Heavy Is the Crown (Linkin Park song)

Last updated

"Heavy Is the Crown"
Single by Linkin Park
from the album From Zero
ReleasedSeptember 24, 2024 (2024-09-24)
Genre
Length2:47
Label
Songwriters
Producer 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

"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 anthem for Riot Games' 2024 League of Legends World Championship. An abridged version of the song with newly-recorded vocals by Armstrong and Shinoda appears in the soundtrack for the second season of Arcane .

Contents

Composition

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

"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 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] The band would also perform the song during the opening ceremony for the grand finals, held at The O2 Arena on November 2. A version of the song, as produced by Mike Shinoda and Alex Seaver of Mako, also appeared on the soundtrack for the second season of the television series Arcane . [12] [13] The song was also chosen to be the main theme of the 2026 Royal Rumble, one of the biggest annual professional wrestling events for WWE, taking place on January 31 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This also marks the first song by the band to be used as a theme for a WWE event. [14]

Reception

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." [15] The song became the band's seventh No. 1 on Billboard's Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, moving them into sole possession of the third-most No. 1's in the chart's history. [16] It also became the band's twenty-first top 10 song on the Alternative Airplay chart, tying for the fifth-most songs by any artist in the chart's history. [17]

Accolades

List of awards and nominations
YearCeremonyCategoryResultRef.
2025 Webby Awards Media & Entertainment: Advertising, Media & PRWon [18]
2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards Rock Song of the YearPending [19]

Music video

The music video for "Heavy Is the Crown" was directed by Eddy.tv, and premiered on YouTube on September 24, 2024. [20]

It is an animated music video that depicts real life League of Legends pro esports players in their respective teams, attacking the castle of T1, the reigning world champion at the time, where the band is performing the song. As the song progresses, the teams fight the reigning group on the castle grounds as the castle starts crumbling around the band, turning into ruins as the song ends. [21] [22] While the video was heavily praised for its animation and visuals, the music video attracted some controversy from League of Legends fans who argued that the band took over too much screen time over the depicted players who were more deserving of it. [23] Aaron Down of PCGamesN described the video as having an "identity crisis", elaborating that the video lacked focus and struggled to find a balance between the storyline and the band performance, adding that the frequent cuts disrupted the flow of the video. [24]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal. [25]

