"Level of Concern" | ||||
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Single by Twenty One Pilots | ||||
from the album Scaled and Icy (Livestream Version) | ||||
Released | April 9, 2020 | |||
Recorded | 2020 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:40 | |||
Label | Fueled by Ramen | |||
Songwriter(s) | Tyler Joseph | |||
Producer(s) |
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Twenty One Pilots singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Level of Concern" on YouTube |
"Level of Concern" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. It was released as a standalone single on April 9, 2020, through Fueled by Ramen, [1] and was later included on the livestream version of Scaled and Icy (2021). [2]
"Level of Concern" is a dance-pop, pop rock and dance-rock song produced by lead singer Tyler Joseph alongside Paul Meany of alternative rock band Mutemath, and its lyrics revolve around the COVID-19 pandemic during which it was written and recorded. The song encourages hope during challenging times, while also addressing the widespread fear and panic associated with the pandemic. A portion of the song's proceeds were donated to Crew Nation, a global relief fund by Live Nation for touring and venue personnel affected by the pandemic. A music video for the track was uploaded upon the single's release. The song was a moderate hit, peaking at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, which made it the duo's fourth-highest-charting song behind "Stressed Out", "Heathens" and "Ride".
At the beginning of March 2020, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States stood at 70, but by the following month it had grown by hundreds of thousands with an increasing death rate, resulting in the closure of schools and the banning of large gatherings. Social distancing measures, such as staying home as much as possible, had been widely recommended, and gatherings of over 10 people had been discouraged. [3] [4] Twenty One Pilots wrote and recorded "Level of Concern", their first new release since their fifth studio album Trench (2018), in self-isolation. [5] Lead singer Tyler Joseph's mother and wife, in part, influenced his decision to write a song about the pandemic. [6] [7]
"Level of Concern" was written by Joseph, who produced it alongside Paul Meany of the alternative rock band Mutemath. [8] The two had previously collaborated in this capacity on Trench, [9] but the song is a departure from the conceptual nature of that record as well as its predecessor Blurryface (2015). [10] On April 6, Joseph disclosed on Twitter that it was the first song he had written on an electric guitar, although he needed "a few days to finish it up". He added that he would send his bandmate Josh Dun the files for the song. [11] The song was released as a standalone single three days later. [12] [10] A portion of the revenue generated by the single was donated to Crew Nation, a global relief fund by Live Nation for touring and venue personnel affected by the pandemic. [13]
"Level of Concern" is defined as a dance-pop, pop rock and dance-rock song with elements of funk, pop and soft rock that runs for a duration of three minutes and forty seconds. [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Music, it is written in the time signature of common time, with a moderately fast tempo of 122 beats per minute. [17] "Level of Concern" is composed in the key of E minor, while Tyler Joseph's vocal range spans two octaves, from the low-note of D3 to the high-note of D5. [17] The song has a basic sequence of Cmaj7–Bm7–Am7 in the introduction and verses, alternates between the chords of Cmaj7 and Am7 during the pre-chorus, and follows Em–C–Am–G–D at the refrain, bridge and outro as its chord progression. [17]
The musical arrangement has an "upbeat groove" built around a "shimmering disco-esque guitar" before a beat played by Dun is added. [13] Entertainment Weekly 's Omar Sanchez compared its groove to the band's single "Ride", [19] while Billboard journalist Chris Payne opined that the beat had "strong "Walking on a Dream" vibes," and also dubbed the single a "hashtag-2020 song" due to its frequent references to the pandemic. [20] The lyrics focus on finding hope and optimism in difficult times, with Joseph describing it as "simple but hopeful," but are "still earnest and honest about the chaos everywhere." [12] [13] Chris Willman of Variety considered that the upbeat instrumental assuages the "anxiety" found in the lyrics, which also discuss "finding the right bunker-mate" with lines such as "would you be my little quarantine". [14] [12]
Chris Payne of Billboard described "Level of Concern" as a "bop" with a "nimble" chorus, [20] while Caryn Ganz called it "a delicious bit of '80s pop-funk that revels in its simplicity" in her assessment for The New York Times . [21] Variety 's Chris Willman found that, rather than being a "quick novelty knock-off" about quarantining, the track sounded "fully produced". [14] Jason Lipshutz, also of Billboard, claimed that the track is "the first true anthem of the coronavirus age", and speculated that it could become a commercial success due to it having a more radio-friendly style than Trench , as well as "words that anyone could relate to at this moment". [15] Similarly, Entertainment Weekly 's Omar Sanchez dubbed it "the first quarantine anthem". [19]
Despite not registering a full week of tracking activity, "Level of Concern" debuted at number three on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart (an extension of the Billboard Hot 100), number two on the Hot Rock Songs chart and number nineteen on the Alternative Songs chart in the United States with 7,000 digital sales. [22] In its first full week of tracking, the track entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number twenty-three with 10.6 million streams and 12,000 downloads, making it their second-highest debut on that chart, and unseated Panic! at the Disco 's "High Hopes" from the top of the Hot Rock Songs chart, becoming the first song at number one on the chart not by Panic! at the Disco since November 2018. [23] It also became their seventh number-one hit on the Alternative Songs chart, making them the seventh band with the most number-one hits on the chart at the time, which they are now the fourth as of 2022. [24]
In late 2023, for the 35th anniversary of Alternative Airplay, [25] Billboard published a list of the top 100 most successful songs in the chart's history; "Level of Concern" was ranked at number 26. [26]
