Linkin Park’s just dropped their second track with new female singer Emily Armstrong, and fans are losing it. Why? They’re saying this song has that old-school LP sound that everyone’s been hanging out for.
‘Heavy Is the Crown’ has been picked up as Riot Games' anthem for the game ‘League of Legends’, but that’s not the reason it’s causing a stir.
The band first belted it out live in Germany over the weekend. Armstrong’s powerful scream had the crowd buzzing, with many comparing her skill to former lead singer Chester Bennington.
"Linkin Park’s new song goes kinda hard, ya know, felt very old school LP, keep the bangers coming," wrote one fan on X.
A second added: “New @linkinpark is two for two. Emily rips it tf up on ‘Heavy is the Crown’ holy hell.”
"Part of me wonders if she could beat or even match Chester’s 17-second scream but chose not to as a way to say, ‘I’m not trying to out-perform Chester. I’m just trying to make him proud’,” another wrote on Reddit.
While someone else added: “Damn Emily’s scream in the studio version is INSANE. 10/10 Linkin Park song.”
Their first release with Armstrong, ‘The Emptiness Machine’, caused controversy when it dropped just minutes after the newly reformed band announced their return.
Heaps of fans were furious about the band “replacing” Bennington after his untimely death.
Chester's son, Jaime Bennington, also openly attacked the band's return, claiming the band are “quietly erasing [his] father’s life and legacy".
“You have betrayed the trust loaned to you by decades of fans and supporting human beings including myself,” Jaime wrote in his Instagram tirade.
But like all good things, they take time, and fans are now getting behind both tracks.
"The Emptiness Machine took its time to grow on me. Now I really like it, but the new single 'Heavy is the Crown' has hit me like a ton of bricks. What a tune," said one X user.
Let’s see if they can make it three from three with the next track!
