Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds pens open letter about "harsh" criticism of the band

1 March 2019, 16:25

By Nicky Idika

"I've gotten over the fact that guys in other bands (the 1975, foster the people, smashing pumpkins, slipknot etc) feel a need to talk badly about my band for whatever reason."

Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds has opened up about the criticism his band faces from other musicians. In a set of iPhone notes screenshots posted to Twitter and Instagram, Reynolds expressed "sadness" over other artists in the industry disparaging one another.

In his posts, Reynolds specifically mentioned criticism from The 1975, Foster The People, Slipknot and Smashing Pumpkins.

Dan Reynolds says the criticism from other bands has "added to the depression" he's felt since youth.

"For a decade now I've dealt with critics and other bands saying extremely harsh things about my band," Reynolds wrote.

“I’ve stood silently and taken it for years. It has added to the depression I’ve dealt with since youth. I don’t say this in search of sympathy, but just as a fact. It’s not the person that causes me the feelings of stress and depression, but what it does to the world we as a band have created.”

"I've gotten over the fact that guys in other bands (the 1975, foster the people, smashing pumpkins, slipknot etc) feel a need to talk badly about my band for whatever reason."

Reynolds' response comes a week after Slipknot's Corey Taylor discussed Imagine Dragons on an episode of Jonesy’s Jukebox.

Slipknot's Corey Taylor called Imagine Dragons "awful" in a recent interview.

In response to a comment about Nickelback being the "scapegoat of rock and roll", Taylor said he believed that "baton" was being passed to Imagine Dragons.

"They're awful, so that's cool. And they're from Vegas, so I'm gonna go home to protests. Can't show my face in this town now."

"Yeah, people are slowly coming back to appreciate Nickelback and then just turning their irksome ire towards Imagine Dragons.”

Corey Taylor's Imagine Dragons comments begin at 17:30.

Corey Taylor & Jason Christopher In-Studio with Jonesy

In 2017, Matty Healy of The 1975 also commented on Imagine Dragons in a Q interview, per NME:

"Songs like 'Radioactive' by Imagine Dragons, it might as well be called 'Pikachy Banana.' It's nothingness," he told the publication at the time.

Dan ended his note by saying "my band mates are some of my best friends. We are authentically ourselves and strive to bring positivity and empowerment to the world."