MUMBAI, Maharashtra — Punjabi music star AP Dhillon shared a special moment with iconic rock band Linkin Park, expressing gratitude for their influence on his artistic path.
Taking to Instagram, the “Excuses” hitmaker posted photos with the band members and wrote, “Honored to meet these legends, thank you for inspiring me @linkinpark,” along with a guitar emoji.
Formed in 1996, Linkin Park’s current lineup includes vocalist, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, DJ and turntablist Joe Hahn, bassist Dave Farrell, vocalist Emily Armstrong, and drummer Colin Brittain. The band’s first seven studio albums featured late lead vocalist Chester Bennington and drummer Rob Bourdon. Following Bennington’s death in July 2017, the group went on a seven-year hiatus, during which Bourdon departed. The band announced its reformation in 2024, adding Armstrong and Brittain to the lineup.
Linkin Park rose to global prominence with its debut album “Hybrid Theory” in 2000, which produced the hit single “In the End,” peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. The success continued with “Meteora” in 2003, followed by “Minutes to Midnight” in 2007, which marked a shift in the band’s musical direction. By the end of the decade, Linkin Park had become one of the most successful rock acts in the world.
The band has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and has won multiple accolades, including two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, 10 MTV Europe Music Awards, and three World Music Awards.
Dhillon began his music career in 2019 with the track “Fake,” released with Shinda Kahlon under their independent label Run-Up Records. He later appeared as a producer and in the video for “Faraar” by Gurinder Gill and Shinda Kahlon.
His single “Deadly,” produced with Gminxr, entered the UK Asian chart and peaked at number 11 in 2020, also reaching the top five of the UK Punjabi chart. Dhillon followed this with “Droptop” alongside Gurinder Gill, and the breakout hit “Excuses,” which topped the UK Punjabi chart and reached number three on the UK Asian chart.
The global success of “Brown Munde,” featuring Gurinder Gill, Gminxr, and Shinda Kahlon, further cemented Dhillon’s international profile. In 2021, he and his team performed their first live concert as part of the “Over The Top – The Takeover Tour,” covering six major cities in India. In 2023, Dhillon became the first Punjabi-language artist to perform at the Juno Awards in Edmonton, Canada, delivering a performance of his hit song “Summer High.” (Source: IANS)
