Before you think it, I’ll say it: I know I’m too old for Twenty One Pilots.
James and I went to a Twenty One Pilots concert in early 2017, and let me tell you: we were easily the oldest people there (aside from all the moms who brought their teenagers).
Yep, way too old.
But I also don’t care.
Unlike most of the bands in my “top ten songs of” lists, I don’t have an “aha” moment with Twenty One Pilots. I don’t remember which song of theirs I heard first or which song I loved first. All I can tell you is that I love them. The lyrics are so raw and emotional, and so many of them voice exactly what I am feeling when I cannot voice it myself. Almost every song speaks to insecurities, which is particularly striking to me: I have all the same insecurities, but of course, I could not put my feelings into song so eloquently. It feels like they are speaking directly to me.
Here are, in no particular order, my ten favorite Twenty One Pilots songs.
Migraine
If you’ve ever had a migraine, this song will speak to you. If you haven’t had a migraine, consider yourself fortunate. A migraine feels like your head is going to explode out of your eyes. There is no fixing it: the only remedy is to sequester yourself in a totally dark and totally silent room with an ice pack and try to sleep it off. Even if you succeed in sleeping it off, you’ll likely suffer a migraine hangover the following day, which include smaller headaches and complete exhaustion. Basically, it’s terrible. “Migraine” describes a migraine perfectly in song: “behind my eyelids are islands of violence” and “my pain will range from up, down, and sideways.”
Ride
I don’t know what it is about “Ride,” but I think it is my overall favorite Twenty One Pilots song. With Twenty One Pilots, it’s always the lyrics – but “Ride” has such a bouncy melody with a touch of reggae. And the line “I’ve been thinking too much – help me” is probably the single statement that could best define my life.
Holding onto You
“Holding onto You” is a perfect example of Twenty One Pilots’ adeptness at mixing musical styles, which is something I very much appreciate about them. Their songs are not only lyrically interesting, but musically interesting as well. It’s not often you get both. And let me tell you – the end with its swelling emotions (“entertain my faith”) is STIRRING. This was the first twenty one pilots song I truly loved – this was the song that made me realize they were the band for me. I recently read this song is about holding onto good thoughts while trying to rid the bad ones, which is a constant struggle for many of us.
The Hype
I have to be honest: their latest album is not my favorite. Many of the songs don’t have the raw emotional power as their earlier work, and that’s exactly what drew me to them. That being said, there are a few gems, “The Hype” being one of them. While it’s also missing the vocal passion of some of the older songs, it’s got killer lyrics: “no, I don’t know which way I’m going/but I can hear my way around.” Plus, there’s a ukulele in the bridge. Amazing.
Stressed Out
“Stressed Out” was the first Twenty One Pilots song I had ever heard. If you asked me to pick one song that defines my mood on any given day, nine times out of ten, it would be “Stressed Out.” This song is about the transition from childhood to adulthood, which, for many of us, is much more brutal than we were lead to believe it would be. Life was so simple when we were kids, but all we wanted to do was grow up. But now that we are grown up, childhood seems like a dream: “out of student loans and treehouse homes, we all would take the latter.” “Stressed Out” also deals with the complicated feelings that come with being an adult: “I was told when I get older all my fears would shrink/But now I’m insecure, and I care what people think.” And of course, the pressure that comes with bills to pay: “Wake up, you need to make money.”
Clear
I am so in love with one of Twenty One Pilot’s earlier albums called Regional at Best. Alas, it’s not available in the United States and I can only listen to it on YouTube. I heard “Clear” on the Twenty One Pilot’s Pandora station, and I have been struck since the beginning. The vocals are so emotional in this song, especially in the last lines: “I will tell you what I can/but your mind will take a stand/I sing of a greater love/let me know when you’ve had enough.”
My Blood
“My Blood” is also from their latest album, and it is SO different from any of their other songs. It’s all synth-poppy and disco-y and funky and I love it. There is also some solid falsetto, which is a weakness of mine. Plus, it’s about being loyal to your friends: yet another relatable topic.
Lovely
This is my other favorite song from Regional at Best, and it makes me think of James and me. I suffer from some anxiety with a tendency for what I now know are called “thought traps”: things like predicting the worst, assuming that I am not particularly well-liked, wondering what good my actions do, and so forth. James is my number-one cheerleader, always telling me my brain is out to get me (true) and none of those things are true. “Lovely” speaks to that directly: “dear friend, here we are again pretending/to understand how you think your world is ending” and “won’t you stay alive?/I’ll take you on a ride/I will make you believe you are lovely.”
Trees
“Trees” has some of the simplest lyrics of all the Twenty One Pilots songs, but I think it is incredibly powerful. The vocals change from verse to verse, so even though the lyrics are bare, you know exactly what they’re saying.
Goner
I think “Goner” is about intense loneliness, which most of us have experienced at some point in our lives. This is a feeling that sticks with you. For me, it was on Halloween night when I lived in New Orleans in 2009. Halloween is my favorite holiday, and for the first time in my life, I was all alone on Halloween. A few people I’d met had invited me out with them, but they never called back. I lived in a poolhouse in someone’s backyard, with only an air mattress for furnishings. I sat on my air mattress in the dark, wearing the Halloween socks my mom had just sent me in the mail, and cried. That is the loneliest I have ever felt, and I will never forget it. “Goner” is the perfect musical representation of that feeling.
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As always, there are a few gems that did not quite make the list. I love “Hometown” and “Ode to Sleep,” “Guns for Hands” is particularly timely, and I think of “Car Radio” every time my car is quiet. “Be Concerned,” “Glowing Eyes,” and “Ruby” are three favorites from the Regional at Best Album. And let me not forget their eponymous album, with solid offerings like "The Pantaloon" and "Oh Ms. Believer." But to me, that’s a mark of a true favorite band: if you have to pick ten of your favorite songs, and there are still a legion of others you love dearly.
Don’t listen to Twenty One Pilots for a pick-me-up: the emotion and subject matter is intense, and it’s not for everyone. But if you share some of these same feelings, you will feel as though the songs are written for YOU. Twenty One Pilots speak to my anxieties and insecurities like the Killers did to my intense desire to leave my small hometown. It’s not often as an adult you can find a band that resonates with you as much (if not more) than those that did in high school, and when you do, it’s something incredibly special.
(If you'd like to read about my other favorite bands and my ten favorite songs of theirs, here you go:)
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