Wind-Up Records circa 2002: Yeah, this song is cool, but see, we're a rock label, and we want to initially bill you guys as Linkin Park siblings. We're going to need more cowbell white guy rapping. How about this guy from another one of our bands... uh... 12 Stones. Sound good?
Amy Lee: Well, I mean -
Wind-Up Records: Great! That'll be the lead single!
See, the thing is, Amy kind of hates those rap parts. They were shoehorned in by Wind-Up because Wind-Up was scared to death of trying to sell a rock/metal band fronted by a woman. The male rapping in the lead single was one of the compromises that the band agreed to make and, according to Amy, reluctantly so.
It's why it's removed from the Synthesis version.
However, for some reason that I will never understand, this is what culturally happened (one of many, many reasons why I no longer have any faith in who popular opinion and top 40 claims is especially talented because, at the end of the day, it's really only measuring who's popular which is absolutely not the same thing):
General culture after Fallen: Oh, Evanessence? Yeah, I love her! She's great! 'Wake Me Up Inside' with Linkin Park is so good, and what's that sad one she did? 'My Immortal'? Yeah, I love her.
General culture after The Open Door (even though it is, in my personal opinion, even better than Fallen): Oh, Evanessence? Yeah, I love her! She's great! 'Wake Me Up Inside' with Linkin Park is so good, and what's that sad one she did? 'My Immortal'? Yeah, I love her. I heard she has a new one out? 'Don't Cry to Me' I think it's called?
General culture after Evanescence (and pretty much since): Oh, Evanessence? Yeah, I love her! She's great! 'Wake Me Up Inside' with Linkin Park is so good, and what's that sad one she did? 'My Immortal'? Yeah, I love her.
Like, I don't mean to come off as gatekeepery; I really don't, but Evanescence is such a phenomenal band with truly incredible talent and artistry behind its heart (Amy Lee is a treasure), and Wind-Up Records truly did them dirty just like they did Megan McCauley.
"Call Me When You're Sober" is the ONLY single (of FOUR) from The Open Door that got any radio play in my area, even on ROCK radio, and that tells me that Wind-Up simply didn't spend much money on putting those singles out there. It would be consistent with what Amy has said (and even written a song) about them. They were all so good and deserved just as much attention as "CMWYS" got if not more so.
Evanescence never went away. The sheeps who follow trends just lost interest in them, even though every single album has been incredible and always worth the wait.
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