The music video for "Level of Concern" was shared upon the song's release on April 9, 2020, and was directed by frequent collaborator Reel Bear Media. [14] It features additional appearances from Joseph's wife Jenna, their daughter Rosie, and Dun's wife Debby Ryan. [27] It loosely documents the creation of the song and video as Joseph and Dun individually record and film their parts, uploading the audio and video onto a USB flash drive and sending it via snail-mail (although it is revealed that the two are living next door to each other at the end of the video). This is cut between clips of Joseph and Dun spending time with their respective partners and decorating their houses with flashing lights and fluorescent stars. [13] [14] [28] [29] [30]
A separate music video for the song was released in the form of a continuous stream. Dubbed the "never-ending music video", it ran for 178 days, from June 22 to December 18, 2020. [31] Guinness World Records certified it as the longest music video in history. [32]
On June 12, 2020, a subset of the official Twenty One Pilots website began to accept alphanumerical codes in a specific format: "LOC-XXX-XXX-XXXXY", with "X" being digits and "Y" being letters. These events followed a Tweet made on the official band account that included a code in the format reading, "LOC-061-220-2012P". [33] Fans determined that the code translated to June 12, 2020, at 12:00, which was when the YouTube livestream began and the website began to accept codes. The livestream, which streamed from the official band account and ultimately lasted 24 hours, included clues to codes, although later codes were more dependent on files that users unlocked and downloaded through the website using the previous codes. These file downloads included clues that became progressively more difficult to decipher, such as images, words and short videos. Through the images, fans were able to create an alphabet based on the symbols included, which ultimately led to the solutions of later downloads. Behind-the-scenes clips and pictures of the band were also included inside the files, which were titled "USB", followed by the number of the code that unlocked the file (i.e., USB20). Codes 1 to 20 have been found. [34]
The final file download led users to a website that initially allowed them to input their name, mailing address, and Twitter handle. The first 500 individuals to do so received a physical flash drive containing exclusive images, videos, and old demo tracks from 2011. [35] As more responses were entered, the website was changed to show only a message of congratulations.
Credits adapted from Tidal. [8]
Weekly charts | Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [77] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [78] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [79] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
Poland (ZPAV) [80] | Gold | 25,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [81] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [82] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Twenty One Pilots is 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".
American musical duo Twenty One Pilots have released seven studio albums, five live albums, one compilation album, 10 extended plays, 29 singles, five promotional singles, and 52 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.
"Car Radio" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. Originally appearing on their second studio album Regional at Best (2011), it was re-recorded and released on March 18, 2014, as the sixth and final single from their third album, Vessel (2013). The song is notable for containing no chorus and no hook.
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.
"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.
"Heathens" is a song by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots, released as the lead single from the motion picture soundtrack to the DC Comics film Suicide Squad (2016) on June 16, 2016, through Atlantic Records. The song was written by Tyler Joseph and produced by him along with Mike Elizondo. "Heathens" peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, tying with "Stressed Out" for the duo's highest-charting single to date. "Heathens" was nominated for three Grammy Awards at the 59th annual awards ceremony.
"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.
"Jumpsuit" is a song written and recorded by the American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. It was released on July 11, 2018, as the first of the lead singles from their fifth studio album Trench (2018), alongside "Nico and the Niners". The track was nominated for Best Rock Song at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. Peaking at number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100, it is their fifth-highest-charting song, behind "Stressed Out", "Heathens", "Ride", and "Level of Concern".
"Nico and the Niners" is a song written and recorded by the American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. It was released on July 11, 2018, as the second of the lead singles from their fifth studio album Trench (2018), alongside "Jumpsuit". The song peaked at number 79 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
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.
"Chlorine" is a song by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. It was released through Fueled by Ramen on January 22, 2019, as the fifth single from their fifth studio album, Trench (2018). The track was written and produced by lead singer Tyler Joseph and Paul Meany of rock band Mutemath. It is a trip hop, rap rock and electropop song which discusses "how creativity can cleanse dark impulses but cause its own pain".
"The Hype" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots from their fifth studio album Trench (2018). The song was released as the sixth and final single from Trench on July 16, 2019, by Fueled by Ramen and Elektra Music Group. The track was written by lead singer Tyler Joseph, with production being handled by himself and Paul Meany. The song's lyrics discuss perseverance and loyalty. "The Hype" reached a peak of number 3 on the US Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart.
"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.
"Choker" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. It was released through Fueled by Ramen on April 30, 2021, as the second single from their sixth studio album, Scaled and Icy (2021). A music video accompanied the single's release.
"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.
"Overcompensate" is a song by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots, released on February 29, 2024, through Fueled by Ramen as the lead single of their seventh studio album Clancy. It was written and produced by frontman Tyler Joseph alongside Paul Meany. The song peaked at number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 34 in the UK, making it their third-highest charting song there, behind "Heathens" and "Stressed Out".