The legendary rock band Linkin Park shook the entire music industry as they announced their comeback with some new additions to the iconic team. Seven years after the tragic passing of the band’s lead vocalist Chester Bennington, Linkin Park is now ready to kick into the new era with Emily Armstrong joining as the lead vocalist and Colin Brittain as the drummer. The returning members — Mike Shinoda, Phoenix, Joe Hahn, and Brad Delson — will also be stepping into their original roles. The announcement of the return has ignited a sense of joy and nostalgia among fans. However, the question — why did Rob Bourdon leave Linkin Park — is already becoming a major topic of discussion on social media.
Here’s the reason Mike Shinoda gave regarding Bourdon’s departure.
Here’s why Rob Bourdon left Linkin Park
Linkin Park was the latest guest to appear for an interview with Billboard. The band was there to announce their comeback album From Zero, which is set to release on November 15, 2024.
During the interview, they were asked about the mystery behind Bourdon’s exit from Linkin Park. Addressing this, Shinoda said, “Rob had said to us at a point, I guess it was a few years ago now, that he wanted to put some distance between himself and the band. And we understood that — it was already apparent.”
Further, Shinoda emphasized how Rob Bourdon was slowly cutting down his involvement from even the fan meetings. He revealed, “[Bourdon] was starting to just show up less, be in less contact, and I know the fans noticed it too. The Hybrid Theory rerelease and Papercuts release, he didn’t show up for anything.”
Although it was a decision that did make him sad, Shinoda asserted that he and the other bandmates were supportive of Bourdon’s decisions as long as he was happy.
Mike Shinoda then spoke about his experience of scouting Colin Brittain in Rob Bourdon’s place and working with him. “I had done sessions with Colin — I met him around 2021 when I got an invite to a session with a couple of different writers, and Colin was one of the guys in the room, and I immediately clicked with him,” Shinoda stated.
