Jonathan Cain, the keyboardist and guitarist of the legendary rock band Journey, has expressed his unwavering support for frontman Arnel Pineda, following a public outcry over a recent performance. The performance, which took place at Rock in Rio Brazil on September 15, faced criticism for Pineda’s vocal struggles. In response, Pineda took to social media, openly questioning whether it was time for him to leave the band.
On September 24, Cain posted a heartfelt message on Instagram, addressing the frontman directly. He shared a photo of the two, captioning it, “Arnel, 16 years and STRONG!” Cain further reassured Pineda, stating, “You’re not going anywhere! Love you and grateful for you,” accompanied by folded hands and fire emojis, symbolizing his admiration and support. Pineda acknowledged the post with three red heart emojis in the comments section, signaling appreciation for Cain’s support.
This gesture came shortly after Pineda’s emotional Facebook post on September 22, where he shared a link to a video uploaded by Behind the Songs. The video, posted on September 21, criticized his performance, highlighting Pineda’s struggle to hit the high notes of Journey’s iconic hit “Don’t Stop Believin’.” The video description reads, “Arnel Pineda showed severe vocal flaws in Journey’s presentation at Rock in Rio Brazil.”
Pineda, addressing the video and its critique, expressed his awareness of the issue. “I am very aware of this,” he said, adding, “[N]o one more than me in this world feels so devastated about this.” He then posed a question to his fans, asking them to comment “GO” or “STAY.” He added that if “GO” reached one million comments, he would step down from the band for good. Despite this, the overwhelming support from fans encouraged him to stay.
Pineda, who joined Journey in 2007, became the band’s frontman after a series of lineup changes. Today, Journey’s members include Neal Schon (the last original member), Cain, Pineda, keyboardist/vocalist Jason Derlatka, drummer Deen Castronovo, and bassist Todd Jensen. Journey rose to stardom between 1978 and 1987 during the Steve Perry era, with timeless hits like “Open Arms,” “Any Way You Want It,” and “Faithfully.”