The Singles Jukebox

Do you remember modern rock radio?

[Video]
[3.80]Crystal Leww: I feel like it’s a little too early for the Fueled by Ramen generation to be nostalgic. I am technically part of the same age bracket, I think. I do not miss the good old days when my parents got pissed at me for missing curfew.
[2]

Brad Shoup: The way Tyler Joseph dines on “the good old days” is so offensive to me. I can’t believe this thumbsucking Kid Cudi tribute is on the radio.
[1]

Andy Hutchins: The song is about the loaded-but-totally-not-pandering-to-millennials’-timelines question of “treehouse homes or student loans?” but I watch the video and all I can think is “I can ride my triiike with both handlebars.”
[3]

Thomas Inskeep: Remember what great “rappers” the guys in Cake and Bloodhound Gang were? Well, Twenty One Pilots seem to, because their dream of the (white, alt) ’90s is still alive. I hated this sound then, and hate it even more as would-be nostalgia now. Early contender for worst single of the year. Any year.
[0]

Katherine St Asaph: Every generation gets whichever of Gorillaz or Crazy Town they deserve. Every generation of me, slapping down scores, knows they shouldn’t overrate them.
[7]

Jonathan Bogart: Immensely likable without having a single positive attribute: perfect radio fodder in the post-Imagine Dragons era. I was going to predict that it would be a massive hit, then I looked it up and it already is. That’s what I get for not having a radio.
[5]

Micha Cavaseno: Still not sure about this band, as me and rap rock have long since left common ground the more the hooks get slicker and slicker, and the weird accents Tyler utilizes has me cocking that “You get to use that?” eyebrow instilled in my heart. For what its worth, Twenty One Pilots are very good at making their electronic-rock mush still utilize a lot of clever production tricks like that odd kick-drum rush or the sudden stabby mixing. Between their attempts at depth in sound and mind, they do try, and you have to give ’em some credit.
[4]

Alfred Soto: Imagine Brandon Flowers rapping a middle school libretto.
[5]

Iain Mew: I heard this on the radio a lot on my recent US trip, and its spooky UFO riff and alien refrain of “my name’s Blurryface and I care what you think” was one of the weirder and cooler sounds on offer. The verses make clear it’s not just just meant to sound odd, though, but to be a sentiment of the cruel adult world, as contrasted to the great childhood world where apparently no one had to worry about money or about caring what people think. Not so universal! The moment when Tyler Joseph goes super specific on experiences of only him and his brother before switching to a generalisation about choices “we all” would take is an even better illustration of the lyrical mess. So, sounds great, but I still can’t straightforwardly get with it.
[6]

Patrick St. Michel: Childhood nostalgia is never as rosy as people think it was, and wishing to retreat to imaginary tree houses and lullabies isn’t usually a particularly interesting desire. “Stressed Out” finds Twenty One Pilots spending a lot of time reflecting on the “good ol’ days,” which basically amounts to “I don’t want responsibilities.” The real interesting wrinkle comes from when they touch on the present — despite the title, this sounds way more burned out than anything else, to the point he just admits he does care about what people think of him. This captures modern stress well — not angry or angsty, just exhausted.
[5]