"Stressed Out" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo
Twenty One Pilots
Twenty One Pilots (stylized in all lowercase or as twenty øne piløts) are an American musical duo from Columbus, Ohio. Initially a band, the group was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist Tyler Joseph along with Nick Thomas and Chris Salih, who ...
. It was released as a
promotional single
A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...
from their fourth studio album, ''
Blurryface'' (2015). Produced by
Mike Elizondo
Mike Elizondo (born October 22, 1972) is an American producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. A protege of Dr. Dre, Elizondo has worked with 50 Cent, Eminem, Carrie Underwood, Fiona Apple, Mastodon, Ry Cooder, Skylar Grey, Twenty ...
and recorded at studios in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
and
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, it was released via
Fueled by Ramen
Fueled by Ramen LLC is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by 300 Elektra Entertainment. The label, founded in Gainesville, Florida in 1996, is now based in New York City.
History
John Janick conceived of the ...
on April 28, 2015. The song later impacted
contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
stations as the album's fourth official single on November 10. Elizondo initially took issue with the nature of the song's lyrical content, but relaxed after lead vocalist and songwriter
Tyler Joseph explained the larger album concept.
"Stressed Out" is a midtempo
alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop (also known as alternative rap) is a subgenre of hip hop music that encompasses a wide range of styles that are not typically identified as mainstream. AllMusic defines it as comprising " hip hop groups that refuse to confo ...
and
rap rock
Rap rock is a fusion genre that fuses vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock's most popular subgenres include rap metal and rapcore, which include heavy metal and hardcore punk-oriented influences, res ...
song that contains a throwback to
rock music
Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States a ...
and
psychedelic pop
Psychedelic pop (or acid pop) is pop music that contains musical characteristics associated with psychedelic music. Developing in the late 1960s, elements included "trippy" features such as fuzz guitars, tape manipulation, backwards recording, ...
with clear
pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop!, a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Albums
* ''Pop'' ( ...
sensibilities. The track is built from
synth
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
s and a
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean ...
-style keyboard line alongside rapping vocals by Joseph. Lyrically, it addresses the harsh end of
adolescence
Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the ...
. The song is an
ode
An ode (from grc, ᾠδή, ōdḗ) is a type of lyric poetry. Odes are elaborately structured poems praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally. A classic ode is structured in three majo ...
that harbors a
downbeat
' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Ch ...
atmosphere and lyrics speaking on transitioning from adolescence to adulthood and nostalgia for the innocence of childhood. The lyrics touch on insecurities and address
millennial
Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Gen Y, are the Western world, Western demography, demographic Cohort (statistics), cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as start ...
angst while discussing life challenges. Throughout the song, Joseph personifies the album's titular character, Blurryface, whose self-deprecating lyrics express self-doubt and anxiety, stressing over personal issues ranging from his music to the idea of becoming an adult.
"Stressed Out" led Twenty One Pilots to become the first rock act to have a single song reach 1 billion
streams
A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long large streams a ...
on
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active use ...
. Upon its release, it received favorable reviews from contemporary music critics. The song was a
sleeper hit
In the entertainment industry, a sleeper hit is a film, television series, music release, video game, or some other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release but became a success later on. A sleeper hit may have little prom ...
, peaking at No. 2 on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100, giving the duo their first top 10 hit in the US. The song topped the US ''Billboard''
Hot Rock Songs
Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (formerly known as Rock Songs and Hot Rock Songs) is a record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine. From its debut on June 20, 2009, through October 13, 2012, the chart ranked the airplay of songs across alternat ...
for a record 23 weeks. It also peaked at No. 1 on the ''Billboard''
Adult Top 40
The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems ...
,
Rock Airplay
The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
, and
Mainstream Top 40
Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the U ...
. "Stressed Out" was
certified
Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...
Diamond
Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, b ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
(RIAA) for sales of over 10,000,000 copies. The song reached the top five of record charts in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, and Switzerland.
An accompanying
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...
for the single was directed by Eshleman and mostly filmed at drummer
Josh Dun
Joshua William Dun (born June 18, 1988) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of the musical duo Twenty One Pilots, alongside Tyler Joseph, and also contributes backing vocals and trumpet to the band's work. He has collabor ...
