Teens React to Twenty One Pilots

♪ (punk rock music) ♪

♪ (Twenty One Pilots, "Stressed Out") ♪

- 'Eah!

- Yeeees!

- Oh, this is Twenty One Pilots.

- ♪ ...ever heard ♪

♪ I wish I had a better voice ♪
- I don't think I've heard this.

- ♪ I was told when I get older
all my fears would shrink ♪

♪ But now I'm insecure
and I care what people think ♪

- (singing along) ♪ My name's Blurryface ♪

♪ And I care what you think ♪

- ♪ Wish we could turn back time ♪
- Twenty One Pilots?

Is this Twenty One Pilots?

- ♪ To the good ol' days ♪

♪ When our mama sang... ♪

- I don't know a lot about these guys,

but I know they're really popular.

- ♪ Wish we could turn back time ♪

- It's like two guys, right?

Like, one plays the drums
and the other one raps?

- (singing along) ♪ When
our mama sang us to sleep ♪

♪ But now we're stressed out ♪

- ♪ My name's Blurryface ♪

- I want one of those
tricycle things so badly.

- ♪ We used to play pretend,
give each other different names ♪

♪ We would build a rocket ship
and then we'd fly it far away ♪

- (singing along) ♪ Used
to dream of outer space ♪

♪ But now they're laughing at our face ♪

♪ Saying, "Wake up,
you need to make money" ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

- ♪ Wish we could turn back time ♪
- Oh, what's this?

Oh, so it's like their family.

- ♪ When our mama sang us to sleep ♪

- It's a really sad song, honestly.
But it's also very catchy.

- ♪ To the good ol' days ♪

- This is so true though.
I hate growing up so much.

And I mean, I'm not even that old.

- ♪ We're stressed out ♪

- ♪ Used to play pretend,
used to play pretend, bunny ♪

- The eyes-- what?

- ♪ ...other different names ♪

♪ We would build a rocket ship ♪
- Oh my god, that's so creepy.

- ♪ Used to dream of outer space ♪

♪ But now they're laughing
at our face, saying ♪

- (singing along) ♪ "Wake up,
you need to make money" ♪

♪ Yo ♪

(song ends)
- That's a good song.

- I love this song.

This has to be one of my favorites
that I've heard on the radio.

- I've seen it everywhere,
like, been playing.

When I'm in my friends' cars,

the aux goes in and this song is playing.

♪ (solemn music) ♪

- Yes, I love this song.

- Is this... "Car Radio"?

- ♪ I ponder of something great ♪

♪ My lungs will fill and then deflate ♪

♪ They fill with fire ♪
- Sound different.

- Is this the same guy
who was singing before?

- (singing along)
♪ I have these thoughts ♪

♪ So often I ought to replace that slot ♪

♪ With what I once bought ♪

- (singing along) ♪ 'Cause
somebody stole my car radio ♪

♪ And now I just sit in silence ♪

- All of their lyrics,
I feel like, hit so hard.

- ♪ I ponder of something terrifying ♪
- He's shaving his head?

- They're so angsty!

- That's always a thing
that I've wanted to do.

But then I looked
in the mirror and been like,

"Oh, I'm not gonna look good bald."
So I can't be that angsty.

♪ (calm synthesizer interlude) ♪
- ♪ Oooh ♪

- I like this.

- ♪ Oooh ♪

♪ Oooh ♪

- Oh, [bleep]. That's lit.

- Oh, that looks lit. I want to go
to one of their concerts.

- I love when Tyler dances,
'cause it's beautiful.

- ♪ Oooh ♪
- It's so cool.

- ♪ Oooh ♪
- ♪ And now I just sit! ♪

- ♪ Oooh ♪
- ♪ And now I just sit in silence! ♪

-♪ Oooh ♪
-♪ And now I just sit in silence! ♪

- ♪ Oooh ♪

- Ooh, it just looks so fun.
I wanna be there.

- ♪ AND NOW I JUST SIT ♪
- He's, like, possessed. That's crazy.

♪ (music continues) ♪

- ♪ I ponder of something great ♪

- They just, like, trickle in so many
different areas of music.

- ♪ I know it's dire ♪
- He looks so hurt,

like a lost little puppy.

- ♪ So often I ought
to replace that slot ♪

♪ With what I once bought ♪

♪ 'Cause somebody stole my car radio ♪

- It's like a whole
roller coaster of emotions

going on right now,
and I don't know what to do.

- This is my band. Like,
some people have Justin Bieber.

And I'm just like,
"Guys, Twenty One Pilots."

♪ (punk rock music) ♪

- (Finebros) All right, so these videos

were by the two-man group
Twenty One Pilots.

Are you familiar with them?
- I'm not.

- Mildly.

I haven't really gotten
into their stuff yet.

- I've heard a few of their songs.

But I'm not really, really into 'em.

- I've definitely heard of them.

As far as I know,
they've gotten pretty big.

- They're everywhere.

Like, it's impossible
to not hear them on the radio.

- (Finebros) So the first
video we showed you

was their biggest hit
so far, "Stressed Out."

What do you think of the song?
- I think it's catchy.

- It's kinda catchy.
Like, I see why that blew up.

- Little angsty for my taste,
but it has a nice beat.

- They were trying to send
a message that society's saying

it's all about the money
and you gotta work, work, work.

- Now, when everyone's older and stuff,

everything's really stressful,
and now he wishes

that you could go back
to when you were five years old

and no one really cares.

