Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix and Carrie Underwood sure have some next-level chemistry on the mic! The Papa Roach frontman invited the country star to sing a heartfelt duet on his band’s song “Leave a Light On (Talk Away the Dark).” The band has been in the biz a long time now, but this song really shows they still have something important to say, because hearing the pair sing it will definitely touch something in you.
Papa Roach initially released the song by themselves in 2023, but then reached out to Underwood in 2024 to record a duet on it. I’m sure The Music Man readers can guess that bringing Underwood onboard for the song really brought it to the next level. With so much vocal firepower under the hood, “Leave a Light On (Talk Away the Dark)” became a hit for the band on YouTube, drawing 5.7 million views after its upload on August 2, 2024.
Shaddix often dedicates performances of the ballad to the late Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington, who was taken from us far too soon at the age of 41 in 2017. Underwood and Shaddix recorded the duet in Nashville, Tennessee, and subsequently released the song as a charity single to raise funds for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).
You may also like...
- Article Continues Below -
Inspired by the song’s message, many fans shared their own personal stories and struggles in the comments. Other fans praised the performances, adding comments such as “Papa Roach and Carrie Underwood is something I never would have thought happening. WOW!” and “This went from being the collaboration I didn’t know I needed to the collaboration I can no longer do without. Unreal.” Papa Roach has dropped several memorable duets over the years, including their track with Skylar Grey, “Periscope.”
Papa Roach released “Leave a Light On (Talk Away the Dark)” on October 31, 2023, as the sixth single from their 11th studio album Ego Trip. Shaddix wrote the song with his bandmate Tobin Esperance and songwriters Nick Furlong, Colin Brittain, and Kris Bonn. The band released the 2023 version of the song as a charity single for AFSP. Proceeds from the 2024 re-release featuring Underwood also went to the same cause. Underwood told Billboard earlier this year that the message behind the song was incredibly important and added that “I’m such a huge fan of Jacoby and Papa Roach and was honoured to be invited to record ‘Leave a Light On’ with them.”
If you would like to hear more from this talented band, you can subscribe to their YouTube Channel for more incredible music. You can also follow them on Instagram for updates and behind-the-scenes content.