Did Linkin Park Predict the Japanese Tsunami?

A foreword: In the following article I will reference a terrible natural disaster, the effects of which are still - at the time of writing - occurring. This is not intended to trivialise or make jokes about the awful problems that have befallen the victims of this disaster, and I sincerely apologise to anyone who finds themselves offended by any of the content of this piece. I have no intention of disrespecting anyone involved in this, and I hope that this is reflected here, but I shall be happy to remove the article from the site if any readers are affected by it. I say this on anticipation that all readers will take this guarantee sensibly and not start being silly about it.

"A Thousand Suns", Linkin Parks concept album, is apparently based around the idea of a fear of what's happening around the world. But did the newest video from that album actually predict the cause of some of this fear before it even occurred? See what you think after watching the video for "Burning in the Skies": 

Now maybe this is just me, but it seems like this video could have been entirely about the Japanese tsunami. In fact I did assume at first that this is exactly what it was, until I checked the date this video was made. It premièred on the 23rd February 2011. Two and a half weeks before the tsunami. 

So there's that. Either Linkin Park are secret clairvoyants who warn the world of tragedies through music videos. Or it's a coincidence and the shock of the disaster means everyone's relating everything to it. Either way it doesn't mean we shouldn't discuss it.

You knew! And you were too busy making Saw movies to tell us!

Let's take a look at the events of the video that have led us to this conclusion shall we? It starts with people drinking, playing table football, opening a book. A normal, slow motion day for most of the world. Most of these shots could have been taken straight from the Social Network by the looks of them. But mixed in to these are the shots of people sitting down, staring at the television. They look serious. Something important is happening and they don't want to miss a second of it.

Now look at the other people. The child in a tent. The girl with the book. The old lady looking at a picture. What do you notice? They're all asian. 

Sure there are non-asian people there too, but Japan's a modern, multi-national country. That's only to be expected. And look at these people. They're drinking, playing stupid games and hooking up in cars facing a city. They're all students and early-twenty-ers. The sorts of people who would go on placements and gap years to Japan. 

The disaster shown in the video isn't really that clear. It looks like the shock wave of a bomb, but without the massive explosion and mushroom cloud that you would usually see in a video depicting this. Things are shown shaking, people panicking, objects breaking. It's an earthquake. 

Everything goes to hell. You see people scrambling around trying to hide from the danger that's not just around them but on top of them, below them, inside them. Everything collapses. Everyone falls.

And the family all still sit down in front of the TV. They are watching the news. They are watching the disaster unfold on live television, as we all were just a few days ago. They watch as fear and panic spread faster than the tidal waves, as homes and possessions are destroyed, as people are swept away, as lives are ruined and more are lost. They watch in horror as the turmoil and pain explode out of their television sets. Powerless to help. 

One recurring image is that of a girl, eyes closed, hair flying out in all directions, as if she's falling in slow motion. But that's not it. She's underwater. She's drowning. Her body is now floating gently in the torrents of water that sweep through everything. And the final shot of the video? That last image that we are left with for ten seconds? Something that's been a theme throughout the whole video?

Water.

How can we now see this video as anything else?

You are not powerless to help. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are raising funds to help those affected by the earthquake and tsunami across Japan. You can help them by donating here: http://www.ifrc.org/en/get-involved/donate/donation/

Please give as much as you can. (UK readers may have to do some quick currency conversion sums, but is that really too much effort?)

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