LIVING THINGS RELEASE DAY CHALLENGE

Imagine opening your birthday presents by yourself, alone. Imagine having no one to look in the eye, sharing the excitement of each new thing.

Now imagine opening those presents, surrounded by the people you love. There’s something better about sharing an exciting moment with other people.

Growing up, when one of my favorite bands released a new album, it was an event. I used to leave school at lunchtime with my friends to drive to the store and buy it. We would rip open the packages and put one in, and listen to it together, eating lunch in the car. We would shout over the music, rewind our favorite parts, play songs over. It recently occurred to me how sad it is that so much of that experience has been lost. Albums leak, release dates are spread out over the course of weeks, and often, people hear an album alone, on pathetic computer speakers. True, they tweet, text, and chat about it, but the magic isn’t as magical.

Our new album LIVING THINGS comes out in the US on June 26. It hits the shelves in a number of other countries on June 22. And it’s no secret that the album will likely leak a week or two prior. We want to issue a challenge to our fans: make the LIVING THINGS release date a special event for yourself.

When the album leaks, ignore it.

You’ll only have to wait a few days. Then, at midnight of the release date in your country, listen to the album from front to back. If you can, listen to it with friends. Have a party. Drive somewhere. Enjoy yourself. If you decide to download the album leak rather than purchase the album, fine. This challenge still applies to you. This is not about downloading, it’s about deciding to have more fun.

However you get the album, document the day. Take photos of you buying the album and putting the CD in your car, downloading it and listening to it on your iPod, streaming it and playing it on your stereo. Tweet your photos to us @linkinpark with the hashtag #LIVINGTHINGSRELEASEDAY. We’ll retweet our favorites.

We want LIVING THINGS release day to be as special for you as it will be for us. Challenge yourself to hold out, and we’ll all share in the excitement together. For the record, I’ll be celebrating on the 26th, so if you want to celebrate with me, come find me on Twitter.

@m_shinoda

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Comment by laura on June 7, 2012 at 8:20am: I can not wait wait for the 26 then? I will celebrate with Linkin Park released the first in Italy but Mr. shinoda I am in Germany until 24 I hope I work for a fair

Comment by Nienke Terpstra on June 7, 2012 at 8:14am: Great idea! I'm definitely going to do that.

Comment by Matheus Andrade on June 7, 2012 at 8:00am: Only this amazing band could have this very good idea!!

LINKIN PARK{LIVING THINGS}

Comment by Anwesha Mohapatra on June 7, 2012 at 6:03am: lol @ Lpumax

Happy advanced bday! :)

Comment by Pooja Shinoda LP on June 7, 2012 at 5:56am: Wow that's a fantastic idea..

I love you so freaking much Linkin Park..!! <3

Living things is going to be the best rock album in the history of rock albums... <3

I just feel so lucky to be born in the same era as you guys are... LP forever.. <3

Comment by Lpumax on June 7, 2012 at 5:35am: 22nd June is my Birthday!!! And I'm from Germany, so I will get the album on my Birthday!!! :D This will be one of the best presents for me^^

Comment by Anwesha Mohapatra on June 7, 2012 at 5:24am: i never listen to leaked albums until the albums officially released!!!! Coz i know what it's like to wait for it for so damn long and it gets spoilt within seconds coz of these leaks...

I still remember whn ATS was released, i went out to this store n iwas like "where's LP??" n then i saw this huge ATS poster and I was like "OMFG" n it was one of the best days of ma life!

So im gonna have patience and wait for it :)

Love LP!!!

Comment by The Big_D on June 7, 2012 at 2:27am: accepted challenge. I will see the show in Japan from home, it's the day that the german TV will show the Streetgig (see it again^^ ) and after that i will hear LIVING THINGS :D , hope it's arrived that day.

Comment by Sabrina S. on June 7, 2012 at 2:04am: June 22nd is my birthday. I'm from Germany and I pre-ordered Living Things. I hope that it's gonna arrive that day! :)
It would be awesome to get your new record on my 20th birthday ♥

Comment by Klaudy on June 7, 2012 at 2:01am: I’m so glad that LP cares about us and gives us so wonderful ideas! I’m proud of them... LP is simply the best band in the whole world :) Aaand challenge accepted, of course ;)