In a recent op-ed published in The Guardian, Mike Shinoda reflected on the rise to fame of his band, Linkin Park, and expressed his discomfort with growing visibility. Shinoda stated that fame was never a priority for the band and that he and Chester Bennington did not want to be seen as the faces of Linkin Park. He added that the band’s success without being recognizable would have been preferable, saying, “The fame aspect of my career always felt odd.”
Shinoda also discussed the lead-up to recording the band’s sophomore LP, which involved touring relentlessly without any breaks for 18 months. In addition, he briefly reflected on the band’s artistic evolution following their breakout debut, Hybrid Theory, stating that while they knew they had done something life-changing, they felt strongly that they did not want to be pigeonholed into a past version of themselves.
Despite his discomfort with fame, Shinoda expressed delight at the band’s resurgence among younger listeners, with a spike in listenership over the past year. He also noted that there are a huge number of new fans on streaming platforms. In April 2023, Linkin Park released an expanded edition of Meteora, including unheard demos, behind-the-scenes footage, and live performances.
In a previous interview with NME, Shinoda spoke about the experimentation with new sounds on the album, stating that Meteora opened the door to trying out different things. In a more recent interview, Shinoda discussed his latest projects and expressed praise for Sleep Token’s debut album, stating, “It’s really strange to me in the best way.
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