Burning in the Skies

"Burning in the Skies"
Single by Linkin Park
from the album A Thousand Suns
B-side	"Blackout" (Live) "When They Come for Me" (Live)
Released	March 21, 2011 (2011-03-21)
Format	CD single, digital download
Recorded	2008–2010
Genre	Alternative rock electronic rock
Length	4:13 (Album version) 4:01 (Radio edit)
Label	Warner Bros.
Writer(s)	Linkin Park
Producer(s)	Rick Rubin, Mike Shinoda
Linkin Park singles chronology
"Waiting for the End" (2010) "Burning in the Skies" (2011) "Iridescent" (2011)
A Thousand Suns track listing 15 tracks "The Requiem" "The Radiance" "Burning in the Skies" "Empty Spaces" "When They Come for Me" "Robot Boy" "Jornada Del Muerto" "Waiting for the End" "Blackout" "Wretches and Kings" "Wisdom, Justice, and Love" "Iridescent" "Fallout" "The Catalyst" "The Messenger" Music video "Burning In The Skies" on YouTube

"Burning in the Skies" is a song by American rock band Linkin Park. It was announced as the band's third single from their fourth studio album A Thousand Suns on the 20th of January 2011, and it was released on March 21. A music video for the single was directed by Joe Hahn, Linkin Park's turntablist. It was released in the United States to the Nielsen BDS adult contemporary indicator chart by February 2011, although it was clarified by vocalist Mike Shinoda that it is an international-only single, hence not charting in any Billboard charts.

"Burning in the Skies" (along with five other songs from A Thousand Suns) is featured in the "Linkin Park Track Pack" as downloadable content for the rhythm video game Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. The track pack was released on October 19, 2010.

Music video

Filming for the music video occurred from January 17 through 19, 2011, with Joe Hahn and lead vocalist Mike Shinoda tweeting about filming the video.

The international music video was directed by Joe Hahn. The video premiered on kerrang.com on February 22. The video was also uploaded on YouTube by Linkin Park on their official YouTube channel linkinparktv. The entire video is in slow motion. It shows the final activities of random people (A teen party, a couple in a car, a girl in her bathroom, other girl studying with her computer, an old man dining alone and a kid running with pajamas and a lion mask) before being caught in a blast radius of what seems to be a nuclear explosion in downtown Los Angeles. The explosion happens when the guitar solo starts. Then the band members are seen in darkness with effects similar to the ones used in the "Waiting for the End" music video, although they do not sing or perform their instruments in accordance to the song.

The behind-the-scenes video for "Burning in the Skies" was released on 29 March 2011.

Live performances

The song made its debut full live performance at their Melbourne, Australia show on 13 December 2010 during their A Thousand Suns World Tour as the chorus had been sung by Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington after the bridge of "Bleed It Out" in several shows of the tour.

Reception

Jean Dean Wells of AOL Radio praised the song, saying that the band "delivered an upbeat track that could play just as easily on any pop radio station."

Chart performance

Since Shinoda confirmed that it is an international-only single, the single did not chart in any Billboard charts. The single received moderate success in the charts where it charted.

Chart (2011)	Peak position
Austrian Singles Chart	35
German Singles Chart	43
German Airplay Chart	26
Swiss Singles Chart	41

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Linkin Park. 

CD single
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Burning in the Skies"	4:13
2.	"Blackout" (Live)	4:36

All songs written and composed by Linkin Park. 

iTunes EP
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Burning in the Skies"	4:13
2.	"Blackout" (Live)	4:36
3.	"When They Come for Me" (Live)	5:21

All songs written and composed by Linkin Park. 

Promotional radio CD single
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Burning in the Skies" (Edit)	4:01

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics