Mike Shinoda Issues Kaleidoscopic Video for ‘Happy Endings’ With Upsahl + Iann Dior
Update: Mike Shinoda has now issued a new video for his "Happy Endings" collaboration with Iann Dior and Upsahl. Take a look at the bottom of this post.
Linkin Park musician Mike Shinoda is pushing forward with more solo music, though he has some help on his brand new single "Happy Endings." The track is a collaboration featuring rising vocalist Upsahl and alt-pop star Iann Dior.
The new song starts off with a strummy guitar and Shinoda sharing vocals with rising vocalist Upsahl before giving way to rapped verses from Shinoda and Dior. The song itself is upbeat in nature, but also serves as a self-reflective vent not to be too hard on oneself during these trying times.
With the new track, Shinoda is the first major label artist to launch a new single via an NFT (non-fungible token) auction. Shinoda has revealed the new song "Happy Endings," his collaboration with Upsahl and Iann Dior, and he's used the cryptocurrency as a new avenue to promote his music.
Shinoda paved the way for “Happy Endings” earlier this week via his social media and Twitch platforms as well as through cryptocurrency authorities. Teasing out its impending arrival in groundbreaking fashion, he becomes the first major label artist to launch a single via NFT auction.
The initial 75-second song tease immediately piqued interest among fans, with the final top 10 bidders in the auction each receiving an original print of the single artwork signed by Shinoda and contemporary artist Cain Caser. Proceeds from the auction will benefit ArtCenter College of Design.
Shinoda recently got involved with creating crypto art using the NFT cryptocurrency. His first offering was a digital art piece titled "One Hundredth Stream." The composition's highest bid came in at 18,000 DAI, a stablecoin cryptocurrency that closely parallels the U.S. dollar — meaning users valued it at around $18,000. Later that same day, Zora announced that Shinoda had accepted a bid equaling $30,000 (200 WETH), and the musician plans to donate that to charity.
"Happy Endings" is currently available here via the platform of your choosing and the song's very relatable lyrics can be viewed below. An official video for the song will follow shortly.
Mike Shinoda Featuring Upsahl + Iann Diorr, "Happy Endings" Lyrics
(Intro Hook)
Hey, at least in my mind
I’m feeling like I'm
The hero that saves me
There, I hold my head high
Get everything right
Delusional maybe(Verse 1)
This whole last year was a shit show
Just finding out now what I didn't know
Seems like each time when I get low
I place blame everywhere that it shouldn’t go
and that’s what’s keeping me up
Falling apart man I’ll keep it a buck
You still act like I’m holding you up
I still feel like I’m totally nuts so
Tell me what I should’ve said and I’ll pretend to know that
Things come out my mouth that I should probably learn to hold back
Why do I expect to have the patience that I don’t have
Over and over expecting a different result yeahCHORUS
Hey, at least in my mind
I’m feeling like I'm
The hero that saves me
There, I hold my head high
Get everything right
Delusional maybe
If I’m pretending
why not write happy endings
Where I’m better than we both know I could be, oh
Still At least in my mind
I’m feeling like I'm
The hero that saves me(Verse 2)
They’re like
Ay Mike
You can’t keep kicking yourself for the things you
say, like
There are some people that you could never
Make right
Really do I wanna sweat shit, no
and I don’t know why I don’t let this go
I hold it inside let it take control
Tell me what I should’ve said and I’ll pretend to know that
Things come out my mouth that I should probably learn to hold back
Why do I expect to have the patience that I don’t have
Over and over and over and over and oh my GodCHORUS
Hey, at least in my mind
I’m feeling like I'm
The hero that saves me
There, I hold my head high
Get everything right
Delusional maybe
If I’m pretending
why not write happy endings
Where I’m better than we both know I could be, oh
Still At least in my mind
I’m feeling like I'm
The hero that saves meBRIDGE
I keep telling myself to stop caring
cause they live for keeping me staring
and they’ll drag it on to make me respond
to get more retweets and more sharing
I don’t need the manager no Karen
cause what’s wrong it seems so apparent
cause i’m too alive for bad fucking vibes
and I’m so damn sick of being stuck inside
(side SIDE SIDE YEAH)CH:
Hey, at least in my mind
I’m feeling like I'm
The hero that saves me
There, I hold my head high
Get everything right
Delusional maybe
If I’m pretending
why not write happy endings
Where I’m better than we both know I could be, oh
Still At least in my mind
I’m feeling like I'm
The hero that saves meIf I’m pretending
why not write happy endings
(X4)
Mike Shinoda featuring Upsahl and Iann Diorr, "Happy Endings"