"Darker Than Blood" | ||||
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Single by Steve Aoki featuring Linkin Park | ||||
from the album Neon Future II | ||||
Released | April 14, 2015 | |||
Format | Digital download | |||
Recorded | 2012–14 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 5:12 | |||
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Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Steve Aoki | |||
Steve Aoki singles chronology | ||||
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Linkin Park singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Darker Than Blood" (Official Video) on YouTube |
"Darker Than Blood" (working title: "Horizons") is a song written and recorded by American musician Steve Aoki, featuring the vocals of American rock band Linkin Park. It is the second collaboration between them, and is included on Aoki's third studio album, Neon Future II. The single was available for pre-order on Amazon.com. A half-minute promo of the song was made available by both Aoki and the band. The single debuted on Twitch.tv on April 13, 2015. It was released as the second single from Neon Future II on April 14, 2015.
While Neon Future I contains more party-themed/club-styled songs, Neon Future II is supposed to show a "darker", and more "emotional" side of the Neon Future theme. It will include the song "Darker Than Blood", which features Linkin Park. The song is their second collaboration after "A Light That Never Comes", their first collaborative song that's featured on Linkin Park's second remix album Recharged. The song was first revealed in an interview with Billboard, and was released as the second single from the album on April 14, 2015. According to Aoki, the song had been a work in progress since 2012 and Mike Shinoda rewrote Aoki's original lyrics to make them darker, because Shinoda thought Aoki's original lyrics were "too happy". After the release of the song the album was available for pre-order on iTunes.
Parts of the song can be heard from Aoki's performance on February 28, 2015 at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois. During his performance at the 2015 Ultra Music Festival, Aoki previewed more of the song.
Critics mainly compared the song with their previous collaboration, "A Light That Never Comes". Dance Charts, a German dance music website, gave the song a positive response and claiming that the song would chart higher than their previous collaboration, saying that "the mixing of the various elements are pretty good at "Darker Than Blood". However, the number is aimed clearly at a pop and radio audience. Nevertheless, "Darker Than Blood" is liked better than "A Light That Never Comes". Perhaps the number is similarly successful." In a more mixed review, Direct Lyrics criticized the song saying, "It’s a shame that all of Chester’s intensity gets overclouded by Steve Aoki's commercial EDM beat. This is just not right, even though I will probably ‘lose it’ to “Darker Than Blood” anyway at a club."