Talking to Myself (song) explained

Talking to Myself
Type:single
Artist:Linkin Park
Album:One More Light
Released:July 25, 2017[1]
Recorded:2015–2017
Length:3:51
Chronology:Linkin Park
Prev Title:Heavy
Prev Year:2017
Next Title:Darker Than the Light That Never Bleeds
Next Year:2017

"Talking to Myself" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. The song is the second single from their seventh studio album, One More Light and was released on July 25, 2017. The music video was released on July 20, 2017, the same day that Linkin Park's lead vocalist, Chester Bennington, was found dead by suicide. It is Chester Bennington's first posthumously released single.[2] [3]

Music video

The music video, which features footage of the band performing at various places and rehearsing,[4] [5] was edited and directed by Mark Fiore. It was released several hours before Chester Bennington was confirmed dead.[6]

The music video reached over 10.1 million views on YouTube in one day, making it one of the most viewed online videos in the first 24 hours.[7] The official video uploaded to Linkin Park's YouTube channel on July 20, 2017 was shorter than the previously released audio-only video and the video released to other sites such as Vevo;[8] it was later fixed to play the full song, with the last shot being of Bennington in a vehicle looking out at a window.

As of April 2024, the music video for "Talking to Myself" has over 148 million views on YouTube.[9]

Critical reception

The song received mixed reviews from critics. Ian Gittins of The Guardian called it "a sleek Justin Bieber-style pop-R&B nugget". Allison Stewart of The Washington Post stated, "the electro-poppy 'Talking to Myself' sounds like the work of a '90s boy band". In a negative review, Anita Bhagwandas of NME commented that the song "is full of unsophisticated hooks and forgettable melodies".[10] Jon Pareles of The New York Times described it as "a pounding plaint about loneliness, alienation and 'all the walls that you keep building.[11]

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Talking to Myself"
Chart (2017–18)Peak
position
France (SNEP)[12] 181
Philippines (Philippine Hot 100)[13] 18

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Talking to Myself"
Chart (2017)Position
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[14] 91
Hungary (Single Top 40)[15] 67

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Alternative Future Releases. https://web.archive.org/web/20170713063919/https://www.allaccess.com/alternative/future-releases. July 13, 2017. All Access.
  2. Chester Bennington Dead at 41. Lynch. Joe. July 20, 2017. Billboard. July 20, 2017.
  3. News: Chester Bennington dead: Linkin Park released new music video hours before singer's apparent suicide. O'Connor. Roisin. July 20, 2017. The Independent. July 21, 2017.
  4. News: Chester Bennington dead: Linkin Park released new music video hours before singer's apparent suicide. O'Connor. Roisin. July 20, 2017. The Independent. July 21, 2017.
  5. Stutz. Colin. Linkin Park Share New 'Talking to Myself' Video Just Before News of Chester Bennington's Death. 22 July 2017. Billboard. 20 July 2017.
  6. News: Linkin Park drops a new video "Talking to Myself" on the day Chester Bennington killed himself. Iyengar. Aarti. July 21, 2017. Bollywood Life. July 21, 2017.
  7. https://web.archive.org/web/20170721162546/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvs68OKOquM Wayback Machine "Talking To Myself (Official Video) - Linkin Park"
  8. Web site: Talking to Myself (Official Video). Vevo. 21 July 2017.
  9. Web site: Talking To Myself [Official Music Video] - Linkin Park]. YouTube. Linkin Park. July 20, 2017. May 10, 2023.
  10. News: Bhagwandas. Anita. Linkin Park – 'One More Light' Review. 24 July 2017. NME. 17 May 2017.
  11. News: Pareles. Jon. Caramanica. Jon. Russonello. Giovanni. The Playlist: Linkin Park Pays Tribute to Chester Bennington. 29 July 2017. The New York Times. 21 July 2017.
  12. Web site: Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles Téléchargés – SNEP (Week 30, 2017). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. French. July 28, 2017.
  13. Web site: BillboardPH Hot 100. Billboard Philippines. August 14, 2017. August 14, 2017.
  14. Web site: Rádiós Top 100 – hallgatottsági adatok alapján – 2017. Mahasz. February 17, 2018.
  15. Web site: Single Top 100 – eladási darabszám alapján – 2017. Mahasz. February 17, 2018.