Back in 2015, Twenty One Pilots had an unprecedented grip on the music industry. Their hit album “Blurryface” topped charts. The song Ride even peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for rock.

This is why fans were surprised to hear that they had taken a one year hiatus to continue making music. Currently however, they are back and better than ever. Since then they have released 3 albums, and plan to release their eighth on May 24.

Their one year break was not a vacation but rather a purposeful pause. Tyler Joseph and Josh Dunn returned in April of 2018, but in an unexpected way.

Fans noticed that there was a strange URL playing at the end of a GIF on their store website, which led to a file with five images, one of which was a letter. The letter was written from the perspective of a character named Clancy, and it detailed his life in the (nonexistent) post-apocalyptic city of Dema, where nine bishops rule over its different districts. The universe the two created is referred to as “Trench,” also the name of their 5th album.

In an interview with Rob Forbes, Joseph speaks about the experience behind crafting the universe of Trench, as it’s a deeper dive into what was established in their previous album: “The last record was about a guy named Blurryface,” He says, “and I realized that the more you learn about those things that you’re insecure about… the more power that you have over them to try and defeat them, and Nico is a direct representation of Blurryface… It’s me learning more about him, and where he’s from, and what his name is, and how he controls me.”

Feb, 29th was when the Grammy-winning duo announced their album “Clancy.” A few hours after, Twenty One Pilots released the album’s lead single “Overcompensate.”

After a nearly two-minute synth intro that builds over a racing beat, the song sees singer Tyler Joseph return to his signature rap-inspired delivery. The production and echoing vocals feel reminiscent of some of their previous albums, BlurryFace or Trench. Two other singles called “Next Semester” and “Backslide” have also been released. (Osborn)

The album was originally supposed to be released on May 17th, but was pushed back to May 24. Joseph claims this is because each one of the thirteen tracks will be accompanied by a music video. “It’s because I love these songs,” Says Joseph in a video he uploaded to instagram, “and I believe in them enough to pretend to sing in front of a camera to each one. And that’s what we’re gonna do, because that’s how I want to present this album.”

Along with the release of Clancy’s second single: “Next Semester”, the band announced that they will be doing their biggest tour to date: The Clancy Tour. The trek will start in the USA, kicking off in Denver on Aug. 15.

The band will be performing at the Chicago United Center October 1st and 2nd. They will also be touring at the Fiserv Forum.

“Yeah, I really like twenty one pilots,” says MCHS student Kyleigh Witt, “The themes in their music are important. They let people know that they’re not alone with the stuff they’re going through. And it’s not just something stupid. There’s always a meaning behind their songs.”

Since experiencing extreme success, Twenty One Pilots has had ups and downs. And yet since their rise to fame in 2015, they have only grown and are likely to continue to grow their audience. Fans wait anxiously for May 24th in hopes to get some closure on the trench universe, along with what is for many, their childhood.