- I was really happy
that they got famous for it.

But honestly, now I sort of hate the song.

Like, it's still good,
but it's overplayed.

- I loved the song.

And it's not that it's too mainstream.

But it's just so overplayed at this point

that I love it with a passion,

but that one song cannot
be played every five seconds.

- (Finebros) Then the second
one that we showed you

was their older popular song, "Car Radio."

What did you think about that song?
- That one was weird.

- That was so dark.

Nothing about it I liked.

- I love "Car Radio."

If you really listen to it,
it's really deep.

- That song had to do more
with emotional or mental health.

So maybe it's about anxiety
or something like that.

- You are left alone in silence
and left with your own thoughts,

so that's when all of the
bad thoughts often come.

Battling your own demons sort of.

- (Finebros) So the song "Stressed Out"

peaked at number two
on the Billboard Hot 100.

So that puts them up there with artists

like Justin Bieber, Rihanna,
and One Direction.

Is it common for a band like this
to be as popular as pop music?

- It's not common at all,

but I think that's
what makes them special.

- It's hard to categorize
this band specifically

because they're kind of their own genre.

- It's just so different

and not what you would
expect to be mainstream.

- So many of their songs are about

how they'll never be played
on the radio and stuff,

and it's fascinating to see
how many people can relate

with this demographic
of people that don't fit in

with the mainstream culture
of Top 40 Justin Bieber.

And these people are kinda Top 40 now.

- (Finebros) So what is it about them
that makes them stand out

to be enjoyed even by the masses?
- I think it's actually

probably the fact that
they aren't the masses.

They're so unique that,
I think, it appeals to everyone.

- They're so relatable, and they
don't look like the type of band

that would spend thousands
and thousands of dollars

to make this amazing music video.

They're like, "We're gonna
use what we have."

- They would be making music
even if musicians made zero money.

And you have to appreciate that,
no matter what it is.

- When a lot of people
think of rap, they think,

"Oh, they're just talking about
getting money and all this."

But these guys are telling a story.

If you can't relate to getting money

and going to parties and getting drunk,

then you can relate
to being in your thoughts

because you don't have music to listen to.

- (Finebros) And they also
have a specific logo

we're going to show you.
- Okay.

- (Finebros) What do you think it means?
- I have no idea.

- This is a thing that I feel like
I should know the answer to,

but I never knew.

- This is some hieroglyphics
type shit right here.

- I was gonna think their logo
would be a plane or something,

'cause "Pilots."

- This red line is to show

how they're veering away from the crowd,

because they're different and unique.

- I think it honestly has
to do a lot with the whole

"set your own path and
don't follow everyone else's

that they're telling you to."

- (Finebros) Well, when asked, they said,

"When someone asks me
what the logo means to me,

the logo means something to me

because I made it mean
something to me. That's the point."

- That's so cool!

- (Finebros) "The point is
that I created something

that only I understand.

And whether or not I decide
to disclose the meaning of it,

that's the beginning of purpose for me."

What do you think about that?
- This is why I love him.

He always thinks so deeply,

and he makes you have your own thoughts.

- Queen did the same thing
with "Bohemian Rhapsody."

They're like, "We have
our own interpretation of it.

Make your own."

- This is some serious shit, man.

He doesn't want to even
tell you what it's about.

So maybe he's trying to say,
"Have your own perception about it."

- (Finebros) In their music,
they often criticize

other mainstream pop music
for having lyrics that mean nothing,

while they strive to create music

that makes their audience think.

What do you think about that,

compared to other popular music of today?

- I think it's really cool
that they do that,

'cause I know so many
artists that even I like--

I'll listen to their songs.

And of course,
I like it 'cause it's catchy.

But obviously, I don't know
what they're talking about.

- Talking about real-life problems.

They're much deeper than just saying

that you should love yourself.

- I think it's good
to have this type of music.

But at the same time,
I don't think there's anything wrong

with wanting to go dumb for a little bit.

- You can tell with their lyrics

they take a lot of time and effort,

and they actually put
their full emotion into it.

But then I feel like at the same time,

you can't exactly criticize pop music,

just because not all music
exactly has to have a meaning.

- I have specific friends who,
when I listen to a song,

they're like, "What is this trash?
What is he talking about?"

And I'm like, "Dude, sometimes
you just want to listen to a song

just to chill out.

I'm not trying to decipher
life at this moment."

- (Finebros) So back
to the guys themselves.

They're known for being unique

and being very eclectic with their music

and even basing their lyrics off of poems

written by both of the members.
- Oh, that's cool.

- (Finebros) Many have a hard time

placing this band into a specific genre.

So we're going to end the episode

asking all of you that question.

What genre of music
do you consider Twenty One Pilots?

- Based off of those songs,
it kinda sounds like alternative.

- Alternative.

- Alternative, rap, indie pop.

- Hip hop and punk. Hip punk.

- Pop punk.

That's my final answer. I'm buzzing in.

- Rap actually stands
for "rhythm and poetry."

And they base it off poems,
so I'll put 'em in rap.

- Can they be their own genre?

You know what? Twenty
One Pilots is now a genre.

I just made it official.

- The definitive no-fault
answer to the genre

of what Twenty One Pilots is
is electronic pop punk grunge trash

screamo metal beautiful everything genius.

- Thanks for watching
this episode of Teens React.

- Like what you saw?
Hit that Subscribe button.

- Thanks for watching. Bye!

- Skeleton clique assemble!

♪ (pop punk music) ♪