Artist of the Week: Twenty One Pilots
Across the country, Americans are practicing social distancing in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. In states like California, people have been sheltering-in-place for over a month now. As this unprecedented, heartbreaking and unusual experience continues, many of us are still trying to make sense of it all. Different forms of art—like music—can bring some comfort or, at the very least, put words and melodies to what we’re going through.
With this in mind, the pop rock band Twenty One Pilots released a new single today, titled “Level of Concern.” The song encourages hope and resilience during difficult times, specifically during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Its lyrics capture the anxiety that we’re all feeling, with verses like: Panic on the brain, world has gone insane / Things are starting to get heavy / I can’t help but think I haven’t felt this way / Since I asked you to go steady / Wondering, would you be my little quarantine?
The song arrives after the band’s frontman Tyler Joseph teased new material earlier this week by writing on Twitter: “Always writing, but this one feels like it should just come out now.”
But the song is more than just reassuring—it’s also incredibly fun. With a funky backing track and a couple smooth guitar interludes scattered throughout, “Level of Concern” is a danceable yet sort of sad bop. It’s just what we all need to get through these turbulent times!
Earlier this week, the band has also confirmed via Twitter that a portion of the song’s profits will go to Crew Nation, a charity that provides funding for live music industry workers who lost their jobs due to coronavirus.
Over here at iHeartRadio, we will be world premiering “Level of Concern” all day today—so you can’t miss it! Stay safe, stay inside and maybe have a little dance party in your living room to this new, fun and relevant track.
