In the summer of 2018, alternative band Twenty One Pilots arrives back on the scene after a one-year hiatus with new music that addresses mental health in a creative way.
It doesn’t matter if you are a part of the avid fan base the Skeleton Clique or not, you have heard Twenty One Pilots on the radio with songs like Stressed Out or Ride. The band, consisting of Josh Dun and Tyler Joseph, took a year long hiatus during which they posted nothing on social media. This left fans bombarding Josh’s brother and Tyler’s wife with many comments on their social medias asking where they were until they dropped new music in the summer of 2018.
During the hiatus, Josh and Tyler began sending cryptic messages involving “Dema.” On July 9th, a new age of their music was officially born with a mysterious video of an eye showing a glimpse of the upcoming music video. Each day, the eye would open a little bit more until it eventually revealed the new symbol for the band as well as the color for the era.
At the Alternative Press Music Awards (APMA), Josh had said, “Tyler wishes he could be here, but he’s actually severing ties with Dema,” according to the Alternative Press. This begs the question: what is Dema?
In a way that is true to Tyler himself, I am going to correct myself. The question should be “Where is Dema?” Through music, Twenty One Pilots have created a dystopian universe. This dystopian place, Dema, is theorized to be a personification of Joseph’s insecurities. The main evil in this storyline is a bishop named Nico. Many Twenty One Pilots fans have been linking this bishop to a character from the band’s last era, Blurryface.
This theory is not a stretch, as we are seeing many connections to past albums as this era progresses. The Pop Song Professor explains some of these connections on his YouTube channel. For example, “Jumpsuit” – a song from the album Trench – can be linked to “Heavydirtysoul” from the album Blurryface by their music videos: a car that played a huge role in the “Heavydirtysoul” video makes a significant reappearance in the “Jumpsuit” video. The latest single from Trench, “Levitate” references the car radio from the song of the same name on Vessel.
The band also seems to be paying homage to its fans by inserting us into the universe of their creation. We have been dubbed Banditos and adorned in yellow as we assist Josh in saving Tyler from Dema and the Bishops.
Twenty One Pilots’ new music begs us to think and to keep our minds open as we keep listening. The new album, Trench, will be released October 5, 2018. The band will hit the road for the Banditio Tour starting October 16.