Last July 24th, Linkin Park updated their social media with a mysterious countdown that is set to end on Wednesday, August 28th, around 3 PM Brasília time.
The post doesn't contain any further information, but in the comments, fans are speculating about a possible return of the band after Chester Bennington in 2017.
After the countdown, Sum 41 Deryck Whibley said he would announce something new that same day . Fans are now speculating that he might be the new vocalist for Linkin Park, since Sum 41 recently disbanded and announced a farewell tour.
How did the rumor start?
Rumors recalled a performance by Whibley with the band at the Linkin Park & Friends Celebrate Life in Honor of Chester Bennington . Together, they played "The Catalyst." See the video at the end of this article.
The following year, during Sum 41's show at the Reading and Leeds festival, Deryck performed a version of the hit "Faint," which featured a special appearance by Mike Shinoda , reinforcing the fans' theory.
What Whibley has said about being the lead singer of Linkin Park
However, in 2022, on The Jasta Show , when asked if he would replace Chester, he commented: "I'll take the compliment, but I don't know if I would do it."
He continued when the presenter insisted: “That’s so unlikely that it seems strange to even think about it, even jokingly. I don’t know. I don’t know how someone could take that place. I think it would be difficult.”
The possibility of Linkin Park having a female vocalist.
While there's no confirmation that Deryck will be the new vocalist for Linkin Park, it's worth noting that, according to Billboard , the group's booking agency, WME, was at some point accepting offers for performances both inside and outside of festivals with Mike Shinoda , Brad Delson , and Dave Farrell .
Jay Gordon , vocalist of Orgy , caused a stir at the time by hinting that Linkin Park has a new female vocalist. In an interview with RadioActive with Mike Z , Gordon – who took Linkin Park on their first tour with Orgy and worked on the remix of “Pts.Of.Athrty” – commented: “It’s going to be tough without Chester, but we’ll see. I heard they have a female vocalist now. That’s what I heard.”
When pressed on the subject, Jay Gordon tried to deflect the comment, saying, “Don’t take my word for it. I’m not sure who the new vocalist will be, but I heard it was a woman. They might try to move in that direction. It would be interesting.”
Rumors also surfaced that Amy Lee , vocalist of Evanescence , was being considered for the position , but during an interview she denied it. In a conversation with iHeart Radio, she said ( via Blabbermouth ): "That's an incredible compliment," after being told that she was a fan favorite for the role, but said she hadn't received an invitation for the position.
