Mike Shinoda Sends Heartfelt Message To His Kids In Linkin Park's New 'Invisible'

Linkin Park's new album One More Light is just over a week away, but we have one more taste of new music coming before we hear the full thing. The band has just shared the fourth released track from the record, and they're continuing to hit home. Mike Shinoda sends a heartfelt message to his kids in Linkin Park's new song 'Invisible.'

The first thing many fans will notice is Mike Shinoda taking the lead on this track. Shinoda is in charge of all the vocals on this one, and he really sounds at the top of his game. His first outing on lead vocals was on Minutes To Midnight, with songs like the apolegetic 'In Between' and b-side 'No Roads Left.' On those songs, he really owned his presence, but there's an undeniable sense of uncertainty on the tracks, especially the more taxing 'No Roads Left,' which featured powerful vocals, orchestral elements, and huge guitars. Since then, he's had many bouts on lead vocals like in A Thousand Suns single 'Iridescent' and The Hunting Party anthem 'Rebellion,' and even showed off his electronic and pop singing capability in a song they did for Joe Hahn's movie called 'It Goes Through.' He's definitely come into his own and he's really killing it here. His melodies are fantastic and really get the emotion across, the timbre and melody sounding pretty similar to that of 'Fireflies' by Owl City.  

The quality of Mike's voice aside, he also tells a great story in the lyrics. 'Invisible' is a song for his kids. In the track, Mike talks about the difficulties he will have with his kids as they grow up and become more independent. He approaches the song like from a very fatherly perspective, opening the pre-chorus with "I was not mad at you / I was not trying to tear you down" as a sort of apology for the fights he will have with his kids in the future (every parent knows this is inevitable). While there are tense moments, Shinoda then admits "The words that I could've used / I was too scared to say out loud" to continue his apology and say things could've been done differently. He ends the pre-chorus by promising that through all the hard times they have, when everything seems to be falling down around them, he will be there to help his kids back up: "If I cannot break your fall / I'll pick you up right off the ground / If you felt invisible, I won't let you feel that now."

'Invisible' carries emotional weight in its instrumental, too. It feels like Justin Bieber and MØ's 'Cold Water' meets the previously released track 'Battle Symphony.' The song begins on a stripped down note, a light synth and a lighter beat leading the track into its first chorus with a triumphant vibe to it. The second verse kicks in with more meat, synths collecting and the beat becoming more active. The build continues with each separate part of the track, a subtle synth solo playing in the background of the bridge before the song explodes into one huge, emotional climax with Mike's vocals rolling and the instrumental enveloping you in a warm embrace. The guitar is brought up in the mix towards the end, supporting the synth in a sweet way, going along perfectly with the theme of Mike being there for his children through thick and thin.

Linkin Park's One More Light is truly shaping up to be one of the most genuine albums of the year. From the voice of a recovering alcoholic in 'Heavy' to the raw energy of 'Good Goodbye,' we've heard a lot of different stories told in the four released songs alone. Mike Shinoda sends a heartfelt message to his kids in 'Invisible' to keep the progression going. One More Light will be a powerful album, and the next week can't pass fast enough for it to come.

Rating: 95 / 100

Pre-order One More Light (out May 19) on Apple Music or Amazon:

And buy or listen to 'Invisible' here: