"Lane Boy" | ||||
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Single by Twenty One Pilots | ||||
from the album Blurryface | ||||
Released | May 4, 2015 | |||
Studio | Serenity West Recording (Hollywood, Los Angeles) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | Fueled by Ramen | |||
Songwriter(s) | Tyler Joseph | |||
Producer(s) | Ricky Reed | |||
Twenty One Pilots singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Lane Boy" on YouTube |
"Lane Boy" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots, for their fourth studio album, Blurryface . "Lane Boy" was released on YouTube worldwide on May 4, 2015, [1] [2] being released as a single on Google Play Store on the same day. [3] The music video was released on July 20, 2015. [4] [5]
The direction of Blurryface elaborated on the lyrical theme Twenty One Pilots had honed by the arrival of their third album Vessel , where primary discussion topics were feelings of self-doubt and insecurity as well as how to overcome them. [6] They continued addressing these topics with their fourth studio album, but projected them onto the pressure to release a second consecutive hit album, including on single "Lane Boy." [6] It both musically and lyrically scorns at the notion of staying in one's lane. [7] With the song, the fourth wall is broken as Twenty One Pilots explores what it's like working in the modern music industry. [8]
During an interview with Fuse , Tyler Joseph said, "For us, music has always been about transparency, so for me 'Lane Boy' is that song on the record that you kind of break that fourth wall and you can look into what it's like to really be a normal person in our position." [9] Even though Blurryface maintained Joseph's concerns relating to real life and the world at large, the album also contained a moment of personal disagreement with "Lane Boy." [10] The song is about discarding others' expectations and demands, specifically in regards to where the duo's place was in the industry, and the greater scheme of where they fit in contemporary music culture. [10] In an interview with Alternative Press , Joseph further explained, "I describe 'Lane Boy' as the moment where I broke character. Saying things that weren't necessarily artistic or beautiful, but exactly what I wanted to say and exactly what I was feeling. I broke character and became a frustrated human. For a moment. I don't imagine needing to say things like that anymore. I remember showing that song to some people and they said, 'I don't think you want to say that...' And Josh said to me, 'Let's say it.'" [10] However, Dun said not to read too far into a certain line in "Lane Boy" pertaining to the current state of music, because he himself actually does listen to top radio tracks for musical influence. [6] Dun said, "That song in no way is to meant to bash the industry or the whole idea of singles, I've always been intrigued by Billboard Top 40. ...And I enjoy it, anyway. It's not a loss to incorporate some of that stuff." [6]
"Lane Boy" was produced by Ricky Reed and recorded at Serenity West Recording in Hollywood, California. The track was then mixed at The Casita in Hollywood, California and mastered at Sterling Sound in New York City. [11] Compared to tracks from Blurryface that were produced by Mike Elizondo, "Lane Boy" is influenced by Reed's more pop production and contains chattery programming. [12] [13] One new musical left-turn which stood out on their fourth studio album was the reggae brimming throughout, with songs such as "Lane Boy" taking inspired dub detours. [14] The song has a chorus where Joseph sings what can be perceived as an explanation of their approach, a music genre mashup they call "Schizoid-Pop." [15] [16] According to Dun, while navigating pop and other influences was difficult, places of inspiration they drew from ranged from European reggae to his parents. He claimed, "Sometimes I think, 'Well, my mom would like this kind of song.'" [6] He continued saying, "The challenge is really making it us. Because the scary thing is taking a lot of different influences or things that you love and meshing it all together, but then it could turn into some crazy toxic sludge that doesn't make any sense. ...We really have to work to make it a Twenty One Pilots song and not this crazy thing. That's the challenge, but it's also the fun part." [6]
An official remix of "Lane Boy" was created by hip hop record producer DJ Premier. [17] In an interview with Complex over e-mail, Premier explained, "While I was in L.A. recording with Dr. Dre for the Compton soundtrack, one of my homies told my tour manager to check out Twenty One Pilots. I bought Blurryface and liked it immediately, so I started looking for videos as well. I saw the 'Lane Boy' video and loved the concept of the song and video. It's about refuting the idea that artists should stay in a 'lane' or be defined by a particular style or sound." [17] "Lane Boy" was the song DJ Premier desired to remix after watching the videos. [17] Twenty One Pilots sent the stems for the track over to Premier and told him to rock out with it. [17] For the remix, Premier decreases the tempo of its instrumental in order to give the track a slow, mellow vibe. [17] Towards the end, he integrates his trademark scratching. [18]
Alexa Shouneyia for Billboard stated, "If you loved Twenty One Pilots' 'Lane Boy' before, get ready to fall in love all over again with DJ Premier's remix... DJ Premier definitely takes the track into his own lane." [18] Jessie Morris from Complex described the official remix as an "essential new banger." [17]
"Lane Boy" is an alternative hip hop song that runs four minutes and thirteen seconds. [12] [19] The genre-bending track is infused with reggae and has textures that feature a hyrbrid of musical styles, including jungle, dubstep, hip-hop, electropop-inspired rock, dancehall and ska rock. [20] [21] [7] [22] [23] [24] [15] The musical composition consists of Tyler Joseph singing and rapping over a computerized instrumental, accompanied by a light drum line. [25] The song's breezy instrumentation maintains a distinctive Caribbean groove, which is underscored by a plucked melody and Josh Dun's drumming. [22] [26] Joseph delivers his lyrics in a hard, staccato style of rapping over a kaleidoscopic mixture of reggae rhythms, electronic beats, bouncy reggae rock and urgent, full-bore EDM. [22] [13] [27] [28] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Music, the song is written in the time signature of common time, with a moderately fast tempo of 160 beats per minute. [19] "Lane Boy" is composed in the key of A minor while Tyler Joseph's vocal range spans one octave and five notes from a low of F3 to a high of C5. [19]
With a frenetic vocal style, Joseph both raps in double-time and belts melodic lines as the composition meanders into dub-inspired passages before entering a convulsive drum'n'bass section. [14] [29] [8] [26] At the chorus, Joseph sings in a laid-back vocal tone before the track transforms roughly halfway as grizzly synths are introduced alongside robotic voices, distorted bass guitar and two-step drumming. [16] [26] During the middle of the song, the vocals pause and techno beats take over in a spontaneous mashup of bass and drum. [25] The track devolves from swaggering to a pause in order to accommodate for an urgent dubstep breakdown replete with zippy synths, percussion and pulsating, full-fledged EDM. [13] [30] After its trek through an abundance of breakdowns, "Lane Boy" closes with an electro jubilee. [31] At its conclusion, the musical composition exhibits anthemic electropop-tinged rock sounds. [8] [24] [12]
Lyrically, "Lane Boy" is a meta-manifesto about doing what one desires and not following a set path. [32] [33] It discusses how Twenty One Pilots is able to craft music that suits the mainstream, but that doesn't define them. [33] On "Lane Boy", the duo break the fourth wall while exploring their experience working in the contemporary music industry and defiantly defending their experimental musical approach. [34] [8] The song's rich lyrical content is laden with character. [22] [13] Tyler Joseph exhibits tongue-twisting, mercurial rapping that propels the conviction of his personal nonconformist spirit. [22] [13] His lines are scathing indictment of narrow-minded music industry practices. [6] [13] [22] He mocks the strictures of record companies, rapping, "If it was our way, we'd have a tempo change every other time change." [32] Nevertheless, Joseph admits their driving, clear pop sensibilities come with a heavy burden: "Honest, there's a few songs on this record that feel common / I'm in constant confrontation with what I want and what is poppin'/ In the industry / It seems to me that singles on the radio are currency / My creativity's only free when I'm playing shows.” [8] [6] [32] [14] [23] As a warning, Joseph advises, "Don't trust a perfect person and don't trust a song that's flawless." [21] [32] "Lane Boy" harbors something of a mission statement. [20] During its chorus, Joseph mockingly commands, "You should stay in your lane, boy." [26] [32] He continues singing, "They say, 'Stay in your lane, boy' / But we go where we want to". [20] He backhands his seniors at major record labels with the snide remark, "Will they be alive tomorrow?" [32]
