By Wesley Adams
Twenty One Pilots: a name that anyone who was around a radio in 2016 should be familiar with, yet outside of their dedicated fanbase, few know more than the big hits like
“Heathens,” “Stressed Out,” and “Ride” (or “The Line” if you’re an Arcane fan). Maybe it’s their unfamiliar, alternative style, their themes about mental health, or their sometimes unique lyrical choices that leave them as one of those artists where you’re either a massive fan or you think they’re okay and enjoy a couple of their songs at most.
For the longest time, I was the latter, until early this year when something about them clicked with me. I found myself listening to their music just about every day. However, I expected not to get a new album from them for at least two more years (as that is their precedented pattern),
So I ended up being pleasantly surprised upon seeing the announcement of Breach, their newest album, released September 12th, 2025. Breach is an album pumped full of fan service, which makes sense as it is the conclusion to the story they’ve been telling for ten years now through their music (and cryptic online cyphers and letters), dating way back to breakout album Blurryface in 2015. That’s right, the guys who made “Stressed Out” have lore. (And it’s really interesting too, I highly recommend you watch these short, official videos to understand it. I Am Clancy I Am Torchbearer)
Now, after spending the past two weeks listening to this album countless times, here’s my totally unbiased review:
“City Walls” (10/10)
The song that ends the ten-year-long storyline. And a fantastic opening track, this is the final showdown between Clancy and Blurryface, and wow, it captures the feeling of that perfectly; it’s so sick. I especially love how, around the three-minute mark, the song takes a tone shift and becomes a lot more apprehensive and somber before ramping back up and leading into one of Tyler Joseph’s iconic screams. I’m not sure how this song would feel if I didn’t know or care about the story this band is telling, but as someone who does care, this song is phenomenal.
“RAWFEAR” (9.5/10)
This is a fun one. Like most of TØP’s discography, it’s a song where the lyrics talk about some sort of internal struggle (in this case anxiety) yet it’s presented with fun, upbeat, energetic instrumentals and production, a system they likely go back to so frequently because it simultaneously validates any negative feelings you’re having while also hopefully making you feel a bit better at the same time. I also like how he included his daughters in this one by making them scream into the mic, a cute detail in my opinion.
“Drum Show” (10/10)
This was the second single for the album, but because I’m not a big fan of singles (for spoiler reasons), I exercised my patience and avoided it until the album’s full release. Boy, was it worth the wait. One of the first things that made me become such a big fan of this band was the drums, which makes sense because Twenty One Pilots only consists of a singer (Tyler Joseph) and a drummer (Josh Dun). And as much criticism as I’ve seen towards this band, one thing I notice always gets praise is the drums. (In fact, this band is honestly the only thing keeping my own drum kit from collecting dust.) Also, anyone who likes this band loves Josh, so it’s pretty safe to say that a song about him that lets him fully shine both instrumentally and, for the first time ever, vocally, is a massive gift to the fanbase.
“Garbage” (7/10)
I really like the instrumentals and production of this track; it feels big and explosive. Also, Tyler’s vocals (both lyrically and in the background) are great. And the part of the song where the instrumentals completely fade and let Tyler get real and vulnerable for a second before everything comes back full swing is really cool. This song just happens to be one where you really need to be in the mood for it; if I’m feeling down on myself, then it’s nice (for the reasons I talked about with “RAWFEAR”), but if I’m doing good, then the lyric “I feel like garbage!” just comes off a little silly to me, so if it weren’t for the awesome instrumentals and vocals, this song would probably be a skip for me most of the time.
“The Contract” (10/10)
Chronologically, this song begins immediately where the closing track on the 2024 album Clancy ends and takes place in a paranoid psychosis which happens at the same time as the beginning of “City Walls” (which can be seen 46 seconds into that song’s music video). And something about that idea is just really cool to me. The production for this track is super different in a way that I’m a big fan of; it incorporates sounds from a lot of different genres, and also features one of the most infectious hooks from this band at the one-minute mark. They had a concept for this song and, in my opinion, executed it perfectly. (Oh, and it’s also the first single for this record, and just like ‘Drum Show,” it was more than worth the wait for me.)
