Breaking The Habit is the fifth and final single from Linkin Park's second studio album, Meteora, and still holds the monumental impact it had when it was first released, 16 years ago today. It’s not just the intense instrumental of live strings, a plucky guitar hook and sonorous piano accompanying [Chester] Bennington’s smooth vocals that devolve into desperate pleading by the bridge of the track that make this single a stand-out, but also the striking visuals of the animated video.
The video was directed by the band’s DJ, Joe Hahn, and said to have been inspired by fans who have shared their own stories and personal experiences with the band. Animators at GDH convinced Hahn that the video should be animated rather than how it was originally written as a live action and created one of the most visually interesting and intricate that the band have made to date. It focuses on several complex storylines for the bulk of the video in a somewhat nonsensical narrative, making the viewer invest in the characters and keeping the audience in suspense.
The band have detailed the lengthy history and their own attachment to the track, but one of the most prominent stories is [Mike] Shinoda’s initial conception of the idea that he couldn’t fully execute in the way he wanted in an interview with ShoutWeb [2003], “Well, five years ago or something, I tried to write this other song that never came together. I had tried it twenty different times and it never worked because it was always cheesy or it was too dark or it was too melodramatic or something and I always ended up scrapping it. When I tried it out on this song and the lyrics were finished in two hours, I couldn't believe it. I mean, this is a song I had been trying to write for five years and it just came together in two hours. It was amazing.” Rob Bourdon [drummer] has also commented on the track in an interview with ShoutWeb the same year, saying that, “I think that a song called Breaking The Habit is a really different kind of sound for us. I think it’s one of the best songs we’ve ever written. I think it stands on its own level.” In addition to this, in an LPU exclusive video released in 2015, [guitarist] Brad Delson said, “This song was written really quickly. I think he had this very specific idea in mind and was able to do the music and vocals in a very short matter of time, brought it to Chester, and Chester had a very personal, visceral reaction to the lyrical content. And ultimately, you hear Chester singing it, and certainly these lyrics are interestingly vocally authentic to Chester, and to Mike who wrote the song. And, again, some of the best songs, you know, happen so fast, and then there's songs we love we take two or three years to write, so this is definitely one that was just meant to be.”
Bennington’s reaction to the song was indeed personal, as he states that Breaking The Habit was the song that motivated him to get clean in MTV’s The Ride [2014]. “The song that really got me straight to the core was Breaking The Habit off of Meteora. Mike had written a song and handed me the sheet with the lyrics on it, and I’m reading it and listening to it and it was like waterworks. I felt like he was writing about my life. The song was very hard for me to record. I get all teared-up thinking about it right now. I’d have to stop, gather myself, get through two lines, start crying, leave the room, come back in. I was like, ‘I can’t do this’.” Although, despite the fact that the song was difficult for Bennington to record, he has claimed that it remains one of his favourite Linkin Park songs many times and recorded the vocals to the track in just one afternoon.
Breaking The Habit is not just a testament to Linkin Park’s experimental style that makes them stand out from other rock bands, but allows us to relate to Bennington on a personal level. The fact that he got through the recording of the song in order to share his struggles with the world despite it being such a daunting and private internal fight goes to show how considerate he is, as well as how perfectly Shinoda was able to craft the song in order to reach not just Bennington, but people all over the world who are struggling with addiction or mental illness.
One reaction to the track which is particularly powerful is the video attached below, as he shows his genuine response to Breaking The Habit, music and video. Be aware that he uses stigmatised language in order to refer to suicide, so please be mindful of your mental health. Resources can be found at the end of the article.
Breaking The Habit remains one of the songs synonymous with the band and continues to be a cutting and emotional statement on how we deal with addiction and mental illness. It is a staple for many rock fans and continues to be timeless; a true testament to what insightful and truly meaningful lyrics paired with an empathetic and talented singer can create in order to help others going through similar struggles.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised, help and resources can be found at Buddy Project.