Since their debut on June of 2011, the popularity of the seemingly genreless, two-man band known as Twenty One Pilots has grown to incredible heights. What is even more impressive, however, is that they have grown so popular through the use of music that focuses on ever-present emotional issues, including anxiety and depression, rather than such cultural taboo topics as drugs, sex and violence. Their most recent album, "Blurryface," is no different, selling more than 592,000 copies since its release in May 2015 and becoming a prime focal point for their current tour entitled "Emøtiønal Røadshøw," in which they perform songs including "Ride" and "Stressed Out" (both of which have reached number one on the Billboard Alternative and Pop Songs charts, respectively.) Yet while the title of the album may just seem like a clever name, its true meaning goes much deeper due to one solidified fact: Blurryface is an actual being.
Lead singer Tyler Joseph clarified the identity of Blurryface during an interview with MTV News on April 28, 2015, stating, “It’s a guy that kind of represents all the things that I as an individual...am insecure about.” Yet Tyler does not stop at this lyrical representation, taking this one step further during his performances. Instead of merely describing the character in his songs, he goes as far to portray him through the use of black paint on his neck and hands in his music videos and onstage. According to Joseph, this is used as a way of expressing how these insecurities can cause him a "feeling of suffocation," as well as affect how he looks at the music that he will "create with [his] hands." By providing a face to this Jekyll and Hyde-esque being, he shows how Blurryface takes on a form that appears normal to the outside world, yet hides incredible distress inside the mind. Although this may seem like just a personal issue, Tyler Joseph acknowledges how this can be a dilemma for a multitude of people. In his full, unabridged quote, he does not limit the problem to strictly himself: “It’s a guy that kind of represents all the things that I as an individual — but also everyone around me — am insecure about."
Unfortunately, many people are plagued by some form of a Blurryface persona that whispers terrible lies into their ears and discourages any sense of serenity. These mental words of malevolence may attack a person's anxiety, depression, low self-esteem or some combination of the three, yet they all lead to a mind overflowing with damaged thoughts while the body isolates itself from the world. And the worst part? That same body does everything in its power to assure everyone that may worry that it's all okay. I've struggled with my own personal Blurryface for several years, who appears at the same moments every time. Whenever I may want to chat with or text a friend, he turns me around and states, "Don't bother that person. They're probably busy and you'll just annoy them." Whenever I find a girl attractive and wonder if I should try talking with her, he laughs and explains, "What would a girl as amazing as her see in a guy like you? You're not attractive enough, so save yourself the rejection."
Lastly, and probably the most horrible for anybody to go through, whenever I am plagued by an emotional problem and need someone to open up or vent to, Blurryface looks me dead in the eyes and says those four words no one should ever hear: "Your problems don't matter."
During a section of the album's closing song, "Goner," Tyler Joseph sings the following cry for help:
"I've got two faces. Blurry's the one I'm not. I need your help to take him out."
From the face that is writing this article and who is slowly fighting back, I just have three things to say: You matter, you are amazing in every form of the word and you are not alone. Do not let Blurryface win the battle in your mind, because he can be vanquished with the help of others. If you feel that terrible demon breathing down the back of your neck, don't hesitate to find those whom you trust with all your body to remind you that he will not win. And as you feel him creeping away in agony, find others with their own Blurryface or even Blurryfaces to whom you can assist. Tell these people that they do not need to be afraid of bothering anyone because you will always be there. Reassure them that they are beautiful, intelligent, fantastic, amazing and any other adjective that comes to mind. Most importantly, no matter how your friend may feel about their difficulties, look them in the eyes with all the kindness in your heart and tell them those four words everyone should hear: "You matter to me."
