Linkin Park is back, as the band will perform before the Champion’s League Final.
In 2017, Linkin Park took a hiatus after lead singer Chester Bennington unexpectedly took his own life. The band chose not to re-form until 2024, but it had to do so with a new lead singer.
So, Linkin Park has a new voice with which to move forward, despite the fact that many fans primarily associate the band with Bennington. Linkin Park even came out with an album named From Zero, it’s first new music since Bennington’s death.
Here’s everything you need to know about Linkin Park’s new lead singer.
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Who is Linkin Park’s lead singer?
Chester Bennington was the lead singer of Linkin Park for almost two decades, but he took his own life in July of 2017. The band went years without replacing Bennington, but decided to find a new lead singer in 2024.
Emily Armstrong replaced Chester Bennington as Linkin Park’s lead singer in September of 2024, seven years after Bennington’s death. She was one of two new additions to the band, as Colin Brittain replaced Rob Bourdon as the drummer of the band at the same time.
Who’s ready for the Performance this Saturday live at the Champions League Final??#linkinpark pic.twitter.com/GU5rcGBiZS
— Linkin Park Shows ! (@LinkinParkShows) May 28, 2025
Initially, the band began working with Armstrong in 2019 without the idea of having her join full-time, but the two sides eventually came together over time.
“We were just slowly coming together and then eventually things just started to fall into place with Emily and with Colin our new drummer,” Mike Shinoda said, via BBC.com said. “We talked about putting her voice on things we’d already written that only had my voice on them. Once we did that, we were like, ‘that sounds really good, we should try that on even more songs.'”
Shinoda also stressed that Armstrong isn’t trying to be like Bennington.
“When she sings, it’s like the passion and she’s just 100 percent her, that’s the best part,” Shinoda said. “She’s not trying to be Chester, she’s not trying to be anybody else. She’s her and that’s why it works.”
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Emily Armstrong age
Armstrong is 39 years old, making her the second-youngest member of the band, only older than drummer Colin Brittain.
Emily Armstrong bands
Armstrong has been playing since she was 11 years old, and she dropped out of high school to further pursue music as a career.
When she was a teenager, Armstrong became the founder and lead singer of the band Dead Sara, and she stayed with the band from the mid-2000s until she joined Linkin Park in 2024. While with Dead Sara, Armstrong helped the band produce four EPs and three albums and was one of three members of the band.
The singer has also performed live with big-name artists like Demi Lovato, Awolnation and The Offspring.
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Emily Armstrong scientology controversy
Armstrong was born to a couple who were prominent members of the Church of Scientology, connecting her to the group for her entire life. After she was named Linkin Park’s new singer, Armstrong had to address the accusations that she supported former actor Danny Masterson amid his rape case.
“Several years ago, I was asked to support someone I considered a friend at a court appearance, and went to one early 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,” she said on her Instagram story, via Variety. “Unimaginable details emerged and he was later found guilty.”
“To say it as clearly as possible: I do not condone abuse or violence against women, and I empathize with the victims of these crimes.”