Billboard 's Garrett Kamps compared "Lane Boy" to the work of Jamaican sound engineer King Tubby while labeling the single "especially schizoid." [14] Stereogum 's Chris DeVille said, "And the DnB/reggae/rap rave-up “Lane Boy” musically and lyrically scoffs at the notion of staying in your lane. Given where they've been and where they're going, it appears they don't have to." [7] Alternative Press commented, "'Don't trust a perfect person and don't trust a song that's flawless,' warns on the furious reggae/jungle/dubstep hybrid 'Lane Boy.' And he's absolutely right; great art is rarely made by normal people." [21] Citing it as the album's "big push-back moment," Jason Pettigrew, from the same publication, mused, "Although he wouldn't publicly use this vernacular, the reggae/jungle/dubstep amalgam 'Lane Boy' is the duo's 'fuck-you' song." [10] He ranked "Lane Boy" as the band's penultimate song, calling it, "The most attitude-laden track in the TOP songbook." [13] Kerrang! 's Emily Carter called the song an "electropop-infused rock anthem." [24] Sam Law, from the same publication, opined, "'Lane Boy' pips 'Ride' by dent of its richer lyrical treatment. Cruising on that breezy instrumentation, we get wave after wave of attitude as Tyler unloads on music industry narrow-mindedness... before showcasing the mercurial best of the TØP sound with a barrage of tongue-twisting staccato rap and explosions of EDM/dubstep colour. A song to overtake to." [22] Rolling Stone Australia writer Rod Yates deemed the song "a defiant defence of their genre-hopping." [34] Madison Desler of Orange County Register quipped that the song's refrain, "may be the best explanation of their genre-busting approach.'" [16] Anne Nickoloff and Troy Smith from The Plain Dealer remarked, "It's far from being a flawless song – and that's the whole point." [29] Going further, Smith stated, "the ending of 'Lane Boy' evokes the best electropop aspects of Vessel." [8] Liam Dryden of PopBuzz claimed, "new single "Lane Boy" has definitely been a standout track." [35] Writing for Eagle News Online , Ashley Wolf commented, "Tracks such as “Lane Boy," ...are much more dubstep than their usual rap/hip-hop sound. ...The introduction of new genres adds to the duo's authenticity and originality as well as proves to the listeners that they took the time to find a way to add variation to their sound." [25] In a less favorable review, Cole Waterman from Spectrum Culture opined, "Joseph merits some cred for his self-awareness with 'Honestly, there's a few songs on this record that feel common,' a lyric from 'Lane Boy,' but referencing mediocrity doesn't excuse one for creating it." [36]
Twenty One Pilots released the music video for "Lane Boy" on July 20, 2015. [35] During an interview with Fuse , Tyler Joseph provided a breakdown of the music video. According to Joseph, "It's kind of a manifestation of that battle with seeing some success." [9]
The music video features Tyler Joseph slowly being followed by a pair of men wearing hazmat suits in the dark. [35] It blends and splices in video footage from a recent live concert performance. [35] Throughout the video, Joseph appears to obey the men by bending down and listening to them while almost being in choreography with their grooving movements. [9] [35] Once the duo get out in front of a like-minded audience, they kneel down to them. [9] Joseph then delivers a subtitled monologue:
Why do I kneel to these concepts? Tempted by control, controlled by temptation. "Stay low," they say. "Stay low."
Afterwards, Joseph, the pair of men, and the crowd jumps together during the final drop. The video ends with the men kneeling as Joseph dances alone with the crowd.
