Twenty One Pilots

Twenty One Pilots formed in Columbus, Ohio, in 2009. Tyler Joseph (vocals, ukulele, piano, bass) started the band with two college friends, Nick Thomas and Chris Salih, who both left by 2011. Josh Dun (drums) joined that same year, and the duo format became permanent.

Tyler writes everything — the lyrics, the melodies, the beats, the piano parts. Josh plays drums with a physicality that turns every show into a spectacle. Two people making the sound of a full band.

They self-released two albums (Twenty One Pilots and Regional at Best) before signing to Fueled by Ramen in 2012. Vessel (2013) was the label debut — Holding On to You and Car Radio became alternative radio staples. Car Radio in particular became a live phenomenon — Tyler climbing scaffolding, standing on the crowd, performing in silence before the beat drops.

The song is about having your car radio stolen and being forced to sit with your own thoughts. It shouldn't work. It absolutely does.

Blurryface (2015) made them global superstars. Stressed Out hit number two on the Hot 100. Ride went top five.

Heathens (from the Suicide Squad soundtrack) went top two. They won a Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Then Trench (2018) expanded the mythology — Dema, the Bishops, Banditos.

Scaled and Icy (2021) was the pandemic album disguised as pop. Clancy (2024) concluded the Dema saga that started with Blurryface. Through it all, they remain a duo.

Vessel (January 2013) was the album that built the fanbase. Holding On to You opens with a beat and Tyler's falsetto and doesn't let up. Car Radio is the centrepiece — it starts quiet, builds for three minutes, and then the beat drops with Tyler screaming "I have these thoughts so often I ought to replace that slot with what I once bought.

" Ode to Sleep is the opener — seven genre changes in four minutes. Migraine is the anthem for anyone who's ever tried to explain their brain to someone who doesn't get it. Trees became the concert closer — Josh plays drums on top of the crowd.

Blurryface (May 2015) changed everything. The concept: Blurryface is Tyler's insecurities personified — the voice that tells you you're not good enough. Stressed Out is the single — a ukulele riff, a hip-hop beat, and Tyler rapping about wanting to turn back time.

It hit number two and stayed on the chart for over a year. Ride is the summer anthem with reggae undertones. Tear in My Heart is the love song.

Lane Boy is the genre commentary. Every single track was eventually certified gold or higher — a first in music history.

Trench (October 2018) was the ambitious concept album. Set in the fictional city of Dema, controlled by nine Bishops, with Tyler's character trying to escape to Trench — a region outside the walls. Jumpsuit was the lead single — heavy, dark, urgent.

My Blood is the friendship anthem. Chlorine is the sleeper hit. The Hype became the stadium closer.

It's their most cohesive album — every song serves the narrative.

Scaled and Icy (2021) was the pandemic pivot — brighter, poppier, deliberately misleading (the title is an anagram of "Clancy is dead"). Saturday and Shy Away were the singles. Clancy (2024) concluded the Dema saga with Overcompensate, Next Semester, and The Craving — their most emotionally resolved work.

Twenty One Pilots proved that genre doesn't matter if the songwriting is honest enough. They play ukulele over hip-hop beats, rap over piano ballads, scream over electronic production — and 70 million people bought it because Tyler Joseph writes about mental health with a specificity that makes every listener feel seen. Stressed Out isn't a song about nostalgia in general — it's about the specific terror of growing up and realizing nobody warned you how hard it would be.

The live show is the other half. Josh Dun plays drums on a platform carried by the audience. Tyler climbs the venue scaffolding.

They perform in their underwear during Trees because the song demands vulnerability. It's theatre, but it's sincere theatre. Every arena show feels like a basement gig that accidentally got too big.

Their influence on the 2020s alternative scene is enormous. The genre-fluid approach — rap plus rock plus electronic plus ukulele plus whatever else works — became the default for a generation of artists. They also normalized talking about mental health in pop music in a way that wasn't performative.

Tyler doesn't just say "I'm sad." He explains exactly what the sadness feels like, and why it won't leave.