington.[2][4][5] First performed live on September 22, 2024, during a performance at the Barclays Arena in Hamburg, Germany, during the From Zero World Tour,[6] the track was released as the second single from their upcoming eighth studio album, From Zero, on September 24, 2024.[7] It was accompanied by a music video themed after Riot Games' video game League of Legends, serving as the theme song for its 2024 World Championship.[8][9][10][11] Prior to the tournament's grand finals, the song was performed by the band as one of three acts in the opening ceremony, held at The O2 Arena. A redone version of the song also appeared on the soundtrack, as produced by Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda and Alex Seaver of Mako, in the second season of the television (TV) series Arcane, with Shinoda and Armstrong recording new vocals for the this version.[12][13]

Reception

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Gregory Adams of Revolver magazine wrote: "Fueled by hungrily melodic guitar hooks and a propulsive and bouncy, Meteora-esque beat, ['Heavy Is the Crown'] bursts out the gate with a classic Mike Shinoda rap. Armstrong recalls late vocalist Chester Bennington’s rasp, while also bringing some big screams of her own."[14]

Personnel

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Credits adapted from Tidal.[15]

Linkin Park

Additional personnel

Charts

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References

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  1. ^ Rothe, Dominik (September 24, 2024). "Linkin Park zeigen "Heavy Is The Crown"-Video". Metal.de (in German). Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Kaufman, Gil (September 24, 2024). "Linkin Park Drop Epic League of Legends World Championship Anthem 'Heavy Is the Crown': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  3. ^ Mack, Emmy (September 26, 2024). "Linkin Park Unleash Second Single Of Their New Era, 'Heavy Is The Crown'". Music Feeds. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  4. ^ Aswad, Jem (September 24, 2024). "Linkin Park Drop New Song 'Heavy Is the Crown,' Add Tour Dates". Variety. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  5. ^ Schaffner, Lauryn (September 24, 2024). "Linkin Park Debut Animated 'Heavy Is the Crown' Video for Video Game Championship". Loudwire. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  6. ^ Adams, Gregory (September 23, 2024). "See LINKIN PARK debut new song "Heavy Is the Crown" in Germany". Revolver. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  7. ^ Aswad, Jem (September 24, 2024). "Linkin Park Drop New Song 'Heavy Is the Crown,' Add Tour Dates". Variety. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  8. ^ Schaffner, Lauryn (September 24, 2024). "Linkin Park Debut Animated 'Heavy Is the Crown' Video for Video Game Championship". Loudwire. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  9. ^ Down, Arron (September 29, 2024). "League of Legends Worlds 2024 anthem video is a banger with an identity crisis". PCGamesN. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  10. ^ Adams, Gregory (September 24, 2024). "Hear LINKIN PARK's new 'League of Legends' anthem "Heavy Is the Crown"". Revolver. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  11. ^ Carter, Emily (September 27, 2024). "Linkin Park unleash new single Heavy Is The Crown, announce more 2024 shows". Kerrang!. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  12. ^ "Heavy Is The Crown music video sparks big debate among fans". One Esports. September 25, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  13. ^ Arcane (September 25, 2024). "Heavy is the..." X (Formerly known as Twitter). Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  14. ^ Adams, Gregory (September 27, 2024). "6 best new songs right now: 9/27/24". Revolver. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  15. ^ "Credits/Heavy Is the Crown/Linkin Park". Tidal. September 24, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  16. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 7 October 2024". The ARIA Report. No. 1805. Australian Recording Industry Association. October 7, 2024. p. 4.
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  21. ^ "Linkin Park Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  22. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 40. týden 2024 in the date selector. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
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  24. ^ "Linkin Park: Heavy Is the Crown" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
  25. ^ "Top Singles (Week 40, 2024)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  26. ^ "Linkin Park – Heavy Is the Crown" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  27. ^ "Linkin Park Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  28. ^ "Official IFPI Charts − Digital Singles Chart (International) − Εβδομάδα: 40/2024" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. October 9, 2024. Archived from the original on October 9, 2024. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  29. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  30. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  31. ^ "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 47" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  32. ^ "Download Songs [Released on 2024/10/02]". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). October 2, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  33. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Overseas – Week of October 9, 2024". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  34. ^ "Straumēšanas TOP 2024 – 40. nedēļa" [Streaming TOP 2024 – Week 40] (in Latvian). LaIPA. October 14, 2024. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  35. ^ "2024 40-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. October 4, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  36. ^ "Top Radio Hits Lithuania Weekly Chart: Oct 24, 2024". TopHit. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  37. ^ "Linkin Park Chart History (Luxembourg Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  38. ^ "Linkin Park – Heavy Is the Crown" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
  39. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  40. ^ "OLiS – oficjalna lista sprzedaży – single w streamie" (Select week 27.09.2024–03.10.2024.) (in Polish). OLiS. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  41. ^ "Linkin Park – Heavy Is the Crown". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  42. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 40. týden 2024 in the date selector. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  43. ^ "BGM Chart – Week 39 of 2024". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  44. ^ "Download Chart – Week 39 of 2024". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved October 3, 2024.
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