Characterizing it as being "both creepy and epic," PopBuzz 's Liam Dryden called the music video a "standout." [35] Rachel Campell from Alternative Press considered the use of live footage for the video creative. [37]
"Lane Boy" has since become a crowd favorite at live concert venues. [16] [28] Twenty One Pilots performed "Lane Boy" during a concert held at Comerica Theatre on in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona October 14, 2015. The duo began their performance with video effects of men in hazmat suits and gas masks dancing before shifting to live stage performer dancing in hazmat suits and gas masks, all while in keeping with the song's lyrics. [38]
They performed the song an at the Forum in Inglewood, California during their Emotional Roadshow World Tour, emphasizing the reggae beats and rhythms during their arena performance. [28]
While still on the tour the duo provided a live rendition at the Honda Center in Anaheim on February 15, 2017. The concert was a spectacle, featuring two stages and a giant hamster ball. [16]
Twenty One Pilots performed "Lane Boy" before an audience at a sold-out concert at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on July 5, 2019. [27] "Lane Boy" was among the tracks the duo performed during a medley for a concert held at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa on their Bandito Tour. Joseph performed wearing a scarf over his head while smoke filled the stage as men with gas masks sprayed more down onto the crowd. [39]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Lane Boy" | 4:13 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Lane Boy" | 4:13 |
2. | "Lane Boy" (video version) | 3:56 |
3. | "Lane Boy" (instrumental) | 4:13 |
4. | "Lane Boy" (TV track) | 4:13 |
5. | "Lane Boy" (a cappella) | 4:13 |
Peak positions
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [42] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [43] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
Poland (ZPAV) [44] | Platinum | 20,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [45] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Label |
---|---|---|---|
Worldwide [3] | May 4, 2015 | Fueled by Ramen | |
UK Radio | October 21, 2016 [5] | Airplay | Fueled by Ramen |
Twenty One Pilots are an American musical duo from Columbus, Ohio. Initially a band, the group was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist Tyler Joseph along with Nick Thomas and Chris Salih, who both left in 2011. Since their departure, the line-up has consisted of Joseph and drummer Josh Dun. The duo is best known for their singles "Stressed Out", "Ride", and "Heathens", which achieved commercial success between 2015 and 2016. The duo received a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards for "Stressed Out".
Vessel is the third studio album by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots, which was released on January 8, 2013. It is the band's first album released via Fueled by Ramen, and is their major-label debut album. Vessel debuted at number 58 on the Billboard 200 chart, but reached number 21 in 2016. As of July 2019, the album has sold over two million equivalent album units in the U.S. All of its tracks have been certified at least Gold by the RIAA, which made Twenty One Pilots the first group or artist to achieve this feat with two separate albums. The album received positive reviews from critics.
"Holding On to You" is a song by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots from their second studio album Regional at Best (2011). It was re-recorded and later included as the second song on the track list of their major-label debut album, Vessel (2013). "Holding On to You" features upbeat rhythms and bouncy suspended chords over which Tyler Joseph delivers scattershot raps with down-to-earth sentiments and sings grandiose, euphoric choruses. The track's indie-inspired synth-pop transforms from a sensitive ballad to a hip-hop number with rapped verses and codas. The song contains lyrical elements of "Lean wit It, Rock wit It" by Dem Franchize Boyz. Lyrically, "Holding on to You" is an ode to self-control. It addresses "the claiming of one's own life and holding onto your values." The song's lyrics express introspective lines as well as a sentiment about taking back control of one's own mind, lost to mental health.
Joshua William Dun is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of the musical duo Twenty One Pilots, alongside Tyler Joseph, but he has collaborated with other artists as well. His band has been nominated for six Grammy Awards, of which he has won one.
Tyler Robert Joseph is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is best known as the frontman for the musical duo Twenty One Pilots, alongside bandmate Josh Dun. Across his career he has recorded eight albums: one solo, and seven with Twenty One Pilots. He has been nominated for six Grammy Awards as a member of the duo, of which he has won one.
American musical duo Twenty One Pilots have released seven studio albums, five live albums, one compilation album, 10 extended plays, 29 singles and 50 music videos. The band was formed in 2009 and currently consists of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun. After two self-released albums, Twenty One Pilots in 2009 and Regional at Best in 2011, they were signed by Fueled by Ramen in 2012, which released their following studio albums, as well as Blurryface Live, a three-LP, tri-gatefold picture disc vinyl, Scaled and Icy and MTV Unplugged.