's home in
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, an ...
. It features a mixture of
surreal visuals and
existential
Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and valu ...
scenes while portraying the duo riding
tricycle
A tricycle, sometimes abbreviated to trike, is a human-powered (or gasoline or electric motor powered or assisted, or gravity powered) three-wheeled vehicle.
Some tricycles, such as cycle rickshaws (for passenger transport) and freight trikes ...
s for a playdate and attempting to relive their childhood. In the music video, black paint can be seen on the neck and hands of Joseph, referencing the character Blurryface. At the
59th Annual Grammy Awards
The 59th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 12, 2017. The CBS network broadcast the show live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year ...
, "Stressed Out" was nominated for
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...
and
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, winning the latter.
Background and recording
During the promotion of their forthcoming studio album, Joseph began wearing black paint in every video and live performance.
Both the lyrics of "Stressed Out" as well as the paint reference the name and titular character of their album, ''
Blurryface'' (2015).
"Stressed Out" musically acts as an introduction to the
alter ego
An alter ego (Latin for "other I", "doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a different ...
of "Blurryface" with its haunting refrain.
His identity rises to surface during the song's
nursery-rhyme pre-chorus
Song structure is the arrangement of a song, and is a part of the songwriting process. It is typically sectional, which uses repeating forms in songs. Common forms include bar form, 32-bar form, verse–chorus form, ternary form, strophic form, an ...
refrain, where he sings, "My name's 'Blurryface' and I care what you think."
The thematic elements of the duo's second major-label studio album and identity of Blurryface and come into focus on "Stressed Out".
Their loose
concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Some ...
had been about Joseph attempting to defeat the alter ego of the titular monster-image representing his insecurities and self-hatreds.
An emphasis is placed on the concept of the character, who manifests within "Stressed Out" as well as throughout their studio album and appeared in its promotional campaign.
In an interview with
MTV News
MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
, Joseph elaborated, "It's a guy that kind of represents all the things that I as an individual — but also everyone around me — am insecure about. When I think about insecurities and my insecurities are getting the best of me, the things that I think of are kind of a feeling of suffocation and then also the things that I create with my hands... Very dramatic, I know, but it helps me get into that character".
"Stressed Out" was written by Joseph from the perspective of the character Blurryface rather than some impersonal
third-person narrator.
His lyricism is filled with
couplets
A couplet is a pair of successive lines of metre in poetry. A couplet usually consists of two successive lines that rhyme and have the same metre. A couplet may be formal (closed) or run-on (open). In a formal (or closed) couplet, each of the ...
and one-line
rhyme scheme
A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of a poem or song. It is usually referred to by using letters to indicate which lines rhyme; lines designated with the same letter all rhyme with each other.
An example of the ABAB r ...
s pertaining to definitive generational concerns.
Tyler Joseph was in his mid-20s at time of the single's release.
He was speaking as a member of generation engulfed in
college loan debt
Debt is an obligation that requires one party, the debtor, to pay money or other agreed-upon value to another party, the creditor. Debt is a deferred payment, or series of payments, which differentiates it from an immediate purchase. The ...
and sharing their anxieties while feigning apathy and yearning
peer acceptance all over
social media
Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...
.
For a time, record producer
Mike Elizondo
Mike Elizondo (born October 22, 1972) is an American producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. A protege of Dr. Dre, Elizondo has worked with 50 Cent, Eminem, Carrie Underwood, Fiona Apple, Mastodon, Ry Cooder, Skylar Grey, Twenty ...
was worried Joseph's specificity would limit the single's reception among the larger populace.
In retrospect, Elizondo said, "We can all kind of relate to wanting to have more of those simpler days. I think he nailed it; though the lyrical content is very specific to him, the listener is able to impose their own story onto it. That type of feeling will never go away."
"Stressed Out" was produced by
Mike Elizondo
Mike Elizondo (born October 22, 1972) is an American producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. A protege of Dr. Dre, Elizondo has worked with 50 Cent, Eminem, Carrie Underwood, Fiona Apple, Mastodon, Ry Cooder, Skylar Grey, Twenty ...
and recorded at Can Am in Los Angeles, California and at Livingston Studios in London, England.
