Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda Claims Fans 'Lashed Out' at New Singer Emily Armstrong Because 'She Wasn't a Guy'

Mike Shinoda thinks he knows why Linkin Park is facing backlash from fans.

In an interview with The Guardian published on Friday, July 18, the band's cofounder and lead vocalist spoke about how fans have been reacting to Emily Armstrong joining the band in 2024, seven years after Chester Bennington's death in 2017. The band went on hiatus shortly after.

"There were people who lashed out at Emily, and it was really because she wasn’t a guy," Shinoda, 48, said of the former Dead Sara bandmember. He assumed that their fanbase was "used to" the band's composition of "six guys and the voice of a guy leading this song."

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"They were just so uncomfortable with what it was that they chose a ton of things to complain about. They’re pointing in 10 different directions, saying: 'This is why I’m mad, this is why the band sucks.' "

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Linkin Park in Munich in May 2025

"I was a little bit naïve about it, to be honest," Armstrong, 39, who avoids social media "for mental-health purposes," said regarding the reactions. "If there was something really, really pressing, I think our PR would talk to us about it. But I’m old enough to know the difference between real life and the internet."

Armstrong joined the band's lineup of Shinoda, Brad Delson, Dave Farrell (aka Phoenix), Joe Hahn and new drummer Colin Brittain, ahead of their From Zero World Tour, in support of their 2024 album of the same name.

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During their first show of their tour in September at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, Shinoda addressed the band's new chapter while reflecting on their return to the stage. "I mean, that's part of why we're back out here," he said after fans cheered in response to whether it was their first Linkin Park show. "We are thrilled to be back out here."

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"It is not about erasing the past," he continued, per a video shared by the concert venue.

"It is about starting this new chapter into the future and coming out here for each and every one of you.""We love playing for you guys, we love writing this music – we’re very f---ing excited about the new record. So thank you guys very much – we’ve had an incredible night with you. Hopefully we’ll see you soon," added Shinoda.

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Emily Armstrong in Hamburg in September 2024

Shinoda also talked about their massive tour. "I think we all wanted our show to be really good vibes," Shinoda told Guardian of their current tour. "I want you walking away feeling like, this was such a wonderful, special, fun night."

Up next for Linkin Park are dozens of stops through North America through September at cities such as Philadelphia, Chicago, Toronto, Nashville, Denver and Sacramento.

From there, the band heads to South America in October, making several stops before concluding in Brazil in mid-November until it picks up again in Europe in 2026.

Read the original article on People