"Papercut" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Linkin Park | ||||
from the album Hybrid Theory | ||||
B-side |
| |||
Released | June 18, 2001 | |||
Recorded | 2000 | |||
Studio | NRG (Los Angeles) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:05 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Songwriter(s) | Linkin Park | |||
Producer(s) | Don Gilmore | |||
Linkin Park singles chronology | ||||
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Audio sample | ||||
Music video | ||||
"Papercut" on YouTube |
"Papercut" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. It was released as the second single from their debut album Hybrid Theory (2000) and appears as the opening track on the record. It combines multiple genres in a way that Chester Bennington said captured the essence of the band. He also said it was one of his favorite Linkin Park tracks. The song reached number 14 on the UK Singles Chart,and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Rolling Stone described the track as opening the album with a hip-hop beat that gives way to "4-bit-infused alt-rock heaviness". [5] Mike Shinoda says the song combines three genres within its first 20 seconds:a beat inspired by Timbaland,nu-metal style guitars,and drum and bass. [6]
Chester Bennington said of the song: [7]
In the beginning, my whole goal was to bring as much melody as I could to the music [...] The band was really, really good at doing the hip-hop thing, and really good at writing rock music, but there hadn’t been a lot of melody [before] I joined. [...] When we got to that song, the chorus was so dope and the words behind it were so cool, that I didn’t need to do much melodically until we flipped it up at the end. That was a lot of fun; I felt like that song really captured what the vibe of the band’s about.
He stated multiple times that "Papercut" was one of his favorite Linkin Park songs. [8]
"Papercut" is the opening track on the band's debut album Hybrid Theory. It was released on 18 June 2001 as the second single from the record. [9] [10] The band's previous single, "Crawling", included a live performance of the track as a B-side.
The song has also been released in various forms as remixes. Linkin Park's remix album Reanimation (2002) features a version of "Papercut" remixed by Cheapshot and entitled "Ppr:Kut". [11] The band's EP collaborating with Jay-Z, Collision Course (2004) features a mash up the track with Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'". [12]
The music video for the song was co-directed by Nathan "Karma" Cox. [13] It shows the band performing in the lounge of an upscale house. Kerrang! describes the room next door as appearing "darker, twisted, shadowy". In this room a chrysalis is generated and hundreds of dragonflies emerge, referencing the cover art of Hybrid Theory. The room then begins to shape-shift around the band with faces coming through the wall. [14] The song's lyrics appear scrawled along the walls in the darker room. Brad Delson and Dave Farrell both appear playing acoustic instruments. [15]
Mike Shinoda reflected in 2021, "The only thing about that song that didn’t age well, in retrospect, is the video". He explains that it was made at a difficult time for the band when they were frequently getting into disagreements, so he chose not to give his views on Chester Bennington's outfit. He also comments, "The special effects are goofy [...] It’s not a terrible video, I think we’ve made worse, but when I watch it now, I look like a fucking idiot and I don’t know what’s going on". [14]
As of October 2020, the video had over 170 million views on YouTube. [14]
The song reached number 14 on the UK Singles Chart in 2001 and was in the chart for 6 weeks. [16] [17] It also reached number 32 on the Modern Rock Tracks Chart in 2002. [18] The song was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2017, for digital sales of 500,000 units. [19]
All tracks are written by Linkin Park
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Papercut" | 3:05 |
2. | "Points of Authority" (Live) | 3:25 |
3. | "Papercut" (Live) | 3:12 |
4. | "Papercut" (Video) | 3:13 |
Chart (2001–2002) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [20] | 87 |
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [21] | 43 |
Germany (Official German Charts) [22] | 49 |
Ireland (IRMA) [23] | 27 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [24] | 39 |
Scotland (OCC) [25] | 10 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [26] | 80 |
UK Rock & Metal (OCC) [27] | 1 |
UK Singles (OCC) [28] | 14 |
US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [29] | 32 |
Chart (2017) | Peak position |
---|---|
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100) [30] | 100 |
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [31] | 18 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Italy (FIMI) [32] | Gold | 50,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [33] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [34] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | June 18, 2001 | CD | Warner Bros. | [10] |
United States | January 2002 | Alternative radio | [35] |
Linkin Park is an American rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The band's lineup consists of vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn, and drummer Rob Bourdon, with vocalist Chester Bennington also part of the band until his death in 2017. Categorized as alternative rock, Linkin Park's earlier music spanned a fusion of heavy metal and hip hop, while their later music features more electronica and pop elements.
Hybrid Theory is the debut studio album by American rock band Linkin Park, released on October 24, 2000, by Warner Bros. Records. Recorded at NRG Recordings in North Hollywood, California, and produced by Don Gilmore, the album's lyrical themes deal with problems lead vocalist Chester Bennington experienced during his adolescence, including drug abuse and the constant fighting and eventual divorce of his parents. Hybrid Theory takes its title from the previous name of the band as well as the concept of music theory and combining different styles. It is also the band's only album on which bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell does not play.
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: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Hybrid Theory ... is set to move even more copies as Linkin Park bring "Papercut" to the masses. Hear it now in Alternative.