Linkin Park has just made one of the biggest comebacks of 2024, and also one of the most media-driven, as this comeback is accompanied by a controversial line-up change; controversial because among the new members of Linkin Park is for the first time in the band’s career a female singer, Emily Armstrong, otherwise known for being part of Dead Sara. Drummer Colin Brittain has also joined the band.
Linkin Park’s comeback was difficult without Chester Bennington, who was the soul of the group, but the charts have welcomed it with open arms. ‘The Emptiness Machine’, the first single from ‘From Zero’, Linkin Park’s new album, has just entered at number 4 on the UK singles chart, and its opening in the United States is expected to be very similar. In addition, ‘The Emptiness Machine’ has two number 1s in Germany and Switzerland and has been equally well received in other countries such as Lithuania (7), Finland (11), Norway (11), Sweden (14), Japan (15) or Ireland (16). On Monday, the data for Spain will be known, which will not be one of the best, as can be guessed from its current position on Spanish Spotify, around the top 40.
The good performance of ‘The Emptiness Machine’ was already evident in Spotify’s daily charts, where the song has been in the top 10 of the most listened to songs in the world for a week. Right now it remains in the 9th position in Spotify’s global chart, marking close to 6 million daily listens, and 53 million in total in one week. You can comment on Linkin Park’s return in our forums.
As expected, Linkin Park’s return has boosted their catalogue, and ‘Numb’ has also slipped into the global charts, currently at number 24 sandwiched between current hits by Lord Huron and Chappell Roan. Streams of ‘In the End’ (79), ‘Faint’ (104) and ‘One Step Closer’ (175) have also skyrocketed worldwide.
However, Linkin Park’s comeback has been overshadowed by the various controversies surrounding Emily Armstrong. Armstrong is accused of practising Scientology and of having in the past advocated rape for supporting actor Danny Masterson during his trial for raping two women. Masterson was convicted and is currently serving 30 years in prison. Armstrong has explained that she supported Masterson because they shared a friendship and she believed in his innocence, but has clarified that her current opinion is different and that she does not support “any kind of violence towards women.”
Among those who have called Armstrong out for his ties to Scientology is someone who seems to know it very well, The Mars Volta singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala. His wife, Chrissie Bixler, has echoed Bixler-Zavala’s comments because she claims to have been a victim of Masterson’s. At a concert, Mike Shinoda has alluded to the criticism by declaring that Linkin Park’s return “is not about erasing the past, but about starting a new stage in the future.” Linkin Park’s new album, ‘From Zero’, is out on November 15.