The track was then
mixed at the Casita in Hollywood, California.
During its recording, Elizondo had but one grievance in regards to the song.
Speaking with front-man and principal songwriter Tyler Joseph, he opined that to the average listener, its lyrical content came off as esoteric. Elizondo recalled, "So I had a good conversation with him trying to say, 'Hey, maybe you should change that; it's a great melody, it's a big hook of the song, but I just don't know what it means."
He soon relaxed on the issue after Joseph provided an explanation of the larger album concept.
Composition
"Stressed Out" is a mid-tempo
alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop (also known as alternative rap) is a subgenre of hip hop music that encompasses a wide range of styles that are not typically identified as mainstream. AllMusic defines it as comprising " hip hop groups that refuse to confo ...
,
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...
and
rap rock
Rap rock is a fusion genre that fuses vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock's most popular subgenres include rap metal and rapcore, which include heavy metal and hardcore punk-oriented influences, res ...
song that runs for a duration of three minutes and twenty-two seconds.
The musical composition has a throwback to
rock music
Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States a ...
and
psychedelic pop
Psychedelic pop (or acid pop) is pop music that contains musical characteristics associated with psychedelic music. Developing in the late 1960s, elements included "trippy" features such as fuzz guitars, tape manipulation, backwards recording, ...
while maintaining clear
pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop!, a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Albums
* ''Pop'' ( ...
sensibilities.
According to the
sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by
Alfred Music
Alfred Music is an American music publishing company. Founded in New York in 1922, it is headquartered in Van Nuys, California, with additional branches in Miami, New York, Germany, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
History
In New York Cit ...
, it is written in the
time signature
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note va ...
of
common time
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note val ...
, with a moderate
tempo
In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...
of 85
beats per minute
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery ...
.
"Stressed Out" is composed in the
key of
A minor, while Tyler Joseph's
vocal range
Vocal range is the range of pitches that a human voice can phonate. A common application is within the context of singing, where it is used as a defining characteristic for classifying singing voices into voice types. It is also a topic of st ...
spans one octave and four
notes
Note, notes, or NOTE may refer to:
Music and entertainment
* Musical note, a pitched sound (or a symbol for a sound) in music
* ''Notes'' (album), a 1987 album by Paul Bley and Paul Motian
* ''Notes'', a common (yet unofficial) shortened versio ...
, from a low of
E3 to a high of
A4.
The song has a basic sequence of F–Dm–Am in the verses,
pre-chorus
Song structure is the arrangement of a song, and is a part of the songwriting process. It is typically sectional, which uses repeating forms in songs. Common forms include bar form, 32-bar form, verse–chorus form, ternary form, strophic form, and ...
and
outro, changes to Am–G–C–E at the refrain and follows Am–G–C
5–E during the
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
as its
chord progression
In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...
.
Opening with its drumbeat, the linear musical arrangement is structured around the
phrase
In syntax and grammar, a phrase is a group of words or singular word acting as a grammatical unit. For instance, the English expression "the very happy squirrel" is a noun phrase which contains the adjective phrase "very happy". Phrases can consi ...
, "My name is Blurryface and I care what you think."
The track is built from wobbly
synth
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
s, a
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean ...
style keyboard line and rapped vocals by Tyler Joseph.
The song is punctuated by brief bursts of
string section and synths as well as eerie,
theremin
The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone/etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named afte ...
-like sounds that underscore his vocals.
During its verses, Joseph recites deceptively simple lyrics atop the track's
earworm
An earworm, sometimes referred to as a brainworm, sticky music, stuck song syndrome, or, most commonly after earworms, Involuntary Musical Imagery (INMI), is a catchy and/or memorable piece of music or saying that continuously occupies a person ...
beat.
Joseph's rapping has him delivering
confessional
A confessional is a box, cabinet, booth, or stall in which the priest in some Christian churches sits to hear the confessions of penitents. It is the usual venue for the sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Churches, but si ...
lines in a conversational tone.
