Korn lead singer Jon Davis wrote the lyrics to "Freak On A Leash" about the music industry, which he compares to an owner walking a dog. While he's this freak being paraded around, corporate America is making all the money... and it's taking a part of him.
Korn's alloy of metal came into vogue in 1998 when the Follow the Leader album - the band's third - was released. "Freak on a Leash" was one of just two singles from the set ("Got The Life" was the other). The album was released in August 1998, but the "Freak" single wasn't issued until spring 1999. It bubbled under at #106 on the Hot 100 on May 1, which wasn't bad considering how few radio stations played Korn. The album, however, went to #1, selling over 5 million copies in America at a time when CDs were still selling for around $16. In a twisted irony, Korn's song about music industry exploitation enriched their corporate overlords.
The video, directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, won two MTV Video Music Awards, one for Best Rock Video and another for Best Editing. It features a bullet speedily traveling through scenes of children playing and in school, among other things. It was based on an old public service announcement about gun control.
See your Spotify stats (with number of plays and minutes listened) and discover new music.
Music data, artist images, album covers, and song previews are provided by Spotify. Spotify is a trademark of Spotify AB.