"Last One To Know" is a song by Steve Aoki from his sixth studio album Neon Future IV. It features vocals by Mike Shinoda and Lights.
Background
Following Summer Sonic 2018, Steve Aoki started working with Mike Shinoda and Takahiro Moriuchi from One OK Rock.[1] On May 22, 2019, Steve Aoki posted several pictures of himself and Mike working together at Aoki's Playhouse, his residency in Las Vegas.[2] In an interview earlier that month, Taka was questioned about the song, to which he answered, "It's actually nothing happened right now. I had singing for Steve Aoki but I think it's he don't like it. You know, sounds like. But I'm still looking for something fun with Mike Shinoda too. So, yeah, we'll see. Maybe someday."[3] This song would later become "Last One To Know", as revealed by Mike on a livestream from July 16, 2020. He further stated: "I wrote Last One To Know and I just liked the song and then I played it for a few people and Taka did do a version of it. Steve and his manager just loved it and they wanted to do something with it and they had suggested Lights and I think she's great. I think she's super cool. And I think the thing about it was just that on that one I had always imagined it being a female vocalist. I actually wanted it to be a female vocalist for the whole song. That was my thing. I didn't want it to be my song at all, but they did. So that's how it ended up working out."[4]
The song was streamed live by Steve Aoki through Instagram on March 25, 2020.[5] Mike joined Steve on his Instagram Live as he debuted the song, and then Mike went live via his own Instagram Live to talk about the track. He said that he wrote the original demo sometime in the last year or so, sent it to Steve so he could work on it, and then decided that they needed a female singer for the chorus instead of just his own vocals. Mike said he is happy with how the final track ended up turning out.[6] The song was released officially on April 3rd, 2020.
Mike said about the lyrics, "I wrote that from start to finish, I did the demo over piano. I wrote it because, you know when other people are all talking about a thing, and either they're talking about it behind your back or you just don't hear about it and it's important? It's so complex. It's just the feeling of being out of the loop and the feeling of other people having other opinions and making decisions that affect your life, and you are late to the party on it and not included in the conversation. Without listening to the song or reading the lyrics I don't know if I can get deeper than that. Whenever I write songs and lyrics, sometimes I pull from different memories in different lines. One line could be from this year, and the very next line could be something from three or four or five years ago, who knows. Just whatever pops into my head."[7]
Remix
On May 22, 2020, Steve Aoki released a remix album for Neon Future IV, which featured two remixes for "Last One To Know" done by TV Noise and Curbi.[8] Beatport released an exclusive edition of the album with extended remixes for both tracks.[9]
Versions
Note: Only the date of the very first release of each version is listed.
Studio
| Title | Album | Length | Recorded | Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last One To Know (feat. Mike Shinoda & Lights) | Neon Future IV | 3:17 | 2019 | April 03, 2020 |
|
Remix
| Title | Album | Length | Recorded | Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last One To Know feat. Mike Shinoda & Lights (TV Noise Remix) | Neon Future IV (Remixes) | 3:19 | 2020 | May 22, 2020 |
|
| Last One To Know feat. Mike Shinoda feat. Lights (TV Noise Extended Mix) | Neon Future IV (Extended Remixes) | 4:12 | 2020 | May 22, 2020 |
|
| Last One To Know feat. Mike Shinoda & Lights (Curbi Remix) | Neon Future IV (Remixes) | 2:45 | 2020 | May 22, 2020 |
|
| Last One To Know feat. Mike Shinoda feat. Lights (Curbi Extended Mix) | Neon Future IV (Extended Remixes) | 3:37 | 2020 | May 22, 2020 |
|
Personnel
Lyrics
Got a matchbook in my pocket
Got my hand on it right now
If I lit a match in this office
It'd burn this motherfucker down
I thought we were on the same side
Crazy but solidified
Tell me what you think has changed
We were seeing eye-to-eye and then
Something started happening
Before I had a chance to say
I know
I had a plan but I never had time
I had a reason but I never had rhyme
I should have known it was over but I’m
The last one to know, the last one to know now
The last one, last one
Last one to know now
Last one, last one
Last one to know now
Last one, last one
Last one to know now
Last one, last one
Last one to know
Had a call about you this morning
They said that you were movin' on, ha
It took everything in that moment
Just to hold my fucking tongue, just to (hold my fucking tongue)
Because we were on the same side
Crazy but solidified
Somehow you got carried away
We were seeing eye-to-eye and then
Something started happening
I don't need you to explain
’Cause I know
I had a plan but I never had time
I had a reason but I never had rhyme
I should have known it was over but I'm
The last one to know, the last one to know now
The last one, last one
Last one to know now
Last one, last one
Last one to know now
Last one, last one
Last one to know now
Last one, last one
Last one to know now
I didn't know I was bringing you down
I didn't lose what you thought you had found
And now you're tellin' me you're leaving me out
The last one to know, the last one to know now
Under a black sky, tell me that it's not my fault
Is it so?
Under a black sky, tell me that it’s not my fault
Is it so?
Under a black sky, tell me that it’s not my fault
Is it so?
Under a black sky, I know
I had a plan but I never had time
I had a reason but I never had rhyme
I should have known it was over but I'm
The last one to know, the last one to know now
I didn’t know I was bringing you down
I didn't lose what you thought you had found
And now you're tellin' me you’re leaving out
The last one to know, the last one to know now
The last one, last one
Last one to know now
Last one, last one
Last one to know now
Last one, last one
Last one to know now
Last one to know
The last one to know now
Gallery
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Neon Future IV
-
Neon Future IV (Remixes)
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Kiiara, The Chainsmokers, Mike Shinoda, Taka and Steve Aoki at the Linkin Park & Friends after party.
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Kiiara, The Chainsmokers, Mike Shinoda, Taka and Steve Aoki at the Linkin Park & Friends after party.
External Links
References
- ↑ Rock Sound on Twitter: "Taka Moriuchi from @ONEOKROCK_japan discusses what it's been like working with @mikeshinoda after being a fan of Linkin Park for so long… https://t.co/jrLejyUIRV" ., February 08, 2019
- ↑ Steve Aoki on Instagram: “#aokijump #991. The Aoki x @m_shinoda Jump. @aokisplayhouse Las Vegas May 2019”, May 22, 2019
- ↑ ONE OK ROCK Interview: Taka Moriuchi On 'Eye Of The Storm' Reactions, Touring & New Music - YouTube, May 13, 2019
- ↑ Twitch, July 16, 2020
- ↑ New Steve Aoki Song 'Last One To Know' ft. Mike and Lights on April 3 - Newswire - Linkin Park Live, March 25, 2020
- ↑ Steve Aoki x Mike Shinoda x Lights - Instagram Live (2020.03.25) ("Last One to Know") - YouTube, March 25, 2020
- ↑ LPLive: Mike Q&A Summary 6/4/2020, June 4, 2020
- ↑ LPLive: "Last One To Know" Remixes, May 2020
- ↑ Beatport, May 2020