"All We Are Is Talking Over Each Other"

Intro

Linkin Park is a band that has gone through many different versions of itself. From the nu-metal of Hybrid Theory to the experimental electronic of A Thousand Suns to the pop with dark lyrics of One More Light, Linkin Park has had many eras. Originally called Xero, the band changed its name to Linkin Park after adding clean and harsh vocalist Chester Bennington to its lineup alongside its previous vocalist Mike Shinoda. The two would become a power duo, their dual vocals at the heart of the band. In 2017, almost exactly one month after the release of their 7th studio album, Chester Bennington was found dead and it was ruled a suicide. In the subsequent years, the band would release old demos, but did not find a new second lead vocalist. In 2024, the band announced they were adding Emily Armstrong, formerly of the band Dead Sara, to their lineup as a vocalist. This was announced through a cryptic countdown and livestream of a concert where she performed alongside the band. Her addition to the band sparked much controversy, but here I will be outlining why I think she is a great addition to the band and rebuking many of the common arguments I’ve heard made against her. 

Part 1: Why She’s A Good Fit

Emily has a unique voice. It’s slightly scratchy and conveys emotion extremely well. In that way, she is similar to Chester, but in general she sounds quite distinct. This, in my opinion, is a good thing. If they had picked someone who sounded like Chester exactly it would have absolutely felt like they were trying to replace him, and been incredibly odd. In addition, she has a fun energy while off and on stage, but can still hit the emotional notes incredibly well. This is also similar to Chester, but again distinct in its own ways. Her being openly a queer woman also is incredibly cool to see in such a huge band. 

And on a more personal note, it's just nice to see Mike happy to perform again. You can see him smile on stage and have fun off of it, which is incredibly hard to do when you've lost someone who you used to do those things with. It's just sweet to see him and the rest of the band performing again and enjoying it.

Part 2: Rebuttals to Common Arguments

“She’s a Scientologist”

To start, people have voiced that they feel uncomfortable that she is a scientologist as the Church of Scientology is known for its many shitty practices and beliefs as well as the way it preys on people. I am not disputing any of that. Here are the facts as I see them, Emily was born into the church as her parents were members. The church is well known for being able to take down anyone with a big following who openly speaks against it. Emily is openly a lesbian. The church does not support queer people and puts them through conversion therapy. All of this to me says that she is not a practicing member of the church but is being careful on publicly denouncing them as she knows that could be dangerous and her parents may still be members.

“She Supports Danny Masterson”

This is one that was found after people dug around her past once she was officially announced as a member, and as a member of The Mars Volta called her out for supporting him at trial. Here is what Emily said about the situation on her Instagram story: “Several years ago, I was asked to support someone I considered a friend at a court appearance, and went to only one court appearance and went to only one hearing as an observer. Soon after, I realized I shouldn’t have. I always try to see the good in people, and I misjudged him. I have never spoken with him since. Unimaginable details emerged and he was later found guilty.” This feels very real and genuine and I am inclined to take her word for it. 

“It’s a cash-grab”/”They should have changed the name”

This makes so little sense because if they were doing a cash-grab they would have gotten someone well known or someone who sounded a lot like Chester. In addition, changing the name doesn't really make sense. Plenty of bands have changed lead singers and kept the same name. Plus, the new record being titled “From Zero” is a nod to them changing the name because while it means starting over, it is also a reference to the original name of the band

“She sounds bad”/”She sounds bad live”

This one is quite literally a matter of opinion. She sounds different, but that's a good thing, and personally I love her voice. Most of the clips where people say she sounds bad live are from the very first shows she played with the band which makes sense because she must have been hella nervous and it was her first ever huge venue. And also she doesn’t even sound that bad in those clips!

Thank you for indulging my ramblings once again.