twenty one pilots’ genre-blending style—alt-rock, reggae, electronic music, rap—gave them one of the most distinctive commercial sounds of the 2010s and ’20s. Formed in Columbus, Ohio, by Tyler Joseph, Nick Thomas, and Chris Salih, the band took its name from All My Sons, a play in which a contractor’s deadly error costs the lives of 21 pilots. After self-releasing two albums, they joined Warner Music Group in 2012, becoming a duo with Joseph and drummer Josh Dun. The duo are known for their minimal blend of keyboards, driving drums, and playful, self-probing lyrics. Their success took off with the Grammy-winning single “Stressed Out.” In 2018, they released Trench, which featured the singles “Chlorine” and “Jumpsuit” and was co-written with MUTEMATH’s Paul Meany. While 2021’s Scaled and Icy referenced the challenges of pandemic isolation, it ironically yielded the upbeat “Saturday.” In 2024, Clancy revisited the storyline of Trench, and showcasing the band’s versatility across pop punk (“Next Semester”), ballads (“The Craving (Jenna’s version)”), and cinematic rock (“Routines in the Night”).