Roque - Twenty One Pilots

For our fifth and final blog post, I decided to talk about Twenty One Pilots, because it is a band that I've listened to a lot, and I feel like their music really resonates with kids today. The band originated in Columbus, Ohio in 2009 by Tyler Joseph, with Nick Thomas and Chris Salih who both left in 2011. Currently, the band is made up of Tyler Joseph as the lead singer and Josh Dun, who is a drummer. The original band have self-released two albums entitled Twenty One Pilots in 2009 and Regional at Best in 2011. When they signed with Fueled by Ramen in 2012, they released Vessel, and then in 2015 they released their fourth album, Blurryface, which is the album that launched the band into popularity with singles like "Stressed Out" and "Ride." I think what makes this band unique is that their music is a blend of many genres, like the original rock and rollers of the genre. Twenty One Pilots combines hip hop, rap, rock and roll, indie, alternative, and many other genres to create a sound that is very unique. Something that I also find unique about Twenty One Pilots is that their lyrics are brutally honest, speaking of their own experiences with mental illness and struggling in this world. I think it is because of their lyrics and honesty that makes them incredibly relatable for their fanbase. As an example of their lyrics, this is a chorus and my favorite verse from my favorite song of theirs, "Car Radio:"


"I have these thoughts
So often I ought
To replace that slot
With what I once bought
'Cause somebody stole
My car radio
And now I just sit in silence

I ponder of something terrifying
'Cause this time there's no sound to hide behind
I find over the course of our human existence
One thing consists of consistence
And it's that we're all battling fear
Oh dear, I don't know if we know why we're here
Oh my, too deep please stop thinking
I liked it better when my car had sound"


Below I have linked the songs "Car Radio" and "Stressed Out" from their albums Vessel and Blurryface respectively.  I think that the honestly and transparency that the band has in their songs really resonates with the teenage demographic right now. Combined with their poignant lyrics, the combination of genres really makes them unique in the music industry today.