Album Review: Twenty One Pilots – Blurryface

By Nadine Rodriguez

Genres are seen as multiple things. For some artists, they’re adjectives used to describe their sound and advertise their music. For others, the word “genre” is a synonym to the word “restrictive.” For the Ohio two-piece, Twenty One Pilots, genres are nonexistent.

Fusing together R&B vibes, reggae beats, alternative hip-hop and indie pop, there is no true genre for Twenty One Pilots’ new album, Blurryface (portrayed as BLURRYFΛCE) and that’s exactly how their fans (or “the clique” as the band calls them) want it.

Blurryface is Twenty One Pilots’ fourth studio album and it is evident that the band has discovered how to exhibit themselves. With impactful, emotional  themes hidden behind catchy lyrics and verses perfect for the energy of live shows, frontman Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun have provided a unity for their “clique” unlike ever before.

Every track is a personal ride into Tyler’s mind, from doubting himself and his music to loving his  newlywed wife, Jenna Joseph. Some tracks pull at heart strings stronger than others, such as “Polarize,” in which Tyler sings “I wanted to be a better brother, better son”, touching upon his apparent habit to try to hide his doubt and insecurities, especially towards his close relationships, and “Goner,” hitting home with a quiet, piano background and lyrics referring to the entity “Blurryface,” whom represents all of Tyler’s insecurities, doubts, and other negative thoughts.

The album’s eclectic sound was produced by an all star-team consisting of Ricky Reed, part of an American hip-hop and pop band called Wallpaper, Elizondo, an American musician focusing in R&B and soul, Mike Crossey, a British producer, and Tim Anderson, another American producer. With the mix of talents that went into advising Twenty One Pilots and formulating Blurryface, the mix of multiple genres is pulled off without a hitch.

The album was released two days early on May 17th, along with an emotional announcement video created from music video clips and live performance clips stating that the album was now available, and that the band “needed us more than ever.” Some explanation towards this  decision is Tyler Joseph’s anxiety about the album being rejected by fans and critics, and wanting to know before the “official” date if his fears were to be proven right or wrong.

Along with the new music, Twenty One Pilots has released four music videos for each single put out prior to the album. These are “Fairly Local,” “Tear In My Heart,” “Stressed Out,” and “Ride.”

Overall, Blurryface earns a rating of 4 1/2 stars out of 5. With well-written lyrics, and catchy beats, the 14 track album definitely deserves a listen.

You can catch Twenty One Pilots live this fall on their Blurryface tour, running from September 8th to November 17th.