OPEN MUSIC INDUSTRY COMMUNITY
some reviews, articles and different editorials. That’s why I chose the medium of a magazine to express my insights and various thoughts about music in general.
N: So, I was reading your club proposal form. I think you said something about how a lot of students nowadays wear earbuds. How do you think music has impacted new generations?
T: You know how some say we’re living in the ‘streaming era’. Music streaming platforms are used by everyone including students in our school, from Spotify to YouTube Music. I really became curious of what people think about when they’re listening to their favorite music. Do they reminisce about a nostalgic childhood event? Do they fill up with anger? Do they get melancholy easily, or do they focus just on enjoying the moment the song is played? What I also thought about was how Spotify is famous in how they utilize the features of playlists, opening a method of social collaboration. The way Spotify interacts with the community through playlists is innovative for sure, but I thought there might be some more creative ways for users to share their favorite music. So I thought: Spotify may need a community where all users can write different articles about what they want to say. Express their own music world. The creation of this club might be able to make this happen at least amongst people in our school.
N: I do resonate with your ideas. I feel like in Cranbrook, people are occupied in their safe zone a bit too much; they’re like, “This is my life. This is me. I’m gonna stick with my friends. My stuff.” But every single one of us does listen
to music in our earbuds. Sharing is definitely beneficial; music tastes and preferences might even be the same between people amongst our school, giving opportunities to socialize through common ground.
T: Exactly. To be honest, I first was the introvert myself, the one who wouldn’t really prefer to share any of my thoughts. I think my passion towards music helps me take a step out of my safe zone, and talk about something that I like. And yet, I have tons to explore, know and learn about music and culture loved by people.
N: Thank you so much for your time today! I hope your club reaches successes.
T: It was a great time talking with you, and thank you so much for the questions!
KINEMA | BRAT | ADDICTED: REFRESHED | I HEAR YOU SOCIAVOIDANCE | KYGO | VALEDICTORIAN | SUPERNATURAL
3. Dream (feat.The Deep) 4. EMP (feat.1300) 5. POST (feat.ODEE, oygli, Roh Yun Ha) 6. Escape 7. To Nirvana KINEMA
RELEASED 2024 / 02 / 02
DPR ARTIC TRACKLIST
1. Ism 2. Do or Die (feat.DPR IAN)*
The ‘Dream Perfect Regime’ crew welcomes ARTIC as their fourth member, as he debuts as a producer with his first album ‘KINEMA’. This album is a showcase to all the DPR audience and an introduction to ARTIC’s broad music spectrum, from a hard EDM number to an echoey house track. The title ‘Do or Die’ featured by DPR IAN presents the most confident colors of ARTIC, playing in a sharp lead synth and a dystopian ambience. Another notable track, ‘POST’, features three unique Korean hip-hop artists Roh Yun Ha, ODEE and oygli under a booming trap beat. Overall, ‘KINEMA’ is a great introduction of the EDM genre to the DPR crew, setting up greater expectations for future releases.
Charli xcx
RELEASED 2024 / 06 / 07
TRACKLIST
1. 360* 2. Club classics 3. Sympathy is a knife 4. I might say something stupid 5. Talk talk 6. Von dutch 7. Everything is romantic 8. Rewind 9. So I 10. Girl, so confusing 11. Apple 12. B2b 13. Mean girls 14. I think about it all the time 15. 365
‘Yeah, 360, When you’re in the mirror, do you like what you see?’
Charli xcx is back with a stronger touch in hyperpop. Sticking to the trends yet maintaining her own style, her last record ‘CRASH’ in 2022 consisted of jersey and dance pop numbers. Charli intensifies the sound in this album by importing even more aggressive UK techno genres, providing the nostalgia of the 2000s ‘rave party’ trend. The blasting, delighted beats of ‘360’ and ‘Club classics’ introduce the album, and ‘sympathy is a knife’ amplifies the spaciousness using the echo. ‘i might say something stupid’ goes on with rather a calm, restrained tone, and Charli confesses her insecurities and that she might not belong, depicting the desolate dawns after the party. The record makes its run again with ‘Talk talk’, eventually finishing with ‘365’; it’s almost a remix of the first track ‘360’. Initially spinning around in 360, Charli reinstates her identity as a ‘365-day partygoer’, or a genuine ‘brat’.
