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The Catalyst

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"The Catalyst"
Song

"The Catalyst" is a song by American rock band, Linkin Park. Released on August 2, 2010,[1] it is the first single from their fourth studio album, A Thousand Suns, due for release on September 14, 2010. The music video for the song, directed by the band's turntablist Joe Hahn, was released on August 26, 2010.[2]

"The Catalyst" is used in the trailer of the video game Medal of Honor as well as the theme song of Namco-Bandai's latest Gundam game, Gundam Extreme VS.[3][4][5]

Background

From July 9, 2010 until July 25, 2010, Linkin Park (in collaboration with MySpace.com) held the contest "Linkin Park, Featuring You". In this contest, fans could download stems from the album's first single, "The Catalyst", remix the stems and/or write their own parts for the song on any instrument. The winner of this contest was Czesław "NoBraiN" Sakowski from Świdnica, Poland, whose remix will be featured as an additional track on the album, available via Best Buy and Napster.[6][7] The liner notes for A Thousand Suns also credit Sakowski with "Supplemental Programming" on "When They Come For Me", the album's fifth track.

The top 20 remixes that were selected by the band are being considered for future use as b-sides and online downloads, as seen in the "Linkin Park, featuring YOU Winner" episode of the band's LPTV series.[8] Two of the remixes (by DIGITALOMAT and ill Audio) have since been released as via the band's webpage as free mp3 downloads, while two others have (by Cale Pellick and DJ Endorphin) been released via The Catalyst EP, a German exclusive available via iTunes.[9]

"The Catalyst" has also been featured in the trailer of the video game Medal of Honor, which premiered on August 1, 2010 and was directed by Joe Hahn. It will also be included on the game's soundtrack due out October 12, 2010.[10] It was also used during the 16th annual X Games competition.[11]

On August 31, 2010, It was announced that the band would perform the single live for the first time at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010.[12] The venue of the debut live performance was Griffith Observatory, an iconic location used in Hollywood Movies.[13][14] However, the venue was held secret till the performance but was revealed to be a prominent landmark of Los Angeles.[15]

Music video

The video for the song was filmed in July and was also directed by Joe Hahn. According to bassist Phoenix,[citation needed] the video contains references to the Bhagavad Gita and J. Robert Oppenheimer, which are two themes that are also used in the album.[citation needed] When coming up with the idea for the video, Hahn said he thought about what it would be like if mankind had to accept their fate in a time of despair.[16]

The video premiered on August 26.[17]

Reception

"The Catalyst" has received generally positive reception from critics. Jason Lipshutz of Billboard called the song a "nearly six-minute anthem of aggression", emphasizing on the transition from electronica to a slow dirge midway through the track. He also added that it recalls the vocal chants from Muse and political commentaries from Green Day, which the band fuses to create "an original, if a bit awkward, transition from twisty techno to fist-pumping rock".[18]

"The Catalyst" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Rock Songs chart, with 12.2 million audience impressions.[19] It became the first song in the chart's 14-month history to debut at the top spot.[20] This gave the band their second No. 1 single on the chart, tying them with Alice in Chains and Three Days Grace for most No. 1s on the chart. It also debuted at No. 3 on the Alternative Songs chart, becoming the band's fourteenth top five single on the chart (placing them behind Green Day for most top five's on the chart).[21] In its third week on the chart, it reached No. 1, becoming the band's ninth No. 1 on the chart, and tied for second most across all artists on the chart.[22] Additionally, it debuted at No. 35 on the Hot 100, selling 60,000 downloads in its first week, and became the band's ninth top forty single on the Hot 100. The song debuted at No. 20 on the Hot Digital Songs chart in its first week.[23]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Linkin Park.

