By Abram Farrington | Staff Writer
After the release of its long-awaited album titled “Breach,” Twenty One Pilots sparked waves on pop charts, yet no one seems to notice. For some, the question, “They still make music?” instantly arises.
While “Breach” claimed the number one spot on both Billboard’s top 200 albums and Billboard’s top 100 artists, it seems as though it never happened. Leaving both fans and listeners with a multitude of questions. Their songs were on the radio, people knew their lyrics and the fanbase skyrocketed, so what happened?
The songs were overplayed and lost the dynamic touch that made them popular in the first place. What a shame. The same songs that helped Twenty One Pilots rise to fame became its Achilles heel overnight. People began to turn a blind eye to the rise of a prestigious band.
The formidable shadow of the “Blurryface” era has plagued the band’s name. Today, the name and music sound too cringey. Everyone associates those hits with the phases of their life, and for many, those phases were as uncertain as they were ever-changing.
For me, I was just in middle school, a “growing boy” as my mom would say. The most dramatic thing in my life was fighting for the approval of my middle school crush and winning her over against my other friends. I had to show out at recess and sports. Believe it or not, an outlet I took was none other than singing “Stressed Out” at karaoke night. I will leave it at that.
Fast forward to today, the band has left a bad taste in many mouths that still lingers. Those songs are hard to miss and leave many feeling equally uncomfortable. The hardest thing to grasp is that it was never the quality of music, but the culture of the time.
Twenty One Pilots is one of the greatest bands ever, and its sound has only improved since the release of its self-titled debut album. No song sounds the same. From vibrant upbeat songs to distorted rap, they are unpredictable by nature. And it fits.
Not only do they experiment with sounds, but the duo also writes about Christian themes in their songs. To the common ear, Twenty One Pilots sound dark and depressing. Some even call it demonic. Yet on the contrary, when you dissect the genius lyrics, you will find profound themes relating to Christian struggles.
One of their most popular Christian songs, “Trees,” deals with themes of doubt and a search for truth with God. In an interview, lead singer Tyler Joseph said he personally resonates with this track because it evokes an experience in which he craved God amid his struggles.
Other songs like “Downstairs” and “Backslide” also discuss real human struggles with the Christian faith, such as fear, uncertainty and the boldness required to step into a relationship with God. It’s both pleasant to the ears and profound to the Christian audience. These are common struggles every Christian faces, making the songs resonate on a deeper level.
Twenty One Pilots’ past image clouds these Christian ideals. The band is more than their “Blurryface” era; they have a story. It takes a while to fully understand the direction and emotion within it, but I think Twenty One Pilots is one of the greatest bands out there. I could be wrong. But then again, it’s music; everyone has different tastes. That is called art. I’m just lucky to have stayed with this band.
Try out the music again. The charts should demonstrate the band’s worth. Bury any presumptions you have and start fresh. Perhaps be dissatisfied. Perhaps you will be surprised.
