About You

"About You" was released as a pre-order track for Mike Shinoda's debut album Post Traumatic. It features a verse from Blackbear, who had worked with Shinoda on the track "Sorry For Now" off Linkin Park's seventh studio album, One More Light, and additional production from BASECAMP.

Background

When talking about "About You", Mike said that no matter what he wrote about, people would think it would be related to Chester. That's the feeling that inspired the track.

He told Rolling Stone, "I was thinking, 'God, I have all these ideas for songs that aren't about Chester or what happened. So I wrote a song about feeling that moment of writing songs. Because not every song is about him and about what happened."

Mike explained to Zane Lowe on Beats 1, "I made multiple rap songs and then smashed them together. So if you listen to the track, you'll hear multiple moods in the track, and then when it hits the – after the second chorus, from there out, it was me, and blackbear, and a duo named BASECAMP, and we all just kinda cooked up that end section together. So I'm really proud of it. Part of the thing about the lyrics of the song, which I know Zane Lowe will appreciate, is – I was writing all these songs and a lot of the early stuff on the album was about what had happened and was about Chester and all that. And then I started trying to write some songs that weren't about Chester and weren’t about that whole thing, and I realized that people would hear them as if they were about him. And I was like, "Man, even when I try to make a song that's not about him, it still feels like it's about him.""

On Genius, Mike said about the first verse, "You can guarantee that when a major life event happens to an artist, positive or negative, their touring gets changed. Even before the fans know what happened, dates start to change or get cancelled. I was not just talking about myself, but meant it as a general statement about anyone who has gone through it: when something happens to an artist (health problem, baby’s birth, breakup, etc.), everyone starts dissecting things they say and do, to make it "about" the event."

About the second verse, "Bon Scott was the singer of AC/DC, until his death in 1980. During his life, he co-signed Brian Johnson, who the band called on to sing for the band. Within six months, they had recorded "Back In Black," which went on to become one of the biggest albums on the planet, second only to Michael Jackson's "Thriller". "Thunderstruck" is also an AC/DC song, from "The Razor's Edge.""

"About You" features Blackbear, who worked with Linkin Park on 2017's "Sorry For Now" from One More Light and later worked with Mike again on 2020's "I'm Still Fucking Here." Mike said, "Blackbear wrote with Brad and I on "Sorry For Now." When I was making this "Post Traumatic" album I asked him to be a part of this song and talk about his memories of during the time we were working together. His verse is a bit abstract, which allows the listener to draw their own conclusions, but is rooted in reflection about our experiences."

Tracklist

Digital Single

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1	About You (feat. blackbear)	Mat Musto, Mike Shinoda	3:26

Music Video

The music video for "About You" was shot during Mike's trip to China in April 2018.

Versions

Note: Only the date of the very first release of each version is listed.

Title	Album	Length	Recorded	Released	Notes
About You (feat. blackbear)	About You Post Traumatic	3:26	2017-2018	April 26, 2018	Features vocals by Blackbear.
About You (feat. blackbear)	About You Post Traumatic (Clean)	3:26	2017-2018	April 26, 2018	Censored. Worldwide release on October 31, 2018.
About You	Post Traumatic - Instrumentals	3:26	2017-2018		Official instrumental version.

Live

"About You" was debuted live at Mike's first ever solo show. The song had an extended intro where Mike sang into a vocoder and was shortened, ending before the bridge, and transitioned directly into "Over Again".

Variations

Last Updated: January 12, 2020

Type	Description	First Played	Last Played
Intro	Vocoder Intro	May 12, 2018	September 8, 2019
Outro	Transition to "Over Again"	May 12, 2018	September 8, 2019
Alternative	Shortened (No Bridge or Ending)	May 12, 2018	September 8, 2019

Personnel

• Written by Mike Shionda and Matthew Musto
• Produced by Mike Shinoda, Jordan Reyes, and Aaron Harmon
• Vocals by Mike Shinoda and Matthew Musto
• Mixed by Manny Marroquin
• Mastered by Michelle Mancini

Lyrics

Album Version

Even when it's not about you, about you
All the sudden it's about you now, oh
Even when it's not about you, about you
All the sudden it's about you now, oh
Even when it's not about you, about you
All the sudden it's about you now, oh
Even when it's not about you, about you
All the sudden it's about you

This is that gather 'round it and wonder where I found it
This is that wake up make your agent have your tour re-routed
This is that drama comma pain and ain’t no way around it
'Cause somehow still it's hard to know what I can say about it
I buckled up told myself to suck it up
I was scared to death to get up there and spill my fucking guts
I was saying pull your stupid self together buttercup
Get it cracking, Back in Black until you have 'em Thunderstruck
But

Even when it's not about you, about you
All the sudden it's about you now, oh
Even when it's not about you, about you
All the sudden it's about you

No, there's not a single thing that I can say
Not a single solitary, every meaning changes shape
Even when there's no connection back to you in any line
All the sudden it's about you and it gets me every time but
What the fuck is left to author anyway?
When I basically been writing since the Raiders ran L.A.
I'm afraid that maybe I've said everything there is to say
Maybe I should make an exit while there're ways to get away

Can't find the words to a memory
But these are just words to a melody
Find something that works fits the symmetry
For only a quick broken remedy
And I'd give anything to choose
Pick out the words I bring home to you
How can I make do?
Put a smile on change my attitude
And even though it's not about you
Everything is all about you, oh
All about you

Ooh
Even when it's not about you, about you
All the sudden it's about you now, ooh
Even when it's not about you, about you
All the sudden it's about you now, ooh
Even when it's not about you, about you
All the sudden it's about you now, ooh
Even when it's not about you, about you
All the sudden it's about you
Even when it's not about you, about you
All the sudden it's about you now, ooh
Even when it's not about you, about you
All the sudden it's about you now
Even when it's not about you, about you
All the sudden it's about you now, ooh
Even when it's not about you, about you
All the sudden it's about you

External Links

• About You (Music Video): YouTube