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Background
"New Divide" was recorded specifically for inclusion in Michael Bay's action movie, Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen. Brad Delson described it as "a heavy song, a high-energy song, and you don't know what's a keyboard and what's a guitar. That appearance versus reality is interesting to me sonically, where things you think are one thing are actually handcrafted, and it's something completely different. It's that 'I don't know what I'm listening to."[1]
Mike Shinoda was rather mysterious when first discussing the song on his blog. He disclosed only that they were working on a new song, that it would be based around huge synths and a loose performance from Rob Bourdon, and that guitars, bass, and vocals still needed to be done.[2] A month later, he officially announced the song would be included in the upcoming movie, Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen. Not only that, he also revealed that the band was taking part in the actual score of the film, and that certain themes in "New Divide" would be included in the score.[3] The song was mastered in early May by Brian "Big Bass" Gardner at Bernie Grundman Mastering.[4] It turned out that parts of the piece "Nest" would include samples of "New Divide".
Mike stated that, because the band don't usually write a song to fit with a story, it was a challenge to keep the song true to the spirit of the movie, but true to the band's intentions as well. They were under a lot of pressure. "“New Divide” was tough because, being a song for a big summer movie, it had a tight deadline. To be honest, the movie people had other bands they were considering in the beginning; all were successful bands worthy of having a song teamed with this movie. We were constantly under the time pressure to show Michael Bay and his team that our song would be the best one. Once we delivered it and they came back with a positive response, it felt we had won a race."[5]
Tracklist
CD Single
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1 | New Divide | Linkin Park | 4:29 |
2 | New Divide (Instrumental) | Linkin Park | 4:29 |
3 | New Divide (A Capella) | Linkin Park | 3:55 |
iTunes EP Single
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1 | New Divide | Linkin Park | 4:29 |
2 | New Divide (Instrumental) | Linkin Park | 4:29 |
3 | New Divide (A Capella) | Linkin Park | 3:55 |
Live Single
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1 | New Divide (Live) | Linkin Park | 4:54 |
Music Video
Versions
Note: Only the date of the very first release of each version is listed.
Studio
Title | Album | Length | Recorded | Released | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New Divide | New Divide
Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen - The Album 8-Bit Rebellion! |
4:29 | March-May 2009 | May 18, 2009 | |
Nest | Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen - The Score | 2:08 | 2009 | June 12, 2009 |
|
New Divide | 5:30 | 2011 | 2011 |
| |
New Divide (Intro) (8 Bit Rebellion Version) | 8-Bit Rebellion! Ringtones | 0:31 | 2010 | April 17, 2010 |
|
New Divide (Chorus) (8 Bit Rebellion Version) | 8-Bit Rebellion! Ringtones | 0:32 | 2010 | April 17, 2010 |
|
New Divide (8-Bit) | 8-Bit Rebellion! | 2:49 | 2010 | April 26, 2010 |
|
New Divide (Instrumental) | New Divide | 4:29 | March-May 2009 | May 18, 2009 |
|
New Divide (Acapella) | New Divide | 3:55 | March-May 2009 | May 18, 2009 |
|
Live
Title | Album | Length | Recorded | Released | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
New Divide (Live) | The Catalyst
A Thousand Suns (JP) New Divide (Live) |
4:35 | July 21, 2009 | August 2, 2010 | |
New Divide (Live In Madrid) | A Thousand Suns: Puerta De Alcalá | 4:35 | November 07, 2010 | January 25, 2011 | |
New Divide | Live In Madrid | 4:30 | November 07, 2010 | April 1, 2011 |
|
New Divide | Live In Red Square | 4:22 | June 23, 2011 | July 21, 2011 |
|
New Divide (Live) | Burn It Down
Living Things (AU Tour Edition) |
4:29 | July 04, 2011 | May 18, 2012 |
|
New Divide | Live At Admiralspalast Berlin, Germany | June 05, 2012 | March 29, 2013 |
| |
New Divide | Live In Monterrey | September 12, 2012 | June 13, 2014 |
| |
New Divide | One More Light Live | 2017 | December 15, 2017 |
Live
"New Divide" has been a staple in Linkin Park setlists since its debut at the Transformers 2 Premiere in 2009. On the setlists on Linkin Park's 2009 International Tour, the song opened the encore with an extended synth intro.
The song returned during the A Thousand Suns touring cycle, where it opened the first full show of the tour - the album release party in New York, New York after the sequence of "The Requiem" and "The Radiance". When the band began the tour, "New Divide" moved down a few slots in the setlist and its synth intro returned. It remained in this spot until Set B-1 debuted at the last show of the 2010 European Tour, where it moved into the third spot of the encore after "When They Come For Me". This stayed consistent for the following 2010 tours, though "Crawling" was moved into the encore, so "New Divide" was pushed back one slot in Set B on the A Thousand Suns Australian Tour. On the 2011 North American Tour, "New Divide" returned to the being the first full song of the set in Set B-11, which was only played once on the tour. Set B-13 replaced it, and "New Divide" was performed as the second-to-last song in the encore. This was true for Set C-5, as well, but that set was replaced by Set C-13 where "New Divide" was featured near the start of the set. The song stayed in these general positions on the 2011 European Tour and 2011 Asian Tour, as well: in the middle of the encore in Set A and Set C, near the beginning of the set in Set D and Set E, and near the end of the set in Set B. The band opened their shows at the Transformers 3 Premiere and the last show of the world tour in Singapore, Singapore at the Formula 1 Grand Prix with "New Divide" without the normal interludes; instead, a new extended intro titled the "Moscow Intro" was used before the song to open the set.
