Famous alternative music duo Twenty One Pilots, composed of lead singer Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun, released their eighth studio album, Breach, on September 12, 2025. The album was released only a little over a year from their previous release, Clancy, which is a major change from their usual three-year album cycles. Breach is the final album in the band’s lore saga, which started with their fourth studio album Blurryface back in 2015. You don’t need to know the lore to listen to the album, but it helps contextualize the themes and emotional core of many songs.
The album begins with the powerful opening track “City Walls,” which serves as an introduction to the rock sound that will be heard on the album. The track smoothly transitions between fast rap verses to an upbeat pop-sounding chorus. I especially like the second half of the song, with a slower and more somber bridge that leads up to a triumphant and grandiose final verse. The next track, “RAWFEAR” is much slower in comparison. It has a great flow through the verses and the chorus, and the transition between the two is very smooth. The lyrics talk about the realities of life, saying, “Learnin’ all that really matters is a slow and painful lesson…It is not pass or fail, but a poisonous progression.”
The two singles, which were released as standalone songs before the album’s release, are “The Contract” and “Drum Show.” The former song is kind of a throwback to the band’s earlier sound, with strong use of autotune and electronic effects throughout. “Drum Show” is the heaviest sounding track on the album, and sure to its name, the song has a lot of great drum solos. The lyrics serve as a metaphor for desiring more in life and feeling stuck, with a slower bridge saying, “I’ve been this way… I want to change.” The track “Downstairs” is even more of a throwback to older sounds, as the song was written as a demo around 2011. It talks about the “downstairs” being where Tyler hides his beliefs from the world, with strong Christian themes. “Center Mass” and “Tally” are two of my favorite songs from the album. “Center Mass” is the most vulnerable on the album lyrically, talking about Tyler’s struggles in his past and how it changed him. “Tally” is very upbeat and has really nice sounding electronic instrumentals. In my opinion, it has the best vocals of the album.
There are some tracks on the album that currently don’t fully stick the landing for me. The track “Garbage” has some nice lyrics, but the sound feels kind of generic to me and off-putting. “Days Lie Dormant” has a nice message, but I’m not a fan of how the song progresses. “Robot Voices” has some creative instrumental ideas, but the meaning of the song is kind of confusing. I could see these songs growing on me in the future, however.
The album closer is “Intentions,” a short but emotionally powerful track. The track talks about how we often relapse and fail while trying to break bad habits, but “intentions are everything,” and just the desire to keep trying and never give up keeps us going. Failure to better ourselves isn’t something we should beat ourselves up over or a flaw in ourselves; it will inevitably happen, and we just have to get back up and try again.
Overall, the album is one of Twenty One Pilots’ best, with some of their most impactful and powerful tracks, and well-made production. I think I need more time to decide whether it is my favorite album from them, but right now, it is my favorite album from this year.
Senior Nicholas Carpenter is the Opinions Editor. His email is ncarpent@fandm.edu.