CD single
No.TitleLength
1."The Catalyst"5:44
2."New Divide" (Live at Terra Vibe Park, Athens, Greece, July 21, 2009)4:55
Digital single
No.TitleLength
1."The Catalyst"5:42
iTunes Exclusive EP
No.TitleLength
1."The Catalyst"5:42
2."The Catalyst" ("Bobby Bloomfield" remix)3:06
3."The Catalyst" (King Fantastic remix)4:04
4."The Catalyst" (featuring DJ Endorphin)5:00
5."The Catalyst" (featuring Cale Pellick)3:31
Promotional radio CD single
No.TitleLength
1."The Catalyst" (radio edit)4:40
2."The Catalyst" (album version)5:42

Chart performance

Chart (2010) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart 44
Austria Top 40 23
Belgium Ultratip (Wallonia) 14
Belgium Ultratip (Flanders) 18
Canadian Hot 100 28
Dutch Mega Single Top 100 95
New Zealand Singles Chart 39
European Hot 100 40
German Singles Chart[24] 11
Japan Hot 100 26
Swedish Singles Top 60 31
Swiss Singles Chart 34
UK Singles (OCC)[25] 40
UK Rock Chart[26] 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[27] 35
U.S. Billboard Digital Songs[27] 20
U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs[28] 1
U.S. Billboard Rock Songs[27] 1
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs 12
Preceded by Billboard Rock Songs number-one single
August 21, 2010 - 		Succeeded by
"Incumbent
Preceded by Billboard Alternative Songs number-one single
September 4, 2010 - 		Succeeded by
"Incumbent

References

  1. ^ Shinoda, Mike (2010-07-08). "NEW ALBUM, "A THOUSAND SUNS," OUT SEPTEMBER 14". LinkinPark.com. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
  2. ^ http://www.linkinpark.com/profiles/blogs/the-catalyst-music-video-3
  3. ^ http://cobs.jp/entertainment/music/2010/09/1124.html
  4. ^ http://www.wmg.jp/linkin_park/
  5. ^ http://ngeekhiong.blogspot.com/2010/09/linkin-park-limited-gunpla-music-cd.html
  6. ^ Linkin Park (2010-07-09). "LINKIN PARK, FEATURING YOU". LinkinPark.com. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
  7. ^ "Linkin Park Best Buy Exclusive". Retrieved 2010-07-29.
  8. ^ ""Linkin Park, featuring YOU Winner"". Retrieved 2010-09-06.
  9. ^ "The Catalyst EP". Retrieved 2010-09-07.
  10. ^ Hahn, Joe (2010-07-27). ""THE CATALYST" IN MEDAL OF HONOR". LinkinPark.com. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
  11. ^ ""Music on ESPN X Games broadcasts". 2010-07-29. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
  12. ^ Montgomery, James (2010-08-31). "Linkin Park Will Perform 'The Catalyst' At 2010 VMAs". MTV.com. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  13. ^ "Linkin Park's Surprise VMA Location: Story Behind Griffith Park Observatory". 2010-09-12. Retrieved 2010-09-12. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  14. ^ "Linkin Park Get Cosmic For VMA Performance". 2010-09-12. Retrieved 2010-09-12. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  15. ^ "Live Review Go Inside Linkin Park's Secret VMA Rehearsal!". 2010-08-31. Retrieved 2010-09-12. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  16. ^ Hahn, Joe (2010-08-25). ""The Catalyst" Music Video". LinkinPark.com. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
  17. ^ Hahn, Joe (2010-08-15). ""The Catalyst" Video Premiere - August 26". LinkinPark.com. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
  18. ^ http://www.billboard.com/charts?tag=nav#/news/linkin-park-catalyst-1004109347.story
  19. ^ http://www.billboard.com/#/news/linkin-park-logs-first-no-1-debut-on-rock-1004108287.story
  20. ^ http://www.billboard.com/#/news/linkin-park-logs-first-no-1-debut-on-rock-1004108287.story
  21. ^ http://www.billboard.com/#/news/linkin-park-logs-first-no-1-debut-on-rock-1004108287.story
  22. ^ http://www.billboard.com/#/column/chartbeat/chart-highlights-adult-pop-alternative-songs-1004110760.story
  23. ^ http://www.billboard.com/#/news/taylor-swift-makes-sparkling-hot-100-entrance-1004108563.story?tag=hpfeed
  24. ^ http://www.media-control.de/wir-sind-helden-bringen-charts-gold-nach-hause.html
  25. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  26. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/rocksingles
  27. ^ a b c "The Catalyst". Billboard. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
  28. ^ [1]
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