Single Review: twenty one pilots – Level of Concern
Print Music Editor Bridie Adams reviews twenty one pilots’ latest single.
‘Level of Concern’ is twenty one pilots’ first single in nearly two years, following their previous album Trench. Interestingly, lead singer Tyler Joseph has revealed that the duo created the single as an upbeat distraction from coronavirus and its impacts. He told Sirius XM’s The Morning Mashup: “my mom made a comment to me in passing as all the news was breaking about the virus, and she just said, ‘Man, I could really use an upbeat song to distract me from all this.’ And I guess that speaks to the danceability of the track.” It’s certainly a feel-good song, a vibe that we may not always associate with twenty one pilots, with them having previously been branded ‘emo’ and having had a darker sound and lyrics in earlier work. What makes the track feel even better is the fact that proceeds are donated to Crew Nation, a charity helping those who are struggling to find work in the music industry given the current situation with coronavirus.
‘Level of Concern’ is an easy track to listen to, to dance to, to sing to
The single maintains some of the classic elements twenty one pilots fans expect – a catchy beat from drummer Josh Dun and a memorable chorus that’s easy to sing along to. It’s easy to imagine this song getting a lot of hype when the duo play it live. However, it’s also fresh and different enough from the band’s other work to keep fans interested and excited for what else twenty one pilots will bring out. ‘Level of Concern’ is an easy track to listen to, to dance to, to sing to, and those are some of the best possible distractions out there.
