Twenty One Pilots are an American band, made up of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun. Their fourth album, Blurryface, was released in 2015 through American record label, Fueled By Ramen.
Twenty One Pilots’ origins for their music seems to be to help make people think and to help those people find their purpose, whatever that may be. Many of their songs express the harsh truth of life, struggling and going through a rough time, but ultimately, in the end, you always come out on top.
In many of their tour highlight videos, they feature fans and allow them to share their story. Whether that’s how they found out about the band, friends they’ve made through the band, or how Twenty One Pilots’ music has helped them, fans are nearly always featured.
At the end of the duo’s shows, they’ll say “we’re Twenty One Pilots and so are you”. That saying alone makes the fans feel connected to the band, and can make them feel that they are apart of something; something creative, unique and something you can make your own.
CelebMix took the time to speak to some Twenty One Pilots fans from a variety of countries, and this is what they had to say.
Kohta, 15, USA – “Twenty One Pilots are an amazing band, they make fantastic music with only two people and normally only Tyler writes the songs. That in itself already shows you how talented they are. Then they have many different instruments in their songs and that means sometimes Josh is gonna play the trumpet or the lead singer/pianist/guitarist, is going to pull out the bass. They inspire so many people all over saying that it’ll get better, stay alive see it to the end. What they do is incredible, that’s why I love them.”
Luci, 17, UK – “Twenty One Pilots have produced some of the best music I’ve ever heard. Each song they put out is incredible; lyrically, vocally and everything else in between. While I’m not as dedicated a fan as most I can appreciate the hard work they put in and the incredible shows they put on!”
Emily – “I love Twenty One Pilots. Why? Well for one, Josh Dun and Tyler Joseph are both amazing people. They are sweet and kind and they didn’t have to turn out this way. Tyler’s life was so hard, he could have just as easily turned out to be an angry awful person. Josh didn’t have to care about Tyler or the fans. But they do care, and they are amazing people, and I love them for it.”
“Now the reason that I love their music. Their songs are so deep, so meaningful, and they tackle topics that many other bands are too scared to. They have a few songs that are happier, and then a whole ton of songs that are the kind that people listen to when they’re sad. This is the kind of band that just makes you feel better, and happier.”
Justice, 16, Indiana, USA – “I really love Twenty One Pilots for a lot of reasons but I’ll try and keep it in two paragraphs. As artists, Tyler and Joseph are really breaking barriers. The different crossovers in terms of style and genre in music is what really draws me towards them. Not many artists do that and so one moment you’re listening to rap with bass and the next you’re listening to Tyler strum chords on a ukulele or reggae. It catches you so off guard and somehow they put the styles together and make it sound good.”
“Another reason that I like Twenty One Pilots is their live performances. I went to my first Twenty One Pilots concert this July and I’ve been to many other concerts. This one was my favorite because of the crowd interaction. They kept us all on our toes, wondering what song and what elaborate trick could happen next. Both musicians seemed to really trust their fans, crowd surfing, getting into the pit, and going to great lengths to make sure we had a wonderful time.”
“Their music means something to them and it also means something to me. The lyrics always have an underlying meaning. Tyler and Josh talk about real life issues which is really needed in a time where lots of popular music is just “bubblegum”. Overall, their music is real, coming from a deep and sometimes dark place in their hearts. As a fan, I appreciate that.”
Georgia, 17, UK – “For me, there’s no other band that are like Twenty One Pilots. They’re original, humble and real. Tyler and Josh have created a space for like-minded people to feel safe within who they are and what they feel. One of my favourite things about the band is how they create meaning, and how they want others to find meaning too. Sometimes with some bands or artists, they’re very certain about what their song or album means and represents, and they might not like when someone else’s meaning of that song or album is different to what was originally intended, but I don’t feel that way with Twenty One Pilots. I like that my interpretation of one of their songs might be different to someone else’s as it shows how diverse and versatile we, as people, can be, and I like that it’s something that Tyler and Josh, themselves, try to encourage and support. I think their song ‘Kitchen Sink’ is a perfect example of individuality and how something can mean one thing to one person, yet it might not mean anything to someone else. No matter what emotion I’m feeling, whether that’s happy, sad, alone, etc. there’s always a Twenty One Pilots song which perfectly captures the words and sounds I can’t.”
“If you’ve ever been to a Twenty One Pilots show you’ll understand what I mean when I say that it really is an experience. It’s not a just a concert, or a gig, or those two guys in a band performing on stage; it’s an experience, one which will stay with me forever. I like that during ‘Lane Boy’, Tyler tells everyone to get low during one part of the song, and then when the beat drops we all jump up together. For me, it symbolises going against that thing inside you that tells you to “stay low”, the thing that tells you to conform to society’s standards, it’s a kind of rebellion in its own way. At my show, I was luckily enough to hold Josh up on the platform during the dual drumming in ‘Trees’. Every time he hit the drum, water bounced off and splashed all of the surrounding people, and it made me think of the lyric “and I’m lying here just crying, so wash me with your water” from their song ‘Addict With A Pen’. That may not have any relevance or meaning whatsoever, but like I mentioned before, their music enables me to connect things to another, and to put meaning behind something I’ve made or something I’ve experienced. I’m not always sure what home is for me, but Twenty One Pilots feels like home; they feel safe.”
Cassandra, 22, USA – “When I was a sophomore in high school, almost 7 years ago, my boyfriend went away to college way down state. We were young but if soulmates existed, we were it. I noticed that he was starting to become really distant and I asked constantly because I was his person, I was supposed to be there for him, but all he kept saying was it was school keeping him busy. At the end of October, I was coming home from church and one of my friends (who’s brother was also dating his sister at the time) had called and told me that he had taken his life a few hours earlier. There are still no words to describe how something like that feels.”