“Downstairs” (10/10)
This song was originally a demo for their 2011 album Regional At Best, an album that the duo likes to pretend doesn’t exist (because it’s basically just an early version of 2013’s Vessel), but boy, am I glad they got around to finishing it. It definitely feels like a remnant from their past, yet it fits on this album effortlessly despite that. I don’t have much else to say about this song other than that, as usual, Tyler sounds amazing, the production is sick, and not much else to be said.
“Robot Voices” (8/10)
This is not a Twenty One Pilots song… but also it is. Essentially, it’s a TØP-ified version of indie band Blanket Approval’s “My Soft Spots My Robots,” where the closing verse for that song is turned into the chorus, with added lyrics and production to give it their own flair. The result is another bouncy, fun, energetic song, and honestly, probably the happiest song in this entire album. With a sound best described as Scaled and Icy meets Clancy meets… Some indie band…
Woo!
“Center Mass” (10/10)
Agh. I love this song. It starts with a warm, crackly, parlor-room-type feel and uses samples of fans from their latest tour, before quickly ripping you out of said parlor room because Tyler’s rapping now. (but don’t worry, snippets from the first few seconds will continue throughout the track). The message behind this song is undoubtedly my favorite part. “Center Mass” is about being overwhelmed and stuck in a situation you don’t want to be in, and managing to cope with that. Also, this song features my favorite bridge in the whole album. My words cannot come close to doing this song justice. Please go listen to it.
“Cottonwood” (10/10)
Nostalgia, grief, mourning, and reminiscing. This song is definitely the saddest of the bunch; it’s a tribute to Tyler’s late grandfather, whom he lost earlier this year. In it, he looks back in time (through a telescope) to his memories with his grandfather and sings to us as if he’s writing to him directly; it’s an intimate and raw act of mourning that should hit close to home for anyone who’s experienced the loss of a family member, and I say that from experience, with the cried-out line “you tore me up more than you know” repeated near the end hitting like a punch in the gut for me every time I hear it. This is another song that’s definitely best to just tuck in your back pocket and save for when you need it most.
“One Way” (5/10)
This song is not bad, far from that in fact, but it’s definitely the weakest on the album for me. I like it, it feels like driving fast with the windows down on a cloudy day, but it’s short and just doesn’t hit as hard as everything else here, and to me, mostly just feels like it serves to cheer you up after “Cottonwood,” and transitions you into “Days Lie Dormant.” Which is funny because the track ends with a voicemail from Josh where he shows hesitation towards the idea of “One Way” preceding “Days Lie Dormant.” So I’m not really sure what this song is trying to do, but it’s fun, and I’m hoping it’ll click with me better in the future. (The voicemail transition at the end does go hard, though.)
“Days Lie Dormant” (10/10)
And now, the obligatory song for Tyler’s wife, Jenna. I’m always a big fan of the songs Tyler makes for his wife; each one of them has something different to say, and they always end up being some of my favorites. This one is about him missing her while being far from home (likely on tour), and I think it’s really sweet. Also, the instrumentals are hard as hell, and the vocals go crazy too. Fire track.
“Tally” (10/10)
Woah. This one’s a banger, and I know bangers. “Tally” features some of the album’s best drumming, high-energy vocals, and my favorite hook in the album at 1:20 in (though the hook in “The Contract” is a close second). Tyler also brings back his Midwestern accent for this one, too, which is fun. He also does a cool thing near the end where he layers his vocals and does a duet of sorts with himself… I wish I had more to say about this song other than that I really like it, and I’m grateful for Josh Dun’s music taste, because if it weren’t for him, this track would’ve been cut.
“Intentions” (10/10)
Last but absolutely not least: “Intentions”. I love this song so much; it’s another one of the sad ones, as it’s an introspective commentary on the ending to the story they’ve been telling for ten years now, laid over a reversed instrumental for Vessel’s closer “Truce.” From someone who’s into the lore, this song is really special, but even outside of the lore, it strikes a really personal chord for me. This song is the perfect closer for this record, and my only complaint is that I wish it were longer.
Overall score: (9.5/10) Please go listen to this album, please give Twenty One Pilots a chance, please check out their other stuff, and if you find yourself liking them, please talk to me. I’ve been dying to meet someone else who’s also into this band.