Blurryface is the fourth studio album by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. It was released on May 17, 2015, through Fueled by Ramen. Lyrically, the album incorporates themes of mental health, doubt, and religion. It contains the hit singles "Stressed Out" and "Ride", both of which reached the top-five on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"Fairly Local" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. It was released as the lead single from their fourth studio album Blurryface (2015) on March 17, 2015, with its music video having been released the previous day. The song was their first to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 84, and has since been certified platinum in the United States.
"Tear in My Heart" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots, for their fourth studio album Blurryface (2015). The song was released as a single on April 6, 2015 and was released to radio on April 14 of the same year.
"Stressed Out" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. Produced by Mike Elizondo and recorded at studios in Los Angeles and London, it was released as a promotional single from their fourth studio album, Blurryface (2015), on April 28, 2015, through Fueled by Ramen. The song later impacted US contemporary hit radio as the album's fourth official single on November 10. Elizondo initially took issue with the nature of the song's lyrical content, but relaxed after lead vocalist and songwriter Tyler Joseph explained the larger album concept.
"Ride" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots, from their fourth studio album, Blurryface. "Ride" was originally released as a promotional single on YouTube on May 11, 2015. The music video for the song was released on YouTube the following day. It was serviced to US contemporary hit radio on April 16, 2016, as the album's fifth official single. The song peaked at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"Heavydirtysoul" is a song by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots from their fourth studio album Blurryface (2015). It was written by vocalist Tyler Joseph, who derived some of its lyrics from a poem called "Street Poetry" which he had written and published three years earlier. The track was produced by American record producer Ricky Reed and recorded at Serenity West Recording in Hollywood, California. As the opening track of Blurryface, "Heavydirtysoul" acts as the album's introduction, both musically and thematically. The song contains a self-referential statement where Joseph touches on the concept by candidly addressing its music with self-aware lyrics that give away his insecurities.
Trench is the fifth studio album by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots, released on October 5, 2018, through Fueled by Ramen and Elektra Records. It was the band's first studio album in three years, after the breakthrough success of their fourth studio album, Blurryface (2015). Recorded in secret during a year-long public silence, it is a concept album which explores mental health, suicide, and doubt, themes prominently featured in the band's previous works, framed in the metaphorical city of Dema and the surrounding continent known as "Trench". The album was also the first release of the newly revived Elektra Music Group.
"Levitate" is a song written and recorded by the American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. The song was released as the third single from their fifth studio album Trench on August 8, 2018.
"My Blood" is a song written and recorded by the American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. The song was released as the fourth single from their fifth studio album, Trench, on August 27, 2018. An accompanying music video for the song was released on October 5, 2018, hours after the release of its parent album. The song peaked at No. 81 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"The Judge" is a song by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. It was released on their fourth studio album Blurryface in May 2015. It was written by Tyler Joseph and produced by Mike Crossey.
"Morph" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots from their fifth studio album, Trench (2018). It was released as a promotional single the same day as the album's release. The song was written by vocalist Tyler Joseph in a studio in his basement. It was produced by Joseph, with co-production from Paul Meany of Mutemath, and recorded at United Recording Studios in Hollywood, California. Even though the song is one of the less conceptual of their concept album, it still reveals more about the surroundings of a world named "Trench" and a dystopian city called "Dema". A key discovery comes in "Morph" with the identity of Nicolas Bourbaki, the titular character of the song "Nico and the Niners" and one of the main antagonists in the story.
"Shy Away" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. It was released through Fueled by Ramen on April 7, 2021, as the lead single of their sixth studio album, Scaled and Icy (2021). A music video was released alongside the single, directed by Miles Cable and AJ Favicchio.
"Saturday" is a song recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots, released on May 18, 2021, through Fueled by Ramen, as the third single from their sixth studio album, Scaled and Icy (2021). It was written and produced by the duo's frontman, Tyler Joseph, with Greg Kurstin and Paul Meany credited as co-producers. A music video for the song was released on July 8, 2021.
Regional at Best is the second studio album by the American band Twenty One Pilots, and its first as the core duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun. Self-released on July 8, 2011, it was the band's final independent record before being signed to Fueled by Ramen in 2012, and has since been removed from circulation.
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