Following its refrain, the eerie melody precedes the second verse.
The musical composition has
downbeat
' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Ch ...
atmosphere, with lyrical content focusing on personal themes.
Lyrically, "Stressed Out" is about the harsh end of
adolescence
Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the ...
.
The song is an
ode
An ode (from grc, ᾠδή, ōdḗ) is a type of lyric poetry. Odes are elaborately structured poems praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally. A classic ode is structured in three majo ...
with lyrics speaking on the transition from adolescence to
adulthood
An adult is a human or other animal that has reached full growth. In human context, the term ''adult'' has meanings associated with social and legal concepts. In contrast to a " minor", a legal adult is a person who has attained the age of majo ...
and nostalgia for the innocence of
childhood
A child (plural, : children) is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers ...
.
They touch on adolescent insecurity and address
millennial
Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Gen Y, are the Western world, Western demography, demographic Cohort (statistics), cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as start ...
angst
Angst is fear or anxiety ('' anguish'' is its Latinate equivalent, and the words ''anxious'' and ''anxiety'' are of similar origin). The dictionary definition for angst is a feeling of anxiety, apprehension, or insecurity.
Etymology
The word ...
while discussing relatable life challenges.
Joseph's self-deprecating lyrics express anxiety over everything from his music to growing older.
His poignant lyrics convey a narrative illustrating young men who discover that life as an adult is plagued with issues.
Throughout the track, Joseph
personifies the parent album's titular character, "Blurryface."
He is a character within a story who represents Joseph's self-doubt and insecurities.
At the song's
pre-chorus
Song structure is the arrangement of a song, and is a part of the songwriting process. It is typically sectional, which uses repeating forms in songs. Common forms include bar form, 32-bar form, verse–chorus form, ternary form, strophic form, an ...
, he sings, "My name's 'Blurryface' and I care what you think."
Blurryfaces insecurities lies in the idea of growing up and becoming an adult.
He sings about the desire to return to "the good 'ol days" and the
tree house
A tree house, tree fort or treeshed is a platform or building constructed around, next to or among the trunk or branches of one or more mature trees while above ground level. Tree houses can be used for recreation, work space, habitation, a hang ...
s of their carefree youth.
His voice pines for a time prior to stress of reality, such as
student loan
A student loan is a type of loan designed to help students pay for post-secondary education and the associated fees, such as tuition, books and supplies, and living expenses. It may differ from other types of loans in the fact that the interest r ...
s and the pressure to get a job and find success.
During the chorus, Joseph chants, "Wish we could turn back time /to the
good old days
Good old days is a cliché in popular culture used to reference a time considered by the speaker to be better than the current era. It is a form of nostalgia which can reflect homesickness or yearning for long-gone moments.
There is a predisposi ...
/when our mom would sing us to sleep/but now we're stressed out."
The song closes with an outro where external voices suggest the need to wake up because they need to make money.
Critical reception
Jia Tolentino of ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' stated the song's chorus is as "bright as its minor key will allow". Philip Cosores and the staff of ''
Consequence
Consequence may refer to:
* Logical consequence, also known as a ''consequence relation'', or ''entailment''
* In operant conditioning, a result of some behavior
* Consequentialism, a theory in philosophy in which the morality of an act is determi ...
'' mentioned the song "resonates with listeners, as the two sing about 'the good 'ol days' before the stress of reality set in". Randy Holmes for
ABC News Radio described the track as a "multi-genre breakout hit", while Madison Desler of the ''
Orange County Register'' called it a "monster hit". Rachel Aroesti for ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' said "Stressed Out" is a "mode that is both evergreen and all the rage". Larry Fitzmaurice of ''
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
'' opined the track is "arguably the most noxious quality of Twenty One Pilots' sound—front and center". ''
The Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
'' critic George Palathingal deemed the song as "catchy", and "essentially inoffensive". ''
Tampa Bay Times
The ''Tampa Bay Times'', previously named the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It has won fourteen Pulitzer Prizes since 1964, and in 2009, won two in a single ...
