LINKIN PARK Announces 'Papercuts' Greatest-Hits Album, Shares Previously Unreleased Song 'Friendly Fire'

LINKIN PARK will release a greatest-hits album, "Papercuts (Singles Collection 2000-2023)" , on April 12 via Warner. The official music video for the LP's first single, "Friendly Fire", a previously unreleased song recorded during the 2017 "One More Light" sessions, can be heard below.

Speaking about the track, LINKIN PARK guitarist Brad Delson said: "'Friendly Fire' was always one of our favorite songs from the 'One More Light' sessions. Something about it wasn't quite right, so as close as it got to the finish line, we chose to set it aside for later. When we started looking for an unreleased track to include on our greatest-hits collection, I was blown away by the power of the song, the power of the storytelling, the power of the vocal, the sonic landscape and I actually thought that it was closer than maybe we had realized at the time. We got together to work on it and connect some of the missing pieces that for whatever reason hadn't revealed themselves during the recording of 'One More Light'.

Delson added: "I can't wait for people to hear it. It's such a beautiful, compelling, heartbreaking, hopeful story and it really resonates with me today."

"Papercuts (Singles Collection 2000-2023)" features 20 tracks, including hits like "In The End" and "Crawling", as well as rarities like "QWERTY".

"In the making of each LINKIN PARK album, I want to love and believe in each individual song completely," LINKIN PARK's Mike Shinoda said. "I hope that if any one track is heard on its own in the world, it is something I can feel proud of, and something that takes root inside the listener and becomes part of the energy that connects us."

Shinoda added: "Curating the tracks for 'Papercuts' was a joy. Each song in this collection is both a singular moment on our timeline and an evolving story that is as much ours as it is yours. From our first release 'One Step Closer' to the brand-new 'Friendly Fire', this tracklist spans all our chapters so far. Thank you for being a part of our journey. We hope you enjoy 'Papercuts'."

"Papercuts (Singles Collection 2000-2023)" track listing:

01. Crawling
02. Faint
03. Numb/Encore
04. Papercut
05. Breaking The Habit
06. In The End
07. Bleed It Out
08. Somewhere I Belong
09. Waiting For The End
10. Castle Of Glass
11. One More Light
12. Burn It Down
13. What I've Done
14. QWERTY
15. One Step Closer
16. New Divide
17. Leave Out All The Rest
18. Lost
19. Numb
20. Friendly Fire

LINKIN PARK has been on hiatus since the death of singer Chester Bennington in 2017.

Two years ago, Shinoda said that there are no plans for new music, albums or live shows from LINKIN PARK. The 47-year-old musician addressed LINKIN PARK's future during a Twitch livestream.

"The only LINKIN PARK news I have for you is that… Yeah, we talk every few weeks — I talk to the guys, or some of the guys," he said. "And there's no tours, there's no music, there's no albums in the pipeline. Okay, so let me just tell you that. So just keep in your minds that that is not happening.

"I'm just gonna say that much for now," he continued. "I say that because anytime the band says anything or does anything, everyone tries to start up the hype train, and we're, like, 'No, no, no, no. Don't start up the hype train.' You're gonna disappoint yourself. Don't do that."

LINKIN PARK has not performed together in public since October 2017, when the surviving members staged a tribute concert in Los Angeles to Bennington. The band has not officially announced whether it intends to carry on following the death of Bennington, who committed suicide in July 2017 at the age of 41.

Five years ago, Shinoda shot down reports that LINKIN PARK was actively searching for a replacement for Bennington. In February 2019, Shinoda took to his Twitter account to write: "Lemme clarify a rumor: we are not looking for a new singer, and if it were to happen organically, I'd be open. Seems pretty clear, yet I guess some folks have a hard time understanding.

"I'm not into predicting the future. The future will happen."

Shinoda made his comments in an apparent response to how the media covered an interview he gave to Rock Antenne. When asked about the possibility of finding a new singer, Shinoda said: "That's not my goal right now. I think it has to happen naturally. And if we find somebody that's a great person that we think is a good personality fit and a good stylistic fit, then I could see trying to do some stuff with somebody... I wouldn't wanna ever feel like we were replacing Chester."

Shinoda added: "I know the other guys, they love to get onstage, they love to be in the studio, and so to not do that would be — I don't know — almost unhealthy. If doing that means that we need to have some other people in the mix in order to do it and do it well, then we would do that... But, like I said before, it has to happen naturally. I'm not running out and putting up 'vocalist wanted' posters."

Bennington's passing was ruled a suicide soon after his body was found in July 2017 at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California.

Chester had been candid about mental-health battles in numerous interviews over the years, saying he grappled with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and substance abuse. His struggles with drugs and alcohol landed him in rehab twice around 2006.

LINKIN PARK released a concert album titled "One More Light Live" in December 2017.