“Heavy Is the Crown” (2024), Linkin Park
Linkin Park formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The band released seven albums with Chester Bennington as co-lead singer, along with Mike Shinoda. Bennington’s death by suicide in July 2017 seemed to mark the end of the band. But in the Fall of 2024, the band announced that Emily Armstrong would be added as a vocalist. Fan response was a bit skeptical; after all, Chester’s voice defined Linkin Park. But Emily was not so much a replacement as a new incarnation of the band. “Heavy Is the Crown” is the second single from this new version of Linkin Park.
One of the strengths of Linkin Park’s music is a robust grasp of depravity and fallenness. Although the lyrics sometimes make me uncomfortable, because they are direct and to the point, I have always appreciated their honesty and integrity. Fusing rock and rap in a distinctive Linkin Park style, the lyrics of this song accurately express the appeal and the consequences of the pursuit of power. With more power comes more responsibility. The hard, driving rock beat intensifies the lyrical word pictures. The song creates a mood of stress and anxiety which takes the listener to the place of hoping for release.
The metaphor “heavy is the crown” pictures the challenges of leadership. When people aspire to positions of leadership, they sometimes enter the position naively expecting the task to be easy. They often quickly discover that leadership is challenging and difficult. Leadership often proves lonely but can also be fulfilling when pursued with integrity and in quest of justice.
The song also functions as a warning to those who think the solution to the challenges we face is a strong and powerful ruler. Like Israel (1 Sam 8), humans throughout history have often desired human power over God’s leadership. A good warning is “This is what you asked for.” Power in the hands of an incompetent or evil ruler often leads to devastating consequences.
Questions:
- Read James 3:1–4 and reflect on the heaviness of the responsibility of being a teacher. Is it appropriate to apply that warning to other positions of leadership?
- “Be careful what you ask for” is a common proverb. The lyric, “This is what you asked for” seems to restate that warning. How can those of us who are not leaders appreciate that warning? Do you feel the tension between longing to lead and the awesome responsibility that accompanies the privilege?
- Jesus told several parables about counting the cost in Luke 14:25–33. How does this song resonate with Jesus’s warning?
- Read the warning Jesus gave his disciples in Luke 22:24–30. Consider how you could apply the greatness of servanthood in your own life.
- How does the music shape the way you hear the lyrics in this song? What mood does the music create?
For more devotionals in this series, click here.
About the Contributors
Glenn R. Kreider
Prior to teaching at DTS, Dr. Kreider served as Director of Christian Education and then as pastor in Cedar Hill, TX. His research and writing interests include theological method, theology and popular culture, and our eschatological hope. Dr. Kreider believes that grace really is amazing; it is a thought that will change the world. He is married to his best friend, Janice, and they have two grown children and one granddaughter. He and Janice enjoy live music, good stories, bold coffee, and spending time together and with their three dogs—two rescues, Chloe (a terrier/greyhound mix) and Carlile (a black lab), and one gifted, Faithful (a Bernedoodle therapy dog).
Contributors