'' Jay Cridlin lauded it as an "arena-shaking hit". Molly Lambert of
MTV wrote that the song "has a haunted, music-hall feeling, and a slightly embarrassing but highly effective earnestness in its longing for a romanticized, innocent past". She continued, saying it "genuinely stressed me out at first, with its herky-jerk from the verses into the chorus, but I eventually found myself constantly sing
ng t.
Critic Cole Waterman of ''Spectrum Culture'' called "Stressed Out" one of the album's best songs. The staff of ''
Loudwire'' said that while they were listening to the songs lyrics, it was "not hard to see why the song has resonated with so many music fans". Peter Sblendorio from ''
New York Daily News'' considered the song a "radio staple". Writing for ''
The Salt Lake Tribune'', Sean P. Means felt that the song is "nostalgia-tinged". Andja Curcic of ''
Renowned for Sound
''Renowned for Sound'' is an Australian online magazine
An online magazine is a magazine published on the Internet, through bulletin board systems and other forms of public computer networks. One of the first magazines to convert from a pri ...
'' commented that it "places an importance on lyrics that look at the transition from adolescence to adulthood". ''
The Oregonian
''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 18 ...
'' reviewer Troy L. Smith felt that the song hit a "radio-friendly sweet spot". ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' Chris Willman stated the "mortal concerns" of Twenty One Pilots 2018 album ''
Trench
A trench is a type of excavation or in the ground that is generally deeper than it is wide (as opposed to a wider gully, or ditch), and narrow compared with its length (as opposed to a simple hole or pit).
In geology, trenches result from ero ...
'' makes him feel "a little nostalgic", and wanted some of the "in-your-face youth angst of 'Stressed Out'". In her review for ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', Caryn Ganz called the song an "anxiety anthem" and mentioned it is known for its "sing-songy chorus". Chris Deville of ''
Stereogum'' considered it as the "probably the most linear" song the group has made, and said it still manages to merge
Sublime,
Portishead, and
ASAP Rocky
Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper, music producer and record executive. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a membe ...
.
''
Slate''s Carl Wilson criticized the song, stating the song's refrain is "menacingly flat and paranoiacally self-conscious in affect".
Retrospectively, critics have considered "Stressed Out" one of Twenty One Pilots' best songs. Jason Pettigrew of ''
Alternative Press
Alternative press may refer to:
Individual publications
* ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine
Alternative journalism
* Alternative media
** Alternative media (U.S. political left)
** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
'' called it a "diamond" and stated "Gen X boredom gives way to exasperated millennial neurosis" during the track. Bryony Symes from ''
Louder Sound
''Classic Rock'' is a British magazine and website dedicated to rock music, owned and published by Future. It was launched in October 1998 and is based in London. The magazine publishes 13 editions a year, mainly covering rock bands from the 60, ...
'' opined that "Stressed Out" is the group's best song to date and that the "kind of complex melody, with its slew of catchy hooks, that will get caught in a loop in your head, and have you humming along for hours after you’ve heard it". Writing for
Cleveland.com
''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday.
As of Ma ...
, Anne Nickoloff and Troy Smith mentioned it was "going to be a hit right from the opening beat" and that it is as "pure of a rap-rock song the band has written, but its pop sensibility is clear. Even Tyler Joseph's self-deprecating lyrics couldn't slow its momentum".
Sam Law for ''
Kerrang!
''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...
'' deemed the track is a "pop culture changing of the guard fading the disenfranchisement of Generation X into the neuroses of their millennial successors, deceptively simple lyrics". He continued, depicting it "feels judderingly relevant but also destined to live forever".
In 2018, ''
Louder Sound
''Classic Rock'' is a British magazine and website dedicated to rock music, owned and published by Future. It was launched in October 1998 and is based in London. The magazine publishes 13 editions a year, mainly covering rock bands from the 60, ...
'' ranked the song number one on their list of the 10 greatest Twenty One Pilots songs, and in 2020, ''
Kerrang
''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one-of ...
'' ranked the song number three on their list of the 20 greatest Twenty One Pilots songs.