"New Divide" found itself in the middle of the sets for most of the Living Things era setlists. During the 2012 European Tour, it was featured mid-set between "Somewhere I Belong" and "Lies Greed Misery" in the headline set and near the end of the main set in the festival set. Three new sets debuted on the Honda Civic Tour, "New Divide" being featured mid-set in both Set A and Set C, while being third in the setlist in Set B. The song didn't really move for the rest of the tour, since these setlists were used for the rest of the world tour. At the show in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the song was aborted before the breakdown to address the rowdy crowd.
An abridged version of "New Divide" was performed for much of The Hunting Party touring cycle. For the setlist the band performed on the 2014 Summer European Tour, the song was featured near the end of the setlist, transitioning directly out of the shortened version of "Crawling". "New Divide" was performed without its first chorus and second verse. The song remained the same on the Carnivores Tour, featuring second in the encore in Set A with a transition outro into "Crawling" and third in the encore of Set B before "Until It's Gone". The song was not performed at the first show of the tour in West Palm Beach, Florida due to the band coming onstage extremely late and having to delay the set. On the short-lived 2015 North American Tour, "New Divide" was featured second in the encore after "A Place For My Head" in Set A with its transition outro into "Crawling" and third in Set B's encore, after "Lost In The Echo". The studio version of "New Divide" returned during the run of North American Summer Shows, where it was performed mid-set after Joe's Solo Medley. It remained in this position for the rest of the tour.
Variations
Last Updated: September 10, 2016
Type | Description | First Played | Last Played |
---|---|---|---|
Intro | Synth Intro | June 17, 2009 | September 11, 2011 |
Intro | Synth Intro w/ Keyboard | August 2, 2009 | August 22, 2009 |
Intro | Short Synth Intro | October 27, 2010 | December 8, 2012 |
Intro | Moscow Intro | June 23, 2011 | September 25, 2011 |
Outro | Transition Outro into "Crawling" | August 6, 2014 | January 18, 2015 |
Alternative | Shortened (No First Chorus or Second Verse) | May 24, 2014 | January 18, 2015 |
Live Guests
Last Updated: September 10, 2016
- Benjamin Chandler (replacing Brad Delson)
- David Schmitt (Breathe Carolina)
- Warren Willis (replacing Joe Hahn)
Awards and Nominations
Year | Award | Category | Status |
---|---|---|---|
2009 | Scream Awards | Scream Song Of The Year | Won |
Personnel
Lyrics
I remembered black skies, the lightning all around me
I remembered each flash as time began to blur
Like a startling sign that fate had finally found me
And your voice was all I heard that I get what I deserve
So give me reason to prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes
Give me reason to fill this hole, connect the space between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies across this new divide
There was nothing in sight but memories left abandoned
There was nowhere to hide, the ashes fell like snow
And the ground caved in between where we were standing
And your voice was all I heard that I get what I deserve
So give me reason to prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes across this new divide
In every loss, in every lie, in every truth that you'd deny
And each regret and each goodbye was a mistake too great to hide
And your voice was all I heard that I get what I deserve
So give me reason to prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes
Give me reason to fill this hole, connect the space between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies across this new divide
Across this new divide, across this new divide
Gallery
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Single
-
Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen - The Album
-
Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen - The Score
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Original background image used on the cover
In Other Media
- "New Divide" is featured in the 2009 film Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen and was included in its soundtrack album.
- "New Divide" is featured in the 2010 film The Last Shot.
- "New Divide" (in both studio and 8-bit versions) is featured in Linkin Park's 2010 videogame 8-Bit Rebellion!.
- "New Divide" is featured in the trailer for the 2010 videogame Medal Of Honor.
- "New Divide" was released in 2012 as part of a DLC for the 2010 videogame Rock Band 3.
- "New Divide" was used in a 2015 promo video for the Mercedes-AMG C 63.
Cover Versions
American metal act Danger Silent recorded a rendition of "New Divide" in collaboration with hip-hop/pop group SolSmash in 2012. A music video recorded at AVM Recordings in Phoenix, Arizona is available on SolSmash's YouTube channel.[6]
External Links
- New Divide (Music Video): WMG | MTV | Vimeo | VK
- New Divide (Music Video) [Band version]: LPTV
- New Divide (Moscow 2011) - LPTV | Paramount Pictures France
- New Divide (Rio+Social 2012) - The Live Room
References
- ↑ MusicRadar, July 2012
- ↑ MikeShinoda, March 2009
- ↑ MikeShinoda, April 2009
- ↑ MikeShinoda, May 2009
- ↑ MikeShinodaClan Ultimate-Guitar Interview, June 2009
- ↑ SolSmash - "New Divide" (Linkin Park cover) - YouTube, February 14, 2012