ADDICTED: REFRESHED
Zerb & The Chainsmokers TRACKLIST
RELEASED 2024 / 05 / 24
1. Addicted 2. ‘‘ (Zerb Acid VIP) 3. ‘‘ (Joel Corry Remix) 4. ‘‘ (DEPARTAMENTO Remix) 5. ‘‘ (Curol Remix) 6. ‘‘ (Drove Remix) 7. ‘‘ (Mednas Remix) 8. (jigitz Remix)
I Hear You
Peggy Gou
RELEASED 2024 / 06 / 07
TRACKLIST
1. Your Art 2. Back To One 3. I Believe In Love
Again 4. All That (feat. Villano Antilano)
5. (It Goes Like) Nanana 6. Lobster Telephone
7. Seoulsi Peggygou (서울시페기구) 8. I Go
9. Purple Horizon 10. 1+1=11
Alex Pall and Drew Taggart—better known as ‘The Chainsmokers’—never fails to deliver the mood of an energetic party, proven by the past mega-hit songs like ‘Closer’, ‘Something Just Like This’ and their latest studio album, ‘So Far So Good’. They have recently partnered with Brazilian DJ Zerb and Grammy-nominated artist Ink to create a summertime banger for a club. The seemingly simple yet the upbeat drumline—along with the synth—sends the listener literally ‘addicted’ to the song. The perfectly pitched vocal of Ink is the perfect cherry-on-top of this song. The album consists of the original song along with 7 remix versions of the same track, all perfectly tailored for party-goers and bedroom dancers. Some of the best remixes include the ‘DEPARTAMENTO’ remix and the ‘Drove’ remix. Get ready to press the play button of this song on summer nights, every single year.
The name ‘Peggy Gou’ is somewhat misleading, with a seemingly last-namey name not being the mega-hit DJ’s actual name. Based in Berlin, Kim Min-ji is the rising star of the techno scene. After the banging ‘(It Goes Like) Nanana’ released last year, she proved herself consistent with 2 singles and the famous collaboration track with Lenny Kravitz. ‘I Hear You’ wraps up this era of Peggy’s sounds and style, supported with 5 brand new tracks to make it a 10-track debut record of the world-renowned DJ. Her soulless yet witty ‘rapping’ of Korean words are the main points of some songs, such as in ‘Back To One’ where she murmurs, ‘It’s f**king swaying’ in the most nonchalant tone of Korean. Though some tracks do show redundancy in the samples that were used, this album overall serves as a great introduction to who Peggy Gou is, and helps us swirl into her own unique vibes.
sociavoidance
Sion
RELEASED 2024 / 06 / 16
TRACKLIST
1. (sociavoidance) 2. avoid! 3. expired! 4. karoshi! 5. icognito! 6. moon!
This is basically what Sion is trying to talk about in this medley: a friend who committed suicide, and how he suffers from his social anxiety. Yet, the first few tracks of this album are far opposite from the expected mood; somewhat lighthearted, even joyful. The extended play continues with a vigorous, popping tone throughout. The uniqueness of the voice of Sion is it being oily yet clean, and being able to freely sway over high and low pitches, falsetto and modal. What’s even more notable is the production conveying a glitch-like, digital sound bringing even more fun into the whole record. The last track ‘moon!’ slows down the pace, humbling and soothing the listener at last. ‘sociavoidance’ will be a great choice to start off a tiring day, energizing the mind with striking melodies.
RELEASED 2024 / 06 / 24
TRACKLIST
Eponymous, or self-titled, albums come often as great pressure to the artist; once the album is criticized, there’s no turning back but dishonor to the name. They play a significant role in representing the artist’s style. Norwegian DJ producer Kygo had made a brave decision, releasing a self-titled record since his debut in 2014. Hope and ambition is seen in the first few tracks with ‘The Feeling’ and ‘Whatever’(Ava Max) powerfully starting it off. Tracks such as ‘Me Before You’ and ‘Healing’ somewhat follows the rules of a pop number, beating on and on. ‘Louder’ and ‘For Life’ featuring rock legend Nile Rodgers consists of an addictive chorus, continuing the freshness. Good things over, criticism has to be said on the truth that the record seems like just a medley of booming tracks that sometimes get too hefty on one play. Yet given the drawbacks, most of the tracks were in exceptional quality, and a great answer to one who asks to recommend a Kygo album.