Accolades
"Stressed Out" was nominated for
Top Rock song at both the
2016 ''Billboard'' Music Awards and
2017 ''Billboard'' Music Awards. It was nominated for
Choice Rock Song and
Choice Song: Group at the
2016 Teen Choice Awards
The 2016 Teen Choice Awards ceremony was held on July 31, 2016, at the Forum in Inglewood, California. The awards celebrate the year's achievements in music, film, television, sports, fashion, comedy, and the Internet, and were voted on by viewer ...
. The song won Alternative Rock Song of the Year at the
2016 iHeartRadio Music Awards
The 2016 iHeartRadio Music Awards was the third music award show presented by iHeartMedia's platform iHeartRadio and was televised live on TBS, TNT and truTV. The awards was held on April 3, 2016, at The Forum in Inglewood, California, and wa ...
, and was also nominated for Song of the Year at the
2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards
The 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards were held on March 5, 2017 at The Forum (Inglewood, California), The Forum in Inglewood, California, and hosted by Ryan Seacrest. The list of nominations was announced on January 3, 2017. Drake (musician), Drake re ...
. At the
59th Annual Grammy Awards
The 59th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 12, 2017. The CBS network broadcast the show live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year ...
, "Stressed Out" was nominated for
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...
and
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, winning the latter.
Release and commercial performance
"Stressed Out" was first released as a
promotional single
A promotional recording, or promo, or plug copy, is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as ...
through
Fueled by Ramen
Fueled by Ramen LLC is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by 300 Elektra Entertainment. The label, founded in Gainesville, Florida in 1996, is now based in New York City.
History
John Janick conceived of the ...
on April 28, 2015, on the
Google Play Store
Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store and formerly the Android Market, is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android operating syst ...
and
Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...
, It was later added as the second track on Twenty One Pilots' fourth studio album ''
Blurryface'' on May 17, 2015.
The song was issued to
Contemporary hit radio stations as the album's fourth official single on November 10, 2015.
"Stressed Out" became the first rock song to surpass one billion streams on
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active use ...
.
"Stressed Out" debuted at number 87 on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 on the chart dated May 16, 2015. The song later rose from number 45 to number 28 on the chart dated December 17, 2015, giving Twenty One Pilots their first top 40 hit in the United States. Although it was released in 2015, "Stressed Out" did not truly take off and gradually find widespread breakthrough success until the following year.
On the chart dated January 16, 2016, "Stressed Out" rose from number 13 to number nine, giving the group their first top-10 hit in the US. A month later, the song rose from number four and reached its peak of number two, being blocked from reaching number one by Canadian singer Justin Bieber's 2015 single "
Love Yourself
"Love Yourself" is a song recorded by Canadian singer Justin Bieber for his fourth studio album ''Purpose'' (2015). The song was released as a promotional single on November 9, 2015, and as the album's third official single on December 7, 2015. ...
". At the time, Twenty One Pilots earned three top-10 hits: "Stressed Out", "
Ride
Ride may refer to:
People
* MC Ride, a member of Death Grips
* Sally Ride (1951–2012), American astronaut
* William Ride (19262011), Australian zoologist
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Ride'' (1998 film), a 1998 comedy by Millicen ...
", and "
Heathens", joining American electronic DJ and production duo
The Chainsmokers as the only ones to have three or more top-10 hits on the Hot 100 in 2016.
It ranked at number five on the 2016 Hot 100 year-end list.
"Stressed Out" debuted at number one on the ''Billboard''
Hot Rock Songs
Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (formerly known as Rock Songs and Hot Rock Songs) is a record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine. From its debut on June 20, 2009, through October 13, 2012, the chart ranked the airplay of songs across alternat ...
chart, giving Twenty One Pilots their first number one hit on the chart. The song spent a record 23 weeks at number one on the Hot Rock Songs.
It also peaked at number one on the ''Billboard''
airplay
Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...
charts:
Adult Top 40
The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems ...
,
Rock Airplay
The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
,
and
Mainstream Top 40
Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the U ...
.
On April 30, 2021, the single was certified a diamond certification by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
(RIAA), denoting track-equivalent sales of 10,000,000 units in the US based on sales and streams.
