Where'd You Go
Encyclopedia
"Where'd You Go" is a song by American hip hop artist Fort Minor
, the side project of rock band Linkin Park
's co-lead vocalist Mike Shinoda
. It is the fourth and final single from Fort Minor's debut album The Rising Tied
, released on April 10, 2006. The song features Skylar Grey (then known as Holly Brook) and Jonah Matranga
. The song is from the perspective of the person left behind in long-distance relationship
s, and is about the consequences of putting one's career before one's family.
The single was Fort Minor's most successful one, peaking at #4 at the Billboard Hot 100
and received a Platinum certification by the RIAA in 2009.
for "Where'd You Go" features interviews with a boy named Joey Leba, who has divorced parents, the wife of a baseball player caring for their children, and the parents of a soldier in Iraq. At the end of the video, a brief note states:
"'Where'd You Go' was filmed in the homes of three families who share the same sense of loneliness as this song. Thank you for sharing your homes and stories with us. — Mike Shinoda
, Fort Minor". Holly Brook and Jonah Matranga also appear in the video.
hosted a contest, where US residents of 18 years or older, could remix the video, using the censored version of the track, could submit the video, in hopes of winning prizes from Mike Shinoda
and MTV.
On July 31, 2006, the winner was announced. The winning video was directed by David Ly, a graduate film student at Art Center College of Design, coincidentally Mike Shinoda's alma mater. His remake version of the video is about a person who lost touch with himself. He is full of life until he becomes a robot working a monotonous office job.
One morning, he wakes up from a dream of a beautiful girl dressed in white on the beach. He leaves for work, and his buried alter egos emerge mysteriously. They are all dressed in white dress shirts, black slacks, and an assortment of colored ties and each holding a red and white rose. At work, his boss gives him a stack of paperwork, which he does mechanically.
Meanwhile, at home, the alter egos are in a circle around his coffee table, throw the roses in the center, and leave. Back at work, he prepares to go home, but is then given another stack of documents. His frustrations boil over, and he throws his tie at his boss.
He runs home not knowing what he is running for, and at the moment that he walks in the door, the last of the alter egos exits. He finds a white box that replaced his coffee table and is intrigued. He unwraps the red and white ribbons and opens the box to find himself on the beach with the same girl in his dream and the roses on the water.
In 2007, The Deaf Performing Artists Network (D-PAN) created a music video for "Where'd You Go" using all deaf and hard-of-hearing actors. The entire song is performed in American Sign Language
with some subtitles. In the video, the profanity is censored in the vocal track but is clearly sung by the actors.
, where it was performed live with Skylar Grey on May 1. It won the award for best ringtone in the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards
.
All songs are featuring Holly Brook and Jonah Matranga. Track 2 is remixed by Brad Delson
.
Alternative Retail Single:
All songs are featuring Holly Brook and Jonah Matranga. Track 2 is remixed by Brad Delson. Track 3 is remixed by DJ Cheapshot
and Vin Skully of Styles of Beyond
.
Promo Industry CD Track Listing
Fort Minor
Fort Minor is a hip hop side-project of Mike Shinoda, who is better known as being a member of the American rock band Linkin Park. Shinoda's debut solo album as Fort Minor, The Rising Tied was released November 22, 2005.-History:...
, the side project of rock band Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
's co-lead vocalist Mike Shinoda
Mike Shinoda
Michael "Mike" Kenji Shinoda is an American musician, record producer, and artist. He is best known as the rapper, principal songwriter, keyboardist, vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Linkin Park, along with his co-frontman and lead singer Chester Bennington, and as a solo rapper in...
. It is the fourth and final single from Fort Minor's debut album The Rising Tied
The Rising Tied
The Rising Tied is the debut studio album of hip hop ensemble Fort Minor, the side project by Linkin Park rapper Mike Shinoda. The album was released on November 22, 2005 to critical acclaim and achieved moderate success...
, released on April 10, 2006. The song features Skylar Grey (then known as Holly Brook) and Jonah Matranga
Jonah Matranga
Jonah Rzadzinski Matranga is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist who has released a variety of solo material under his own name and onelinedrawing, and has previously been part of the bands Far and New End Original and Gratitude...
. The song is from the perspective of the person left behind in long-distance relationship
Long-distance relationship
A long-distance relationship is typically an intimate relationship that takes place when the partners are separated by a considerable distance....
s, and is about the consequences of putting one's career before one's family.
