Twenty One Pilots (album)
Twenty One Pilots is the debut studio album by American band Twenty One Pilots, released independently on December 29, 2009. The album sold 115,000 copies[1] and peaked at number 139 on the U.S. Billboard 200 on January 13, 2017.[2]
| Twenty One Pilots | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 29, 2009 | |||
| Recorded | 2009 | |||
| Studio | Tyler Joseph's home studio, Columbus, Ohio | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 62:08 | |||
| Label | Self-released | |||
| Producer | Tyler Joseph | |||
| Twenty One Pilots chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background and production
Sometime after the release of the record, it was revealed that the album was conceptualized and recorded within the homemade recording studio in the basement of the house that Tyler Joseph, Nick Thomas, Chris Salih, and Thomas's brother were staying in at the time. Additionally, while input was provided from the other members of the band, the lyrics were mainly written by Joseph.[3]
The album cover art was designed by John Rettstatt, a friend of Joseph.[4]
Reception
Despite ranking as the lowest of the band's albums in a list for Kerrang!, Emily Carter considered that "the quality of the songwriting here is already superb", praising Joseph's lyrics, and concluded that "these aren't chart-topping bangers, sure, but the impact of these songs cannot be understated".[5] Maria Sherman of Fuse praised Joseph's "speak-singing" and the "beautiful piano arrangements" on the album, though criticized his enunciation while rapping.[6] Alternative Press described "Addict with a Pen" as "slow, spare, and nakedly honest" and "the best representation of what initially drew fans to the band".[7]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Tyler Joseph
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Implicit Demand for Proof" | 4:52 |
| 2. | "Fall Away" | 3:02 |
| 3. | "The Pantaloon" | 3:34 |
| 4. | "Addict with a Pen" | 4:47 |
| 5. | "Friend, Please" | 4:13 |
| 6. | "March to the Sea" | 5:32 |
| 7. | "Johnny Boy" | 4:39 |
| 8. | "Oh, Ms. Believer" | 3:37 |
| 9. | "Air Catcher" | 4:13 |
| 10. | "Trapdoor" | 4:37 |
| 11. | "A Car, a Torch, a Death" | 4:34 |
| 12. | "Taxi Cab" | 4:46 |
| 13. | "Before You Start Your Day" | 3:53 |
| 14. | "Isle of Flightless Birds" | 5:46 |
| Total length: | 62:08[8] | |
Personnel
- Tyler Joseph – vocals, organs, piano, keyboards, programming, synthesizers, production (all tracks)
- Nick Thomas – guitars, bass, synth bass, programming (all tracks), backing vocals (tracks 9 and 10)
- Chris Salih – drums, percussion, (not recorded on the album) backing vocals (tracks 9 and 10)
Charts
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[2] | 139 |
References
- Caulfield, Keith (July 29, 2016). "Billboard 200 Chart Moves: Twenty One Pilots' 'Blurryface' Surpasses 1 Million U.S. Sales". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 30, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
- "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
- "Founding Twenty One Pilots member Chris Salih opens up about band". altpress.com. August 24, 2017. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
- "John Rettstatt on Instagram: "Hello friends! I recently took a brief break from posting to social media and it has been relaxing to detach myself a bit. That being said…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
- Carter, Emily (August 7, 2020). "twenty one pilots: Every album ranked from worst to best". Kerrang!. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
- Sherman, Maria (December 3, 2015). "Twenty One Pilots' Albums, Ranked". Fuse. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
- LeRoy, Dan (September 2, 2015). "The 10 best twenty one pilots songs". Alternative Press. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
- "Track list, user reviews, and credits for Twenty One Pilots self-titled". Allmusic. Archived from the original on March 12, 2017. Retrieved March 10, 2017.