Humble Beginnings in the Local Scene
Before catapulting to fame, Twenty One Pilots spent years honing their act regionally in Ohio. Tyler Joseph first conceived the project in 2009, self-releasing Twenty One Pilots‘ eponymous debut album that year. While raw, the album showcased Joseph‘s versatility as he wrote, arranged, and performed all instrumental and vocal parts. It also featured the origins of his introspective, metaphor-laden songwriting.
The debut album and intense touring captured enough local buzz for Tyler to recruit longtime friend Josh Dun as drummer in 2011, cementing the Twenty One Pilots lineup. Their 2012 album Regional at Best built a cult following in the Ohio scene. Songs like "Guns for Hands" and "Holding On to You" drew fans to their intimate, energetic concerts with sing-along lyrics and cathartic drums. By 2014‘s Vessel, the duo skyrocketed from playing Columbus bars to touring internationally. Twenty One Pilots were infusing emo pop-punk with hip hop and electronica, displaying ingenious genre-blending and making a name for themselves in the indie rock world. But their true breakthrough was yet to come with 2015‘s Blurryface.
The Apex: Going Global with Blurryface‘s Success
Without exaggeration, Twenty One Pilots reached the zenith of their fame and acclaim with Blurryface. The album debuted at #1 in America with 147,000 first week sales. Powered by gleaming pop hits "Stressed Out" and "Ride", Blurryface would spend a record 175 weeks on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart. Eventually it became the seventh longest-charting album of all-time. In total, Blurryface notched 2.8 billion streams by 2022 and was certified 8x platinum for large-scale commercial success and cultural impact to match the critical reception. By 2017, Twenty One Pilots had swept the Grammys, AMAs, and MTV awards. The music establishment crowned them rock‘s newest stars.
Beyond "Stressed Out" and "Ride", Blurryface was packed with era-defining songs that contributed to the duo‘s rise like "Tear in My Heart", "We Don‘t Believe What‘s On TV", and "Lane Boy". As a whole, Blurryface captured lightning in a bottle – blending pop effervescence with hip hop bite and alternative confessionals. This consolidated the strengths of their prior work into a complete package catapulting them to stardom. Brooding themes of mental health meshed with Joseph‘s playful hooks – an intoxicating balance for fans who connected deeply. Dun and Joseph‘s iconic red beanies and colorful hair established their visual aesthetic as stars. Blurryface cemented a singular sound and image for Twenty One Pilots that created unprecedented success and equally high expectations.
Pinnacle Becomes Plateau
How could the band possibly top Blurryface? The short answer is they couldn‘t. Their subsequent album Trench rose to #2 upon release in 2018, spearheaded by alt-radio hits "Jumpsuit" and "My Blood". However it soon plateaued with lukewarm streaming and without a breakout on par with previous smashes. Trench drew praise from critics but alienated some fans with its conceptual plot, darker themes, and more indie/experimental direction. While not an objective failure by any means in shifting 500,000 units and 1.5 billion streams, it was a step down from the overwhelming victory lap Blurryface represented.
Scaled and Icy arrived three years later as the long-awaited follow up. Its pastel-hued artwork and synthpop sound marked a continuation of Trench‘s evolution in aesthetic. Early excitement faded fast though as critics slammed the album for playing it too safe. Lead single "Shy Away" contains traces of signature Twenty One Pilots catchiness but failed to crack even the rock charts. Three smaller-scale singles followed but made little commercial impact. Industry experts noted the lack of innovation from a band once known for rule-breaking fusion. Fans clamored for the frenetic drums and candid vulnerability of the Blurryface era. Scaled And Icy swung in an opposite direction – sleek, polished pop bereft of angst. Lyrics turned toward loved ones and self-care rather than raw confessionals.
Both Trench and Scaled represent competent works judged too harshly in Blurryface‘s shadow. But unshakeable high expectations coupled with sonic evolutions rank among factors that cooled the previously red-hot band in the public eye. Where Blurryface dominated every medium, from streaming to radio to musical discourse, Twenty One Pilots struggled reaching the same ubiquity again.
What Led to Twenty One Pilots Losing Mainstream Momentum?
Change In Musical Direction
After the breakthrough genre fusion of Blurryface, Twenty One Pilots ventured into more esoteric sounds. The zippy hooks that catapulted songs onto alternative radio slowed into brooding atmospheres on Trench lead singles. Scaled and Icy pursued dance-pop that divided fans seeking their signature rock/rap amalgamation. With two stylistic left turns, the band left the sound casual fans associated with their name. These artistic choices signified maturation but lost the stylistic consistency that fueled initial rise.
Unreachable Expectations
No matter how successful, the #1 album and multiple hit singles of Blurryface were impossible to recreate. Each release faced unfair expectations. Had Trench or Scaled come before the magnum opus, they may have received less vitriol for veering from convention. Instead, they were lambasted for not capitalizing on preceding success. Twenty One Pilots became victims of overhype that no art could satisfy.
Streaming‘s Fickleness
The streaming boom in 2015 perfectly aligned with Blurryface and its slew of shareable songs. But as music consumption moved towards playlists, viral hits had shorter staying power. Fans digest and dispose of songs quicker amidst endless choices. Trench and Scaled lacked the same smash singles to capturelistener attention. Though Twenty One Pilots retain a large fanbase buying tickets, their struggles with streaming longevity affected cultural grip.
Maturing Identities
When Tyler Joseph wrote about mediocre jobs, crushing self-doubt, and debilitating anxiety on Blurryface, he tapped the zeitgeist of Millennial malaise. As both he and Josh Dun settle into their 30s, marriage, and parenthood, their shift towards spiritual contentment reflects personal growth but lost relatability with younger fans. Twenty One Pilots‘ angsty authenticity appeals less to Gen Z. Their thematic maturation left some nostalgic for those earnest, unvarnished Blurryface days.
Can Twenty One Pilots Recapture Their Crown?
Twenty One Pilots accomplished the rare feat of indie outsiders turned chart royalty, following that stratospheric rise poses an unavoidable challenge. Only a select few singular acts like The Beatles or Michael Jackson achieve endless cultural ubiquity to satisfy soaring expectations. For most, the common trajectory involves climbing to the peak then gradually descending by varying degrees.
Rather than faded afterthought though, Twenty One Pilots persist as a touring juggernaut selling out arenas worldwide. Enough goodwill and diehard fans sustain them even if another Blurryface remains unlikely. As Scaling and Icy shows, massive early fame backed them into a corner. Their stylistic shapeshifting magnetized criticism rather than acclaim.
But one factor gives hope – Twenty One Pilots flourished as rule-breaking outsiders. Perhaps another swing for the fences like Blurryface’s unprecedented fusion lies ahead. Twenty One Pilots became global sensations by ignoring conventions in songwriting, production, and performance. Carving such a singular lane seems the only method to recapture former glories rather than play safer. Until then, nostalgia for the heyday persists among the fanbase.
The next album cycle will prove pivotal in determining Twenty One Pilots‘ future trajectory. But no matter the commercial result, lightning captured once in a lifetime. The band‘s eternal legacy rests on the artistry and connection cemented during 2015‘s perfect storm. For those along on that wild ride, Twenty One Pilots‘ moment may have passed but the memories linger.