Is Chris Daughtry nu metal?? I'm 100% sure if I looked hard enough I could find a few more songs in that discography that hit the nu metal button. I've done it before. And now I might have to try again.
In an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone the former American Idol finalist went off on the AI fake news mudslide we're all buried under, condemning the entire industry that's responsible for stuff like that - admittedly, hilarious - fake tour announcement you see up there.
But hold on, he goes further:
I’m all about equal rights, inclusion, equal rights for LGBTQ, and minority communities. I certainly don’t stand with MAGA, Charlie Kirk, Turning Point or any other movement rooted in bigotry or intolerance or exclusivity. So when it starts lumping me into these groups that do not align with my values and the things I stand for and where my heart is, it affects me on a deep level. I don’t want anyone out there believing that.
I can't emphasize enough how brave this is. Basically all of his peers in the post-grunge legacy act space refuse to say anything like that because they're afraid of their audience. Afraid they'll stop attending their shows, afraid they'll stop listening to their music, afraid they'll threaten their lives. The best you can hope for is a vague statement about 'both sides' and how we're so divided and need to 'unite' and yadda blah yadda yadda. The worst you can hope for is a cynical pivot into that bigotry in hopes of remaining relevant enough to get headlines like "No, Aaron Lewis, “California” is Not The Problem with Country Music."
So, fuck it, he's nu metal now. I'm claiming this. Disturbed are post-grunge and Daughtry is nu-metal. "Feels Like Tonight"? Banger. "It's Not Over"? Massive. That version of "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" he did on American Idol? Should have declared him the winner on the spot. Welcome to the team Daughtry, give Ross Robinson a call.
David Browne
