Short answers, pulled from the story.
Joel McIver acknowledged Korn as the band that created and pioneered the nu metal genre with its demo Neidermayer's Mind, which was released in 1993. The term nu metal is often attributed to producer Ross Robinson, who has been called The Godfather of Nu Metal between producers.
Billboard cited the 18th of August 1998, as the Biggest Day in Nu-Metal History, which saw the release of Korn's third album Follow the Leader, Kid Rock's major label debut Devil Without a Cause and Orgy's debut album Candyass. Follow the Leader peaked at number 1 on the Billboard 200 and was certified 5× platinum by the RIAA.
Nu metal guitarists often use seven-string guitars that are down-tuned to produce a heavier sound. These riffs are heavily syncopated and based mostly on guitar riffs rather than solos, while some bands also use five-string and six-string instruments for bass guitars.
MTV wrote that nu metal's mainstream popularity was declining in 2002, citing that Korn's fifth album Untouchables and Papa Roach's third album Lovehatetragedy both sold less than the bands' previous releases. By 2004, several nu metal bands had begun to experiment with other genres to adapt to the changes in trends.
In 2023, Google Searches for the term nu metal were reported as being at their highest in nearly 20 years. This resurgence occurred alongside interest from Generation Z listeners who discovered Deftones and Slipknot through videos on the app TikTok.