System of a Down drummer John Dolmayan recently revealed the untold story behind the creation of the band\u2019s biggest hit, \u201cChop Suey!,\u201d in a post shared on Instagram.<\/p>\n
The drummer explained how the iconic track nearly didn\u2019t make it onto the Toxicity album. He described the unexpected creative process that transformed it into a worldwide phenomenon.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe song that almost wasn\u2019t. During the Toxicity sessions (probably mid way through) Daron brought in the song now known as chop Suey,\u201d Dolmayan said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t a standout song, in fact we barely worked on it. I had a particularly hard time getting into the song because the beats I initially wrote for the song felt mundane and formulaic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dolmayan noted that a spontaneous creative decision changed everything about the track.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis song most likely wouldn\u2019t have been in the running to make the album but then something happened that changed the feel and inspired a beat that made the song more exciting,\u201d he continued. \u201cI tried a short blast beat (originally just Hi hat and kick, no snare) on a part of the song, this led to some changes in subsequent beats within the verses and choruses.\u201d<\/p>\n
The drummer also revealed an interesting detail about how the final lyrics came together during the recording sessions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen lyrics started to take greater shape, eventually in a room with Rick Rubin, the final lyrics were picked at random and by chance,\u201d Dolmayan explained. \u201cThe song that almost wasn\u2019t became our biggest hit, reigned 1 at KROQ for nearly a year and with over 1 billion listens on both Spotify and YouTube became a fan favorite and worldwide phenomenon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dolmayan\u2019s revelation adds a fascinating layer to the history of a song that became one of the defining tracks of early 2000s rock music.<\/p>\n
Louder Sound reported that \u201cChop Suey!\u201d was released on August 13, 2001, as the lead single from Toxicity, which followed on September 4, 2001. The band recorded over 30 songs at Cello Studios in Hollywood during the Toxicity sessions. They eventually selected just 14 for the final album. The song\u2019s journey from a track that \u201calmost wasn\u2019t\u201d to the lead single demonstrates how close the band came to shelving what would become their breakthrough hit.<\/p>\n
The song\u2019s release timing proved both fortuitous and challenging. 68to05 documented that \u201cChop Suey!\u201d swiftly climbed to number 1 on KROQ and helped Toxicity debut at the top of the Billboard charts. However, the tragic events of September 11, 2001, led to the song being temporarily pulled from some radio playlists due to its original title \u201cSuicide\u201d and sensitive lyrics. Despite these challenges, the track\u2019s momentum continued to build.<\/p>\n
The music video was filmed in a gritty Sunset Strip hotel courtyard. It reflected the song\u2019s dynamic energy and helped propel it to heavy rotation on MTV. This exposure expanded the band\u2019s audience significantly beyond their debut album\u2019s reach. The album\u2019s first-week sales reached around 200,000 copies in the US, marking a major commercial breakthrough for System of a Down.<\/p>\n
Producer Rick Rubin\u2019s involvement proved crucial to the song\u2019s distinctive sound. YouTube highlighted that Rubin encouraged experimental decisions by the band, including unique creative choices by lead vocalist Serj Tankian that contributed to the iconic and unusual structure of \u201cChop Suey!\u201d This collaborative approach in the studio, combined with Dolmayan\u2019s last-minute blast beat innovation, created the intense and shifting musical style that mixed serious themes like drug addiction with compelling musical experimentation.<\/p>\n
The song continues to resonate decades after its release. It has cemented its status as one of System of a Down\u2019s most streamed and viewed tracks. Its success exemplified the band\u2019s ability to blend intense socio-political commentary with musical innovation, distinguishing them from contemporaries in the nu metal scene while linking them to the broader early 2000s rock movement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
System of a Down drummer John Dolmayan recently revealed the untold story behind the creation of the band\u2019s biggest hit, \u201cChop Suey!,\u201d in a post … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3922,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"yoast_head":"\n