Linkin Park

Additional personnel

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Heavy Is the Crown"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [78] Gold35,000‡
Austria (IFPI Austria) [79] Gold15,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [80] Diamond160,000‡
Canada (Music Canada) [81] Gold40,000‡
France (SNEP) [82] Platinum200,000‡
Germany (BVMI) [83] Gold300,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ) [84] Gold15,000‡
Poland (ZPAV) [85] Gold25,000‡
Portugal (AFP) [86] Gold5,000‡
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [87] Gold15,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [88] Silver200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ Rothe, Dominik (September 24, 2024). "Linkin Park zeigen "Heavy Is The Crown"-Video". Metal.de (in German). Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  2. 1 2 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. ↑ Cross, Alex (January 13, 2026). "Linkin Park's "Heavy Is the Crown" Used As Offical Theme For WWE Royal Rumble". The Nu Metal Agenda. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
  15. ↑ Adams, Gregory (September 27, 2024). "6 best new songs right now: 9/27/24". Revolver . Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  16. ↑ Rutherford, Kevin (January 17, 2025). "Linkin Park Dons 'Crown' Atop Rock & Alternative Airplay Chart". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
  17. ↑ McIntyre, Hugh. "Linkin Park Matches Pearl Jam's Historic Record". Forbes. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Top Media & Entertainment: Advertising, Media & PR". The Webby Awards. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  19. ↑ Millman, Ethan (January 8, 2026). "iHeartRadio Music Award Nominations: Taylor Swift Leads With Nine". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  20. ↑ Schaffner, Lauryn (September 24, 2024). "Linkin Park Debut Animated 'Heavy Is the Crown' Video With 'League of Legends'". Loudwire . Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  21. ↑ Wilson-Taylor, James (September 24, 2024). "WATCH: Linkin Park Unveil Animated 'Heavy Is The Crown' Music Video". Rock Sound . Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  22. ↑ Yang Xu, Rui (October 11, 2024). "5 Amazing References in the Heavy Is the Crown Music Video". Red Bull GmbH . Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  23. ↑ Tuting, Kristine (September 25, 2024). "Is Heavy Is The Crown a hit or a miss? Fans debate over Linkin Park's Worlds 2024 song". ONE Esports. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  24. ↑ Down, Aaron (October 4, 2024). "League of Legends Worlds 2024 anthem video is a banger with an identity crisis". PCGamesN . Retrieved May 16, 2025.
  25. ↑ "Credits/Heavy Is the Crown/Linkin Park". Tidal. September 24, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  26. ↑ Ciocchetti, Cecilia (September 22, 2024). "Linkin Park Lead 2024's 'League of Legends' World Championship With New Song". Rolling Stone . Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  27. ↑ Nguyen, John (November 12, 2024). "How Composer Alex Seaver, aka Mako, Created the Music for Arcane Season 2". Nerd Reactor. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  28. ↑ Lynch, Jessica (June 2, 2025). "Linkin Park Perform 'In the End', 'Numb' at UEFA Final in Munich". Billboard . Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  29. ↑ "'This Is What You Asked For': Watch Linkin Park Star in Ice-Shattering Stanley Cup Final Promo". Billboard . June 4, 2025. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  30. ↑ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 7 October 2024". The ARIA Report. No. 1805. Australian Recording Industry Association. October 7, 2024. p. 4.
  31. ↑ "Linkin Park – Heavy Is the Crown" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  32. ↑ "Linkin Park – Heavy Is the Crown" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  33. ↑ "Linkin Park – Heavy Is the Crown" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  34. ↑ "Linkin Park Chart History (Brasil Hot 100)". Billboard . Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  35. ↑ "Linkin Park Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard . Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  36. ↑ "Canada Mainstream Rock". Billboard . March 8, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  37. ↑ "ČNS IFPI – CZ Singles Digital – Top 100 – 40. týden 2024" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  38. ↑ "Linkin Park — Heavy Is the Crown". TopHit . Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  39. ↑ "Linkin Park: Heavy Is the Crown" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
  40. ↑ "Top Singles (Week 40, 2024)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  41. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  42. ↑ "Linkin Park Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard . Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  43. ↑ "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.
  44. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  45. ↑ "Official Irish Singles Chart on 4/10/2024 – Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  46. ↑ "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 47" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  47. ↑ "Download Songs [Released on 2024/10/02]". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). October 2, 2024. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  48. ↑ "Billboard Japan Hot Overseas – Week of October 9, 2024". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  49. ↑ "Straumēšanas TOP 2024 – 40. nedēļa" [Streaming TOP 2024 – Week 40] (in Latvian). LaIPA. October 14, 2024. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  50. ↑ "2024 40-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. October 4, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  51. ↑ "Top Radio Hits Lithuania Weekly Chart: Oct 24, 2024". TopHit . Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  52. ↑ "Linkin Park Chart History (Luxembourg Songs)". Billboard . Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  53. ↑ "Linkin Park – Heavy Is the Crown" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
  54. ↑ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  55. ↑ "OLiS – oficjalna lista sprzedaży – single w streamie" (Select week 27.09.2024–03.10.2024.) (in Polish). OLiS . Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  56. ↑ "Linkin Park – Heavy Is the Crown". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  57. ↑ "ČNS IFPI – SK Singles Digital – Top 100 – 40. týden 2024" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  58. ↑ "BGM Chart – Week 39 of 2024". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  59. ↑ "Download Chart – Week 39 of 2024". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  60. ↑ "Top 100 Songs – Week 40, 2024". El Portal de Música. Productores de Música de España . Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  61. ↑ "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 40". Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  62. ↑ "Linkin Park – Heavy Is the Crown". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  63. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 4/10/2024 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  64. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart on 4/10/2024 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  65. ↑ "Linkin Park Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard . Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  66. ↑ "Linkin Park Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard . Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  67. ↑ "Linkin Park Chart History (Rock & Alternative Airplay)". Billboard . Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  68. ↑ "CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100: Měsíc 10/2024" (in Czech). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  69. ↑ "Top Radio Hits Lithuania Monthly Chart: November 2024". TopHit . Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  70. ↑ "SK – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100: Měsíc 10/2024" (in Czech). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  71. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Singles 2024". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  72. ↑ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts . Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  73. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2024". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  74. ↑ "Year-End Charts: Hot Hard Rock Songs (2024)". Billboard . Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  75. ↑ "Year End Charts 2025: Canada Mainstream Rock". Billboard . Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  76. ↑ "Year-End Charts: Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (2025)". Billboard . Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  77. ↑ "Year-End Charts: Rock & Alternative Airplay Songs (2025)". Billboard . Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  78. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2025 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved February 7, 2025.
  79. ↑ "Austrian single certifications – Linkin Park – Heavy Is the Crown" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved January 11, 2025.
  80. ↑ @WarnerMusicBR (November 10, 2025). "Merecido DEMAIS! Tivemos a honra de entregar a placa comemorativa para a banda @linkinpark, celebrando as conquistas do álbum 'From Zero' e dos singles 'The Emptiness Machine', 'Heavy Is The Crown', 'Over Each Other' e 'Two Faced'! Voltem sempre! 🤘🖤" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  81. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Linkin Park – Heavy Is the Crown". Music Canada . Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  82. ↑ "French single certifications – Linkin Park – Heavy Is the Crown" (in French). SNEP . Retrieved December 2, 2025.
  83. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Linkin Park; 'Heavy Is the Crown')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved January 15, 2026.
  84. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Linkin Park – Heavy Is the Crown". Radioscope. Retrieved October 3, 2025.Type Heavy Is the Crown in the "Search:" fieldand press Enter.
  85. ↑ "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . Retrieved December 31, 2024. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Heavy Is the Crown in the search box.
  86. ↑ "Portuguese single certifications – Linkin Park – Heavy Is the Crown" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa . Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  87. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Heavy Is the Crown')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
  88. ↑ "British single certifications – Linkin Park – Heavy Is the Crown". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved May 23, 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.