“It was really because she wasn’t a guy”- Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda addresses fan backlash to new singer Emily Armstrong

When Linkin Park announced Emily Armstrong (the fierce-voiced frontwoman of Dead Sara) as their new lead singer last year; reaction was mixed: some fans cheered, others balked. Right out of the gate, voices rose in backlash, not over her talent but over her gender. Mike Shinoda, co-founder and stalwart voice of the band framed it bluntly:

"There were people who lashed out at Emily, and it was really because she wasn’t a guy."

Here’s the kicker: plenty of disgruntled fans pointed fingers anywhere but at gender, blaming her past Scientology connections or simply longing for the familiar thunder of Chester Bennington.

But as Shinoda peels back the layers, the uncomfortable truth is a notch simpler and harder to swallow: Linkin Park fans were at their core, not ready to see a woman leading the charge. Let’s unpack Shinoda’s remarks, the fan pushback and what it all means for the future of Linkin Park and Emily Armstrong’s place in it.

Mike Shinoda straight-talks the backlash to Emily Armstrong

When asked why some fans reacted poorly to Emily Armstrong stepping into the spotlight, Shinoda didn’t dance around it. Speaking with The Guardian, he said the reaction was rooted in discomfort:

“they were used to Linkin Park being six guys and the voice of a guy leading this song. They were just so uncomfortable… they lashed out… because she wasn’t a guy.”

Shinoda added that critics seized on anything—her past ties to Scientology, an old court appearance in support of actor Danny Masterson, or the inevitable comparisons to Chester Bennington—to justify their unease. Instead of addressing the real issue—gender—they splintered their attacks into “10 different directions.” Armstrong herself admits she wasn't fully prepared.

“I was a little bit naive about it, to be honest,” she told The Guardian, explaining that she initially “avoided social media for mental-health purposes.”

Her response has been graceful but cautious: she’s stepped away from online unrest and leans on PR to monitor critical chatter.

“I’m old enough to know the difference between real life and the internet.”

Against that backdrop, critics have included Chester’s own family. His son Jamie accused the band of erasing his father’s legacy during a s*icide awareness month, while Bennington’s mother said she felt “betrayed” at being left out of the band’s comeback plans.

Even the Scientology and Masterson angle came under scrutiny. Emily addressed it directly clarifying that she attended one court hearing at a friend’s request, regretted it when Masterson’s crimes emerged and made it clear she “does not condone abuse or violence against women.”

Despite all this, Shinoda and Linkin Park are pressing on with renewed purpose. Their latest album, From Zero (November 2024) marks a return to the band’s nu-metal roots with Emily’s vocals taking center stage. Shinoda says the goal of their live shows is simple:

“really good vibes” and leaving fans “feeling like, ‘This was such a wonderful, special, fun night.’” Notably, they’ve dropped “One More Light” from the setlist—it’s “just too sad to play,” he said.

Mike Shinoda pulled no punches: the flak directed at Emily Armstrong boils down to a single fact—she isn’t a man. And while some fans may never fully embrace the shift, Emily’s fiery talent, grace under pressure and the band’s commitment to moving forward suggest that Linkin Park’s new chapter isn’t about replacing Chester; it’s about redefining what the band can be.

If audiences can set aside nostalgia and open their ears (and minds), they might just find something unexpected ready to rip through arenas with a fresh voice at the helm.