India, July 21 -- American nu-metal band Linkin Park's latest chapter has stirred passionate reactions, but the band is standing firm. After years of silence following Chester Bennington's death in 2017, the group returned last year with a bold move-welcoming Emily Armstrong as their new vocalist and teasing a forthcoming album. While the announcement sparked excitement among many fans, it also triggered backlash-much of it directed at Emily.

Mike Shinoda recently addressed the controversy in an interview with The Guardian. "There were people who lashed out at Emily, and it was really because she wasn't a guy," he said. Mike noted that fans were "used to Linkin Park being six guys" with "the voice of a guy leading this song." He added, "...