“My name is blurryface and I care what you think”
– When you first hear the title of the album, you will be compelled to ask, what is a “Blurryface”? But it isn’t a what, it’s a who.
Twenty One Pilots is a band that was formed in 2009 in Columbus, Ohio and consists of two people: Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun.
On May 16, the band had announced that their new album, Blurryface, would be released on May 19 through their label, Fueled by Ramen. On May 17, the band had decided to release their album two days earlier on iTunes.
Now, this is a difficult band to pin down. If you’ve ever heard of genderfluid, this band is genre-fluid. Wikipedia has pegged the band as multiple genres such as indie pop, alternative hip hop, and electropop but the names don’t stop there.
With every new album, the sound changes according to the theme that the band decides to portray. This is more than any ol’ band. Their means of self expression is a performance and a work of art.
The title of the album, Blurryface, is a concept that Joseph had created.
“It’s a character and it’s a guy that kind of represents all the things that I, as an individual, but also everyone around me, are insecure about,” Joseph said in an interview with MTV.
The album kicks off with a song called ‘heavydirtysoul’; the angsty lyrics couples with intense drumming and keyboard to mirror inner restlessness as Joseph’s voice rings out and asks, “Can you save my heavy dirty soul?”
Throughout the album, you slip into a state of introspection. For those who can relate, it allows you to ruminate on the thoughts that Joseph expresses, much like your own. The words, in a way, validify your feelings and your existence. For those who can’t relate, there’s the reaction to the loudness of it – the bizarre crescendos and miscellaneous crashes but it will grow on you. It’s something to lose yourself to.
The album closes off with ‘Goner’, a song which is rather gentle on the ears. Based on personal interpretation, I believe it is the triumph over Blurryface. Blurryface, which represents all of the dark, gritty thoughts we carry throughout our daily lives – the anxiety, the sadness, the secrets, and the fear.
As usual, Twenty One Pilots always releases meaningful messages hidden with inconspicuous “loud teenage sounding music” and each and every time, they put a new twist on the tale.
