TWENTY ONE PILOTS - NEXT SEMESTER
Kenzie Gay - @kenzwrites
In the last twenty years, fictional songwriting has really taken off in the mainstream game. With artists such as Wolfmother, Hozier, and so many others formulating their song lyrics around fabricated tales and literature, it only has me wondering why more people don’t do the same.
Song writing is and always has been a form of storytelling, so why not give it more lore?
An artist in particular that truly has taken fictional song writing for what it is is none other than Twenty One Pilots, the iconic alternative duo from Ohio. They’ve managed to create an entire background universe that coincides with not just a few songs, but three of their albums (and potenitally their first two according to avid fans and Reddit-ers) that’s lined with movie-worthy subplots and decadent production. Their albums Blurryface (2015), Trench (2018), and Scaled and Icy (2021) all tell one long and legendary story best explained by frontman Tyler Joseph himself in the video below.
Now, in 2024, the duo is starting a new chapter with their upcoming album Clancy that releases on May 17th. Before the ultimate album to come, Twenty One Pilots has put out two singles and its most recent is titled Next Semester: a song that goes all the way back to basics.
Next Semester is a blast from the past, specifically Blurryface and even their self titled eras. Produced by Joseph himself, it is a garage rock band song in the purest sense that pulsates with angst in an almost teenage way.
“I don’t wanna be here. I don’t wanna be here. It’s a taste test of what I hate less. Can you die of anxiousness? I don’t wanna be here. I don’t wanna be here. What’s about to happen? What’s about to happen?” Is sung in the first verse and personally, this might be the perfect way to sum up my highschool experience (which wasn’t exactly great).
Like I said earlier, Next Semester oozes a childish sense of worry and the battles that come with school and mental illnesses. It’s a fast-paced hysteria of the struggle to find consistent joy in life while still being stuck in an endless loop of homework, relationships, puberty, and general confusion about one’s rightful place.
Many have specualted that Joseph included personal elements of his experience with depression and anxiety, perhaps hinting at something as heartbreaking as an attempt to take his own life. This theory could have some weight to it especially because of the words found in the chorus:
“I remember, I remember certain things. What I was wearin’, the yellow dashes in the street. I prayed those lights would take me home then I heard ‘hey, kid! Get out of the road!’”.
My favorite line, however, would be just one short but powerful sentence in the song’s refrain where it states
“Can’t change what you’ve done. Start fresh Next Semester.” Alluding to the fact that all things must pass and all we can do is keep going forward without clinging onto our past and its burdens.
Moving on from the song’s meaning and lyrical content, I couldn’t just disregard the kick ass instrumentals of Next Semester. Especially considering the fact that Mr. Josh Dun is in my top ten drummers (residing at a suitable number 8, if you must know). Dun’s presence in this song is loud and drives the song through its ups and downs, emphasizing the whole garage rock band aura. I’ve always admired how his ability and ingenuity on the kit allows Twenty One Pilots to have a drum-centered sound, something you hardly see in such popular music today.
In fact, I don’t think we’ve really heard it since the prime of Rush in the 1980s.
Next Semester is a mere crumb of Clancy and I think with this single and it’s predecessor, Overcompensate (another banger as well), this could very well be their best album.
After the release of Next Semester, fans are hopeful for at least one or two more singles but that’s up in the air. What we do know is that Clancy will become ours on May 17th and its coorelating tour, The Clancy World Tour, kicks off in Denver on August 15th at the esteemed Ball Arena. The duo will travel to cities such as Raleigh, Baltimore, Detroit (I would love a review ticket, guys!), Nashville, Prague, Sydney, and so many more with supporting acts to be announced.
Click here to visit the official Twenty One Pilots website for tickets, merch, and more.
