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". The group received a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards for "Stressed Out". The band independently released two albums, Twenty One Pilots (2009) and Regional at Best (2011), before being signed by record label Fueled by Ramen in 2012. Their label debut, Vessel, was released in 2013 and became the second album in history on which every track received at least a gold certification, making Twenty One Pilots the first band in the history of music to see every song on two albums earn gold or platinum awards.
"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-listing 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.
"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. It was re-released on March 18, 2014, as the sixth and final single from their third studio album, Vessel.
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 successful 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 uploaded to YouTube on March 16, 2015, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album Blurryface on the following day. The song was their first to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, 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. 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. It was released as a promotional single from their fourth studio album, Blurryface (2015). Produced by Mike Elizondo and recorded at studios in Los Angeles and London, it was released as a promotional single via Fueled by Ramen on April 28, 2015. The song later impacted contemporary hit radio stations 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.
"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, being released as a single on Google Play Store on the same day. The music video was released on July 20, 2015.
"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 singles from their fifth studio album Trench (2018), alongside "Nico and the Niners". It was the first song to be released by the band after a year-long public silence. The track was nominated for Best Rock Song at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. Peaking at #50 on the Billboard Hot 100, it is Twenty One Pilots’ fifth highest charting song, only behind "Stressed Out", "Heathens" "Ride", and "Level of Concern".
Trench is the fifth studio album by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. It was released on October 5, 2018 through Fueled by Ramen. It was the band's first studio album in three years, after the breakthrough success of their previous 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 valley known as "Trench". The album was also the first release of the newly-revived Elektra Music Group.
"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. The video for the official audio clip displays Tyler Joseph in a dark home recording studio. The visual came after their trilogy storyline told through the videos for "Jumpsuit", "Nico and the Niners" and "Levitate". An accompanying music video for "My Blood" was released on the morning of October 5, 2018, arriving merely hours after the release of their fifth studio 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".
"Neon Gravestones" is a song by the American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. It is the seventh track from their fifth studio album, Trench (2018). Tyler Joseph, the frontman of the band, wrote the song and produced it with Paul Meany. It is a hip hop piano ballad which confronts the glorification of suicide by popular medias.
"Level of Concern" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. It was originally released as a standalone single on April 9, 2020, through Fueled by Ramen. The song would later be featured on the extended play Location Sessions and the livestream version of Scaled and Icy in 2021.
"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 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.
