In 2015, “Stressed Out” captured the hearts of many radio listeners. The single had a large impact on people ten years ago, the song peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, which led Twenty One Pilots to become the first rock act to have a song reach over one billion streams on Spotify.
On September 12, 2025, Twenty One Pilots released their eighth studio album titled ‘Breach’. The album consists of alternative rock, pop rock, and electropop genres throughout. The songs were primarily written by Tyler Joseph, the frontman and singer of Twenty One Pilots. The other member of Twenty One Pilots is Josh Dun, the drummer.
A lot of fans were especially looking forward to this album, as it ends the ten year storyline the band has been building. Over the last few albums, Tyler Joseph has created an entire world within his music. Diehard fans–as known as clikkies–have been dedicated to figuring out and theorizing about the storyline for years.
The hype was consistent throughout the entire fanbase, ranging from all different ages. Senior Elliot Whitcomb, who’s been a fan for 12 years recalls his initial thoughts on the album.
“When it came out, I didn’t really like it at first,” Whitcomb said. “After that, I listened to it a few more times, really listening to the lyrics, and then I started to like it more. My favorite from the album is “Cottonwood” and my least favorite is “Garbage.””
I have been a fan of Twenty One Pilots since second grade, having jammed out to “Stressed Out” when it was first released and becoming hooked on the band ever since. ‘Breach’ and its predecessor ‘Clancy’ truly are amazing albums that stand out within the band’s discography.
When I first listened to the new album, I had mixed feelings. It was released shortly after ‘Clancy’, and I wanted ‘Breach’ to be as good, so I had higher expectations. My initial thoughts were the same as Whitcomb: the album was good, but not great. Then, once I gave it a few more listens, I started to fall in love with it. The songs are similar to that of the ‘Clancy’ album, but this album has its own personal sound that is so unique to most music you hear now.
The album consists of 13 songs, the total length being a 47 minute playthrough. My favorite song on the album is “RAWFEAR,” as it had not only great lyrics and a hypnotizing beat, but a distinctive tempo change within the song. My two other favorite songs are “Days Lie Dormant” and “Robot Voices.” These songs both have very different sounds, yet captured my attention and immediately got added to my playlist.
Twenty One Pilots have been creating music for over a decade now, putting together songs that are individual to themselves. I love how every song on ‘Breach’ sounds, how it’s completing the decade-long story and wrapping everything up with a bittersweet song titled “Intentions.” The album leaves listeners feeling not only pumped up and energized, but also melancholic and yearning for that feeling of nostalgia back when the ‘Blurryface’ album was released back in 2015.
While I am devastated that this album is ending the storyline, I loved listening to this last one. Twenty One Pilots will always have music that I can rely on to lift me up during hard times, and ‘Breach’ will continue to hold a special place in my heart as time goes on.
In order to showcase my love for Twenty One Pilots and potentially provide a new band to listen to, I’ve curated a playlist with some of my favorite songs linked here.
