Twenty One Pilots – Blurryface

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The game-changing fourth studio album by rock band Twenty One Pilots is turning ten years old over the weekend, so it’s only fitting for us to take another look at what made Blurryface so special. The Fueled By Ramen release was an immediate success. The record debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 in its first week of release, it was the first album in Billboard history for every song on the record to be at least Gold certified, and it has since been certified as 4x Platinum by the RIAA. Putting a fresh pair of ears on Blurryface in 2025 brings back a flood of good memories for me. I had become a fan of the band from a friend sharing the band’s third record, Vessel, with me, but I was floored by the artistic development found on Blurryface. Tyler Joseph had a hand in co-producing each of these tracks with a handful of other producers gently adding some insight and their experiences to make sure the songs really shined. From the frenetic opening drum sequence by Josh Dun on “Heavydirtysoul” all the way to the somber reflection of “Goner” that slow-builds to a dramatic crescendo, Blurryface has a little bit of everything in it for fans of all genres to enjoy. Fueled By Ramen would happily release six singles from the 14-track effort, and each of these infectious songs are as immediately gripping as the first time I heard them.

The second track on Blurryface of “Stressed Out” struck the right chord with audiences new and old, and has been certified with a staggering 13x Platinum status by the RIAA. The song has a steady beat supplied by Dun, while the well-rapped verses by Joseph recall a tale of anxiety, self-doubt and a longing for the care-free days of childhood. Many fans of Twenty One Pilots point to this song as the key breakthrough for the band to reach “mega-star” status. “Ride” is an equally-thrilling journey in its composition, with a reggae-infused beat and slick production from Ricky Reed and Joseph. It becomes increasingly evident as the album plays out that the band was not settling for a quiet ascension up the music ranks. Quite the opposite. Twenty One Pilots would become one of the marquee acts in the music world and would showcase their staying power on subsequent releases.

The heavy beats found on “Fairly Local” paired with the emphatic vocal cadence of Joseph made for another memorable song in the middle of the set, while “Tear in My Heart” is a perfect pop song that begins with a simplistic piano/keyboard part before gradually adding in sweeping synths and a wall of sound to take it to new heights. “Lane Boy” inspired a whole new era of rap artists who would try to replicate the success of Twenty One Pilots, with mixed results on their end. The song tackles the theme of self-doubt and wondering if they will ever have breakthrough success on Blurryface. Oh, if only they realized just how big their humble band would become after this album hit the shelves.

The introduction of ukulele on “The Judge” is a nice way of breaking up some of the heavy synths that dominated the early part of Blurryface while Joseph’s smooth vocal delivery adds in the right charm and warmth behind his lyrics. “Doubt” gets back to a more comfortable synth sound while drummer Josh Dun adds in some nice beats to put emphasis behind each of Joseph’s pointed lyrics. “We Don’t Believe What’s On TV” brings back the ukulele into the mix, while Dun’s frenetic pick-me-up drumbeat plays out like a slick country song that has the essence and charm of Johnny Cash. The album never loses momentum as it plays out, with “Polarize” haunting the listener in its delivery, while other tracks like “Message Man” are simple enough, yet catchy as hell to make sure they have a long-lasting impact with anyone who takes the time to listen to it.

”Hometown” is dressed up like a Killers’ type of song and reaches its intended lofty goals as it accelerates towards the finish line with a charming bounce to it, while the band solidifies their superstar status. Twenty One Pilots would give glimpses to where they would take their sound next on the song “Not Today” that has almost a Motown feel to it, and leaned into the pop elements of Fueled By Ramen alum, Fun.

There is something immediately gratifying when you hit play on Blurryface and it’s hard to describe exactly what this record sounds like to someone who has never heard it before. Do any of those people exist anymore? If they do, and they’re reading this, you’re in for a hell of a ride after you get out from that rock you’ve been living under and wrap your ears around this one. Twenty One Pilots could’ve only dreamed of the type of success that they would earn on Blurryface and the band would continue to breathe new life into these songs by releasing cool variations of these tracks in their live performances (see MTV Unplugged). Blurryface captivated a new army of fans that stick with them to this day, and this was the key moment in Twenty One Pilot’s atmospheric ascension.

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