Even at the first mentions of “blurryface,” red was a staple color for the infamous alternative duo Twenty One Pilots. Best known for their 2016 hit “Stressed Out,” the band started its new era with a new line of red, one that covered the eyes of each of their album covers across several streaming platforms. A new trailer, “I Am Clancy,” a video filled with many peaks of the band’s past storyline, debuted February 22. The video follows several shots of lead singer, Tyler Joseph, reading a letter as a character called “Clancy.” Clancy was featured in the band’s previous albums, one introduced on the album Trench and followed in Scaled and Icy, and seems to be concluding the storyline that has been told throughout the past three albums. The band’s newest music video introduced a new song for the album, a quick paced hip-hop-themed song paying great homage to some of their previous music. The single itself, “Overcompensate,” appears to be a wonderful introduction to the events of the upcoming album.
Twenty One Pilots, informally known as TØP, is an alternative band that originated in Columbus, Ohio. Drummer Joshua Dun accompanies Joseph as the band’s second and only other member. The best friends, who have a legacy that stretches to 2009, have a history of incorporating elements of hip-hop, punk rock, and indie rock to their music. They are known for their electric “genre switching” sound with bits of rap. With their strides in the emo community, Twenty One Pilots have gained the respect of many in the alternative movement; however, the moral of their music is overlooked by many. Whether it be their symbol, a line with a dash and a backslash that is summed up to mean “stay alive,” or their many songs regarding experiences or perspectives on mental illness, both Joseph and Dun have openly brought awareness to suicide prevention. Their own experiences with mental illness are part of the story told in Blurryface, and many fans are excited to see how this chapter may end.
“Blurryface” represents one’s insecurities. Each individual has his/her own “blurryface,” which to Joseph resembles his neck and arms. Joseph expresses a sense of uncertainty in his creations, hence the black body paint covering his arms in the Blurryface era. The paint on Joseph’s neck represents the insecurity giving him a sense of suffocation, one he muses about several times in songs such as “Stressed Out” and “Doubt.” Though the era has passed, the character “Blurryface” is yet to die.
Trench was released after the band’s two-year hiatus; it is a beautiful album with an excellent blend of upbeat and slow songs. It introduced a new array of characters and reintroduced “Blurryface” as a bishop named Nicholas Borboiki (known as “Nico” in the song “Nico and the Niners.”) Trench followed a strange world of people and creatures, or Clancy himself, with mediocre stances trying to find his way out of the Trench as a rebel from the bishops. The bishops, also known as DEMA, represent the triggers in one who is struggling that ultimately cause him/her to end his/her own life. Clancy and the other rebels, known as the “Banditos,” represent the successful escapees, or those trying to find their way out. The story artfully encapsulates the constant battles of mental illness, a journey with wins and losses that at times can make one feel completely helpless.
The band’s most recent album, Scaled and Icy, was well received, with an even more in-depth jump into DEMA’s many forms. With bubble-gum pinks and pale blues, the pop-centered album introduces a television program, “Good Day DEMA,” with sinister intentions. Continuing the traditions of Trench, fans are anticipating what follows in “Clancy.”
While few things are known about the music on the album itself, the album is a straightforward 13 tracks, and it is set to release on May 24. Three songs have so far been released, “Overcompensate,” “Next Semester,” and more recently, “Backslide,” all which are vastly different tracks that follow their own themes of distorted electric guitars and a fair amount of rap. “Next Semester” takes clear pop-punk inspiration, a new take for the band that suits their consistent alt-rock theme. The album’s colors, neon red and warm yellow, are spread throughout the releases. Joseph and Dun stand together on the album cover, shaded black and white to contrast the neon background. “Clancy” is written vertically in black letters.
With tour dates released, the duo has shows scheduled in places like Barclay’s Center, but also venues in Europe and New Zealand. “Of course [I’m excited] ,” expressed junior Chloe Brown, a long-time Twenty One Pilots fan. She expresses how, when she was younger, although the stories are centred around mental illness, many of her peers undermined the stories that follow their previous albums in songs such as “Holding on to You,” a blend of retro and rap with glitzy sound effects. “They change their genre a lot,” noted senior Hannah Bousaid. She mentioned that the band had an interesting way of changing what they used to apply to the times. “I found them in [fifth grade], when ‘Stressed Out’ came out,” said senior Leigh Caponi. “I think the lore is kind of cheesy,” she added referring to “Overcompensate,” “but the new song is [good].”
Although opinions are mixed, it is clear there is much excitement for the new album and a bittersweet ending to a very loved story. The impact the band has had on rock culture is undeniable, and the tale is leaving the same way it came in: red.
