Mike Shinoda has opened up about the decision to choose Emily Armstrong as the singer for a reunited Linkin Park rather than a Chester Bennington-like sound.
Armstrong's announcement was met with some backlash, in part due to the drama surrounding his ties to Scientology and Danny Masterson; However, some fans were simply upset that the band did not choose someone who sounded just like Bennington.
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Shinoda compared it to Linkin Park cover bands he had seen on YouTube, defending Armstrong's choice as singer for the reunion in an interview with a Los Angeles radio station. Height 98.7.
“We just want Emily to be Emily,” she said. “Songs are songs. Emily is Emily… There was a moment in the beginning, like 2020, 2019, whatever, like when I remembered I was watching videos… I think a video of a cover band, a Linkin Park cover band, appeared on my feed. The fans loved it. Everyone was like, 'Oh my God, this person is so good.' They sound a lot like Chester.'”
Shinoda compared his reaction to the “uncanny valley”: “your brain likes it more and more the more real and closer to the real thing it becomes, and then in the moment before it becomes exactly as real, your brain becomes “He goes completely crazy.” opposite direction… back to 'I hate him', because your brain can tell it's trying to be tricked. And no one's brain likes that.”
He continued, “So when I was watching this YouTube or Instagram video of this cover band, I thought, 'That's really cool, but it's also creepy that he sounds so much like Chester.' I don't like it, it baffles me. I immediately knew it wasn't right for us. I don't like. I like it for [the cover bands]”I just don't like it for us… These bands do great work, but I wouldn't put that on our band.”
Fresh from the release of their new album From scratchLinkin Park has a busy 2025 campaign ahead, including a massive world tour with over 30 dates in North America (get tickets here).
You can watch the interview with Shinoda in the TikTok video below.
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