In March 2021, years after "Stressed Out" was released, it peaked at number 182 on the
''Billboard'' Global 200.
The song peaked at number one in record charts of Russia and Mexico.
It peaked within the top five in Australia,
Austria,
the Belgium Flanders chart,
Canada,
Czech Republic,
Ecuador,
France,
Germany,
Ireland,
Israel,
the Netherlands,
New Zealand,
Portugal,
Slovakia,
and Switzerland.
According to the
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), "Stressed Out" was the tenth best-performing single of 2016, with 9.9 million units combined sales and track-equivalent streams worldwide.
Music video
Background and synopsis
Upon ''Blurryface'' release, Twenty One Pilots had been touring for a long time. When it was time to make a
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...
for "Stressed Out", the group had been feeling homesick from excessive touring. Eshleman arranged a time for the group to return to their hometown of
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, an ...
to shoot the video and finally be with their loved one. Most of the video was shot at Dun's childhood home, subsequently making it a destination for fans of Twenty One Pilots to visit. Dun said his parents have since had to cancel their
landline telephone
A landline (land line, land-line, main line, home phone, fixed-line, and wireline) is a telephone connection that uses metal wires or optical fiber telephone line for transmission, as distinguished from a mobile cellular network, which uses ...
service in order to stop calls coming in at all hours because their home number was listed in the video.
The surrealistic video retains a mixture of
existential
Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and valu ...
sequences and draws visual cues from fairy tales such as ''
Alice in Wonderland''.
They follow a theme of the desire to forever remain a child forever in his family home to taking a journey into a disorienting environment.
Twenty One Pilots released the video for "Stressed Out" on April 27, 2015,
and it was directed by Reel Bear Media.
The video depicts a bleak narrative set in a dreary suburban neighborhood.
The story begins on a partly cloudy day with Joseph pedalling down a street on a
three wheeler.
Throughout the music video, black paint can be seen on his neck and hands.
Joseph arrives at a house and goes inside. He enters a bedroom where Dun is waiting for him.
The two perform the song with a young man who lives there, and within the mind of the young man dwelling inside the house who resembles the two save their tattoos and colored hair.
At one point, the pair drink
Capri Sun
Capri Sun (, , stylized as CAPRISUN in the United States and Capri-Sun internationally) is a German brand of juice concentrate drinks owned by Capri Sun Group Holding in Germany, which is a privately held company of Hans-Peter Wild. It was in ...
s while sitting near a curb.
The scene then changes to Joseph and Dun lying in beds as members from their combined families who are dressed in black watch them sleep and all chant in unison "Wake up, you need to make money".
Reception
Writing for ''
Diffuser
Diffuser may refer to:
Aerodynamics
* Diffuser (automotive), a shaped section of a car's underbody which improves the car's aerodynamic properties
* Part of a jet engine air intake, especially when operated at supersonic speeds
* The channel bet ...
'', Michael Haskoor descried it as a "perfectly paired visual", and said it is way more "minimalist than their video for the explosive "
Tear in My Heart" and seems to fit well with the song's chorus".
Courtney E. Smith of
Radio.com
Audacy, previously known as Radio.com, is a free broadcast and Internet radio platform owned by the namesake company Audacy, Inc. (formerly known as Entercom). The Audacy platform functions as a music recommender system and is the national umbr ...
compared the visual to Scottish novelist
J. M. Barrie
Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succ ...
's 1904 play ''
Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up
''Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' or ''Peter and Wendy'', often known simply as ''Peter Pan'', is a work by J. M. Barrie, in the form of a 1904 play and a 1911 novel. Both versions tell the story of Peter Pan, a mischievous li ...
'',
while Brenna Enrlich of MTV News compared it to the works of American rock band
Blink-182
Blink-182 (stylized as blink-182) is an American rock band formed in Poway, California in 1992. Their current lineup consists of bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though their sound has ...
and stated the video is about "growing up and being an adult and whatnot. I think we can all relate to that".
Cassie Whitt from ''Alternative Press'' opined it is a "sentiment any recent entrant into adulthood can relate".
