Linkin Park quickly became the most popular rock band of the early 2000s after the release of Hybrid Theory, selling over 30 million copies. However, the bad thing about making such an acclaimed album is that expectations for the next one were sky-high. Linkin Park knew this and under all that pressure began to work on the songs. The record company went from seeing Linkin Park as a band with no future to fully trusting them, giving them total creative freedom.
Numb was written by the members of Linkin Park, including key contributions from Mike Shinoda (rapper, producer) and Chester Bennington (lead vocalist). The creative process focused on capturing the universal emotions of frustration and disconnection.
The lyrics describe the pressure to meet expectations, particularly in family, school or social relationships. Many interpret it as talking about a child or young person who feels that they cannot live up to what is expected of them, which generates a feeling of emptiness and emotional disconnection, that is, becoming “numb” (numb or numb).
Numb was a global hit and one of Linkin Park’s biggest singles. The music video, directed by Joe Hahn, was shot in Prague, Czech Republic, and tells the story of a girl who feels alienated and judged by her surroundings, reflecting the emotions of the song. The song has been one of Linkin Park’s most listened to songs, with millions of plays on streaming platforms and its video surpassing one billion views on YouTube.
In 2004, Numb gained even more relevance when the band collaborated with rapper Jay-Z for the Numb/Encore mashup on the album Collision Course. This version won a Grammy Award and showed how the song could transcend musical genres.