The single was Fort Minor's most successful one, peaking at #4 at the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and received a Platinum certification by the RIAA in 2009.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Where'd You Go" features interviews with a boy named Joey Leba, who has divorced parents, the wife of a baseball player caring for their children, and the parents of a soldier in Iraq. At the end of the video, a brief note states:
"'Where'd You Go' was filmed in the homes of three families who share the same sense of loneliness as this song. Thank you for sharing your homes and stories with us. — Mike Shinoda
Mike Shinoda
Michael "Mike" Kenji Shinoda is an American musician, record producer, and artist. He is best known as the rapper, principal songwriter, keyboardist, vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Linkin Park, along with his co-frontman and lead singer Chester Bennington, and as a solo rapper in...
, Fort Minor". Holly Brook and Jonah Matranga also appear in the video.
MTV contest
In June through July 2006, Mike Shinoda in association with MTV's OverdriveMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
hosted a contest, where US residents of 18 years or older, could remix the video, using the censored version of the track, could submit the video, in hopes of winning prizes from Mike Shinoda
Mike Shinoda
Michael "Mike" Kenji Shinoda is an American musician, record producer, and artist. He is best known as the rapper, principal songwriter, keyboardist, vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Linkin Park, along with his co-frontman and lead singer Chester Bennington, and as a solo rapper in...
and MTV.
On July 31, 2006, the winner was announced. The winning video was directed by David Ly, a graduate film student at Art Center College of Design, coincidentally Mike Shinoda's alma mater. His remake version of the video is about a person who lost touch with himself. He is full of life until he becomes a robot working a monotonous office job.
One morning, he wakes up from a dream of a beautiful girl dressed in white on the beach. He leaves for work, and his buried alter egos emerge mysteriously. They are all dressed in white dress shirts, black slacks, and an assortment of colored ties and each holding a red and white rose. At work, his boss gives him a stack of paperwork, which he does mechanically.
Meanwhile, at home, the alter egos are in a circle around his coffee table, throw the roses in the center, and leave. Back at work, he prepares to go home, but is then given another stack of documents. His frustrations boil over, and he throws his tie at his boss.
He runs home not knowing what he is running for, and at the moment that he walks in the door, the last of the alter egos exits. He finds a white box that replaced his coffee table and is intrigued. He unwraps the red and white ribbons and opens the box to find himself on the beach with the same girl in his dream and the roses on the water.
In 2007, The Deaf Performing Artists Network (D-PAN) created a music video for "Where'd You Go" using all deaf and hard-of-hearing actors. The entire song is performed in American Sign Language
American Sign Language
American Sign Language, or ASL, for a time also called Ameslan, is the dominant sign language of Deaf Americans, including deaf communities in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico...
with some subtitles. In the video, the profanity is censored in the vocal track but is clearly sung by the actors.
Commercial success
"Where'd You Go" is Fort Minor's most successful single. It has reached #4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and reached #1 on MTV's TRLTotal Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
, where it was performed live with Skylar Grey on May 1. It won the award for best ringtone in the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards
2006 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2006 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 31, 2006, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. The show was hosted by Jack Black at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....
.
Format and track listing
Retail Single:All songs are featuring Holly Brook and Jonah Matranga. Track 2 is remixed by Brad Delson
Brad Delson
Bradford Phillip "Brad" Delson is an American guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist and one of the founding members of the Grammy Award winning rock band Linkin Park. He is also the A&R Representative for Machine Shop Recordings....
.
Alternative Retail Single:
All songs are featuring Holly Brook and Jonah Matranga. Track 2 is remixed by Brad Delson. Track 3 is remixed by DJ Cheapshot
DJ Cheapshot
DJ Cheapshot is the DJ of the hip hop ensemble Styles of Beyond, Get Busy Committee, and Fort Minor. He is also associated with the Demigodz and the Get Busy Committee, as well as being the founder of SpyTech Records, which is located in Reseda, California, and the Cheapshot's bar, which is...
and Vin Skully of Styles of Beyond
Styles of Beyond
Styles of Beyond is an underground rap group from the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. The group consists of MCs Ryan Patrick Maginn and Takbir Bashir , Colton Raisin Fisher , and producer Jason Rabinowitz . They have released two LPs, one mixtape and were heavily featured on Mike...
.
Promo Industry CD Track Listing
- "Where'd You Go" (Album Version)
- "Where'd You Go" (Radio Version)
- "Where'd You Go" (Instrumental)
- "Where'd You Go" (Album A Capella)
- "Where'd You Go" (Radio A Capella)
Chart positions
| Charts (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 41 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 29 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
7 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
10 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 8 |
| French Singles Chart | 24 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 14 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 62 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
4 |
| US Billboard Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
2 |