The music received a nomination for Best Music Video at the 2016
Alternative Press Music Awards
The Alternative Press Music Awards was an annual music awards show in the United States, founded by the music magazine '' Alternative Press''.
History
On April 24, 2014, '' Alternative Press'' announced they were organizing an award show to be ...
. It was also nominated for Favorite Music Video at the
2017 Kids' Choice Awards
The 30th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards was held on March 11, 2017, at the Galen Center on the University of Southern California campus in Los Angeles and was broadcast live on Nickelodeon and either live or with tape delay across all of ...
.
Live performances
"Stressed Out" has since become a fan favorite at live concert venues.
Twenty One Pilots performed "Stressed Out" on ''
Late Night with Seth Meyers'' on September 21, 2015. Twenty One Pilots performed "Stressed Out" on their 2016
Emotional Roadshow World Tour
Emotional Roadshow World Tour (stylized as EMØTIØNAL RØADSHØW WØRLD TØUR) is the fifth concert tour by the American musical duo Twenty One Pilots, in support of their album ''Blurryface''. The tour began on May 31, 2016 in Cincinnati and c ...
in Ohio; Tyler Joseph changed the lyrics of the first verse. In the changed lyrics, he talked about how he thought the song was overplayed, and the success of the song.
Twenty One Pilots performed the song during a concert at the UNSW Roundhouse in Sydney, Australia on April 20, 2016.
After opening with a performance of
Heavydirtysoul
"Heavydirtysoul" is a song by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots from their fourth studio album ''Blurryface'' (2015). It was written by vocalist Tyler Joseph, who derived some of its lyrics from a poem called "Street Poetry" which he had ...
, the duo segued into a live rendition of Stressed Out. An unmasked Tyler Joseph rested behind a piano, moving to the melodic bounce of the track.
Track listing
Personnel
Credits adapted from ''Blurryface'' liner notes.
[
* Tyler Josephvocals, piano, programming, synthesizers, keyboards
* ]Josh Dun
Joshua William Dun (born June 18, 1988) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of the musical duo Twenty One Pilots, alongside Tyler Joseph, and also contributes backing vocals and trumpet to the band's work. He has collabor ...
drums, percussion
* Mike Elizondo
Mike Elizondo (born October 22, 1972) is an American producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. A protege of Dr. Dre, Elizondo has worked with 50 Cent, Eminem, Carrie Underwood, Fiona Apple, Mastodon, Ry Cooder, Skylar Grey, Twenty ...
upright bass
The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar ...
, keyboards, programming
* Adam Hawkinsengineering
* Neal Avron
Neal Avron (born December 31, 1965) is an American record producer, mixer, audio engineer, and musician. Working predominantly in rock music, Avron began working on records in 1993 and achieved his production breakthrough when he co-produced Ev ...
mixing engineer
* Scott Skrzynskiassistant mixing engineer
* Chris Gehringer
Chris Gehringer (born May 27, 1962) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered recordings such as Gwen Stefani's '' Love. Angel. Music. Baby.'' (2004), Rihanna's '' Loud'' (2010), Lady Gaga's '' Born This Way'' (2011) and Drake' ...
mastering engineer
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
Certifications
Release history
See also
* List of best-selling singles in the United States
This is a list of best-selling singles in the United States, some of which have been certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In music, a single is a song considered commercially viable enough by the artist and record co ...
* List of Hot Rock & Alternative Songs number ones
* List of ''Billboard'' Mainstream Top 40 number-one songs of 2016
* List of most-streamed songs on Spotify
The following list contains the top 100 songs with the most streams on the audio streaming platform Spotify. As of , only two songs have reached 3 billion streams - Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" and The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights", and a total o ...
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
2015 songs
2015 singles
Monitor Latino Top General number-one singles
Number-one singles in Poland
Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Fueled by Ramen singles
Song recordings produced by Mike Elizondo
Songs written by Tyler Joseph
Twenty One Pilots songs
Alternative hip hop songs
Rap rock songs
Psychedelic pop songs
Trying to prevent adulthood in popular culture
Songs about nostalgia
Songs about childhood
Songs about fictional characters