Linkin Park co-founder and multi-talented musician Mike Shinoda has talked candidly about the band’s surprising ascent to prominence in a new opinion piece for The Guardian, stating that the band never intended to be in the spotlight.

Do you recall the angry song “In the End?” The one that spoke to a generation and shouted teenage angst? As it happens, Linkin Park had no intention of becoming the voice of a disenchanted young person. Notoriety just happened.

It really was a precipitous rise from high school pals in Xero to the top of the charts with Hybrid Theory and then Meteora. Shinoda, however, thought the red carpets and “celebrity treatment” were “odd” and “unnatural.”

They purposefully avoided the usual “star” treatment by squeezing everyone into their famous group shots. Linkin Park wanted the world to know that they were a collaborative.

“Being famous was never important. However, it did occur. We used to cram the entire group into the pictures in the beginning. We wanted people to understand that this band was more than just the front-of-house vocalists; otherwise, it would have been simply Chester or myself and Chester. Although Linkin Park’s fame and respectability were a boon, would I have preferred the band to succeed without being well-known? Most likely. Shinoda recalls.

“The popularity part of my work always felt strange, to the point where I painted about reality TV, Michael Jackson, Diana, Princess of Wales, and celebrity culture in my Glorious Excess painting series in 2008 and 2009. I was thinking, “Wow, this is so weird,” as I stood on the red carpet with celebrities a lot at the time. What an odd occurrence. Being treated a specific way because our music was well-liked felt both exciting and strange,” he continued.

Indeed, Shinoda acknowledges that they felt “vindicated” after disproving the doubters, particularly given the amazing bond they developed with their fans. However, the band’s primary attention has always been on the music and its creators.

“That’s not to say I didn’t take pleasure in something that many people had predicted would fail. The relationship we had with our supporters in particular made us feel validated. Shinoda discloses. “Everyone in the band adjusted differently as our career progressed, but we always made an effort to support one another. Every member of Linkin Park has exceptional academic intelligence, but they are also emotionally bright, which was crucial at times.

The continual touring took a toll on them as their career took off. Their quiet, wise comrades reminded everyone of the responsibilities that came with being famous by suggesting a break. Linkin Park, the unplanned superstars, had the insight to slow down.

Bravo to Brad Delson, Dave Farrell, and Rob Bourdon, who evaluated how our lives had altered and recommended that we take a break after we toured nonstop for the first two recordings. What they would remark was, ‘Aren’t we fortunate to have done this? However, we now have a great deal of duty as well. We decided to slow down for a moment because that nuanced communication style was so effective.