“I struggled for weeks after that with everything. One day I was laying in bed and it was the first time that I actually wanted to listen to music so I put on a random Pandora station and ‘Trees’ came on and the lyrics literally broke my heart and made me feel so at peace. And I was rolling over to give it a thumbs up and something he had given me fell on my hand. I Googled to see if they had any other songs or albums and from there I was hooked.”
“Fast forward to sometime last winter. I commute to school in Chicago and one day I had a paper to turn in and that was my final exam grade and there was a really sketchy man asking me where the VA hospital was and it’s a few stops before where I needed to get off on the train and when I got up and walked off the train I realized he was following me. At the time there was construction going on on campus and something was telling me to go through the construction zone and I didn’t question it since I was trying to lose him without making it blatantly obvious. I looked back to see if he was gone and he was, and when I turned around I looked up at one of the construction signs and on the back of it “Silent in the trees” was written and a few inches under it was his favorite quote: “Rise and rise again until lambs become lions.” And honestly that has nothing to do with my love for Twenty One Pilots but it doesn’t mean nothing. They have such a significant impact on my life and I am so grateful to have heard them when I did. Their music is something that helps me stay strong even if it’s just for other people, and that’s something I would love to go back and tell him if I could.”
Risha, 18, Russia – “Twenty One Pilots create not only music but also a safe place for everyone who needs it. Their shows are a great example; these guys make sure everyone enjoys it and keep reminding how important every single one of us are. They share their stories through their music and it amazes me how no matter how bad things may get for them, Tyler and Josh are always here for the people who need them. They inspire me to be myself. Not someone else, not a flawless human being that other artists like to sing about, but myself: with all of my strengths and weaknesses, problems and struggles. Twenty One Pilots are simply amazing at what they’re doing and watching them become stronger and more powerful with all the support they get is great and I am so here for this.”
Hanna, 18, Florida, USA – “First, I love that Tyler writes lyrics that have so much meaning. I feel like no matter what my mood is, they have a song for it. Second, their music is there for me when no one else is. Sometimes I get really bad anxiety attacks and listening to Twenty One Pilots helps me calm down. Also, as people, Tyler and Josh are so genuine and I love that about them. They’re not a band for the fame or the money, they do it simply because they love it and they love helping others. Twenty One Pilots reminds me that it’s okay to not be okay and to just be yourself. They keep me alive by telling me that I’m not alone in how I feel and that someone else out there has gone through some of the same things I have and I could never thank them enough for that.”
Rosie, 22, London, UK – “I think the reason Twenty One Pilots are so important to their fans is because they express all these emotions that no one else in the music industry or even sometimes in society are talking about. They are probably one of the most relatable, honest and deepest bands out there.”
Patricia, 14, Maryland, USA – “I found Twenty One Pilots in mid-February 2016. The first song I actually learned to know by them was ‘Migraine’ and for some reason I looked at other songs by them, which before then I never did for any artists. Anyway, I found that I loved anything about them, musically. I watched one interview and I was hooked. When I started to really actually listen to the lyrics I cried, a lot. I realized how much I related to the lyrics. After I cried, somehow I got even more motivated to get through this thing called “life”. I guess crying makes me feel better.”
“After school started a few weeks ago I’ve felt a lot of anxiety. While I’m sitting in class, almost freaking out, I repeat the lyrics of Twenty One Pilots over and over again. While I’m doing that I just breathe and then eventually I calm down. Twenty One Pilots has made me realize that it’s okay to not be okay. Tyler, Josh, the clique and many others have made me realize that things get better even though it may seem like it won’t. I don’t want to get too personal, but trust me when I say they’ve helped me with my problems. I love Twenty One Pilots because they help me through a lot and they’re awesome. I’m proud to be a Twenty One Pilots fan.”
Rachael, 17, UK – “I was first introduced to Twenty One Pilots’ music around a year ago when two friends of mine went and saw them live and as soon as I started listening, I understood why they did. They express that individuality is important and to express yourself. ‘Kitchen Sink’ is one of my favourite songs, as Tyler calls the fans “friends”, it makes me feel like I have a connection to him regardless of the fact I’ve never met him or Josh and makes me feel as though that they’re there for me in my darkest moments, even though they’re not physically there. They taught me that you have a purpose even though you might not see it, that others do; that you’re important and that itself has inspired me to wake up in the morning. I saw them for the first time at Reading Festival, and regardless that the crowd was a bit rowdy, it was such a breathtaking experience just seeing how much trust and faith Tyler and Josh have in us. The vibe and energy you get from the crowd, whether you’re by the barrier or at the back, is phenomenal and makes me feel like I’m home. Without Twenty One Pilots, I wouldn’t be as mentally strong as I am today and for that, I’m forever thankful.”
Alyssa, 15, Indiana, USA – “Twenty One Pilots has such a special meaning to me that I can’t place in any other band. They don’t play songs about partying or breakups, they show real raw emotion in their music. There have been times in my life where I have gone through depression but Twenty One Pilots have always helped me keep going. Their song ‘Truce’ actually helped me find a reason to stay alive. I think so many people love them because they are so grounded and real. They don’t let the fame get to their head and they appreciate their fans.”
“I’ve gone to a couple concerts and every time my love for them just grows. I’ve met so many amazing people struggling in the same ways I was. Tyler and Josh have created a family for me that I can rely on and I am so grateful for them. |-/”
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