Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda Looks Back On Difficult 2017

(Gibson) With the sudden death of his great friend and band mate Chester Bennington, Linkin Park multi-instrumentalist Mike Shinoda has experienced a difficult 2017. In a new Instagram message, Shinoda looks back on 2017 and ahead to this year.

"...It's weird to think back and say: 'Yep, that was unquestionably the worst year of my life,'" Shinoda writes. "We teach our kids: it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game. If we lose, we focus on our love of playing. We ask ourselves what we can do better next time. And if we're really doing it right, we honor the winners -- even if we lose."

Shinoda does find some bright spots in 2017, adding that the year "wasn't without things to be grateful for," like the release of Linkin Park's latest album, One More Light, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Even so, he once again emphasizes that, "yes, 2017 was the worst."

"But I play for the love of playing," he continues. "Let's go up from here. I can't say I won't fall down, lose, or make mistakes. My only responsibility is to get back up, work harder, and try again." Read more here.

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