After the recent release of Linkin Park's new album, Mike Shinoda returned to the choice of integrating singer Emily Armstrong. A way of assuming a break with the vocal identity of the group embodied by the late Chester Bennington.
It was less than three months ago. After seven years of absence, Linkin Park announced its comeback with the added bonus of a surprise, the integration of a new female voice, that of Emily Armstrong. A very heavy load on the shoulders of the former member of the group Dead Sara who was to succeed the charismatic Chester Bennington, who tragically passed away in 2017.
Recently, Mike Shinoda returned to the decision to choose Emily Armstrong and not a singer who would recall the original frontman of the Californian group. “We just want Emily to be Emily.”commented the guitarist on the microphone of Los Angeles radio Alt 98.7, before developing an anecdote.
“I don’t like it, it makes me feel weird”
“There was a moment in the beginning, around 2020, 2019, whatevercontinues Mike Shinoda. I think a video of a cover band – a Linkin Park cover band – popped up in my feed. The fans loved it. They were all like, 'Oh my God, this person is so good. They look so much like Chester.”.
And the co-founder of Linkin Park continued: “It's really cool, but it's also creepy that it looks so much like Chester. I don't like it, it makes me weird. It made me immediately realize that this wasn't the right choice for us .I don't like it. I like it for (cover bands), I just don't like it for us…Those bands do great work, but I wouldn't put that in our band.”
It is therefore a new Linkin Park that fans discovered last September with, in addition, the integration of drummer Colin Brittain. A development which relaunches the rock group, whose new album “From Zero” reached first place in the American rankings.
Linkin Park is currently continuing its world tour and will return to France on July 11, 2025, at the Stade de France for a concert which already promises to be memorable.
