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“Numb“ is the thirteenth and final track on Linkin Park's sophomore album Meteora. It was released as the album's third single on September 8, 2003, and quickly became one of Linkin Park's top singles. It is instantly recognizable by its sampled intro. Background In March 2003, Mike Shinoda did a track-by-track of Meteora for ShoutWeb. About “Numb“, he said, “The last song is called “Numb“ which starts with a nice keyboard hook. I thinks it was a nice way to end the album because it kind of sums up the record. It's very recognizable as our sound. It sounds like a Linkin Park song but it does have some mood that Meteora has if that makes any sense. Maybe I can say that better. When you hear it, you can easily recognize it as a Linkin Park song but it obviously belongs on Meteora. It obviously belongs in this new group of songs just because of the way the tone of the song is and the lyrics are. It's kind of about those times when you've got no feeling left or you just don't care. It's almost like exhaustion or something which funny enough is how we felt after touring last year.“ On the Meteora booklet, the band wrote, “Just one week before the band entered NRG Studios to begin recording, this song was conceived. Built around the intro hook, the song came together quickly and almost effortlessly.“ In 2023 when discussing the new unreleased song “Lost“ from the Meteora sessions, Mike said that it came down to “Numb“ or “Lost“ when it came time to pick a song with that type of energy for the album. They went with “Numb“ and “Lost“ sat unreleased until 2023. Mike said that “Numb“ was a “backwards-looking song“, saying, “This is how I felt in a relationship, and over time it's become this way.“ Music Video The music video for “Numb“ was directed by Joe Hahn and stars Briana Evigan as an unpopular outcast young female student. The word “Numb“ can be seen cut in her arm. Camera and electrical department was handled by Mike Tenerelli. Parts of the video were filmed on Charles Bridge and in the Gymnázium Jana Keplera in Prague 6, the largest district in Prague, Czech Republic. The band worked with props and production design company Sunprops for the video. The film “Eurotrip“ was being shot at the same time as “Numb“ and Michelle Trachtenberg, one of the stars, was asked to be on the video but missed out on the opportunity due to an actor not remembering his line. She said: “Linkin Park was at our hotel at the time of shooting. They asked me to be in the video. I went to the boys and they said ‘Yeah sounds good, but it’s this one day and we’ve got this amazing French actor. He’s brilliant. He’s only available this one day.’ He was the worst actor I’ve ever worked with my entire life. He couldn’t remember, ‘What would you like to eat?’“ The rest of the video had to be delayed in over a month due to a viral infection that sent Chester to intensive care at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre. He suddenly found himself losing feeling in his fingers, followed by his arms, feet and legs, and was found by his wife passed out in his home, collapsed on the floor. At the hospital, he was administered morphine, and the pain medication Dilaudid. The band was forced to reschedule everything. About the incident, Chester said, “It was weird. I was in peak physical condition a few months back, I was ready to go, and then, on that one morning, I wake up with a slight ache in my back. Two hours after that, I feel like I'm going to die! Over the next nine days, I lose 17 pounds. I'm still having problems with my energy.“ The scenes of Linkin Park performing were shot at the First Congregational Church, located in Koreatown, Los Angeles, substituting the gothic church in Prague. Mike Shinoda spoke to MTV about the video in September 2003: “I think that Joe [Hahn] built up all this creative energy and he’s really done a great job on the video for ’Numb’. It’s more of a concept video. It’s more of a story. It’s not identical to the story of the song, but it is similar in that the emotions that go on in the video are similar to those in the song.“ 🔴I also persuade you to subscribe to my channel. 🔴If you liked it, be sure to support me 👍 🔴For the development of the channel: @973526 🔴My Tracks: 🔴I'm in VK: 🔴Instagram: ►ENJOY WATCHING! #linkinpark #numb #chesterbennington