RELEASED 2024 / 05 / 17
“Valedictorian” (Deluxe) is the debut mixtape from Ian Smith, otherwise Ian. Ian gained traction in the underground rap scene producing beats before making his starting to make his own music. His music draws many comparisons to Yeat, Summrs, and Autumn with their similar production and sound which helped Ian rise from the many social media platforms boosting his songs. Ian is a new hot topic with his unqiue sound and white boy look coming from the “you know I had to do it to em” meme. Regardless, the album has a somewhat nice blend between catchy lyrics and memorable beats with Magic Johnson and Figure It Out. However, some of the other songs seem unfinished products because of the autotune and the beat which sometimes contradict each other like Judgment. In addition, the lyrics on some of his other songs are lazy and not well structured, not enough anyways for them to stick to the audience. Ian doesn’t seem to have established his style yet which means there is still a lot of room for growth for his lyrics and production. As a listener, the main takeaway is that the album was loosely made and does not make the audience crave more. The album doesn’t really offer much creativity. Nothing really impressive other than a few moments where the beat shines or a nice bar. In general, the album was an entertaining listen, something to pass time.
Supernatural NewJeans
RELEASED 2024 / 06 / 21
TRACKLIST
1. Supernatural 2. Right Now
3. Supernatural (Instrumental)
4. Right Now (Instrumental)
During the summer, NewJeans released their song “Right Now” on June 16th, featuring 3 languages all together in one song. However, the language wasn’t the only important part. Additionally, FRNK, the producer of NewJeans’ music utilizes a simple 4 note bass line with a light and catchy melody to capture the listener’s immediate attention. As always, music from NewJeans is known to be simple, so therefore FRNK also uses an Am7Dm7-E7 chord progression to keep the audience engaged with the melody. Another factor about this song is the repetition used with the phrase: “Right Now”. The phrase acts as the anchor to the start and end of each chorus, providing us with a more memorable experience when listening to this masterpiece. “Supernatural” features a 90s UK garage sound predominantly to anchor the feeling of nostalgia, along with R&B snares to convey the feeling of love to the audience. Unlike the chord progression in “Right Now”, in “Supernatural”, it switches up a lot more frequently, catching the audience off guard, causing them to perceive the song as fresh, which emphasizes the nostalgia even more. This simple yet perfectly executed combination of the various sounds used makes “Supernatural” by NewJeans a must listen for everyone. (Unless you hate k-pop of course)
eternal sunshine - Ariana Grande
HOPE ON THE STREET VOL.1 - j-hope
DAYS
BEFORE RODEO - Travis Scott
HIT ME HARD AND SOFT - Billie Eilish
Clancy - twenty one pilots
Samurai - Lupe Fiasco
- Released 2024.03.28Ariana Grande
1. intro (end of the world)
2. bye
3. i don’t wanna break up again
4. Saturn Returns Interlude
5. eternal sunshine
6. supernatural
7. true story
8. the boy is mine
9. yes, and?*
10. we can’t be friends (wait for your love)*
11. i wish i hated you
12. imperfect for you
13. ordinary things (feat. Nonna)
14. supernatural (w/ Troye Sivan)
15. imperfect for you (acoustic)
16. true story (a cappella)
17. yes, and? (Remix)
*title track(s)
Ariana Grande has been through big and small problems and scandals throughout her career, and yet she has always found a way to fully confront them with her music. Despite the obstacles, she did not hesitate to express herself through her lyrics and singing, and this resonated with the emotions of young men and women worldwide, leading Grande’s way in becoming a pop star. Although it has been Ariana herself who chose to get to these problems face to face, things have been starting to get really rough for her recently. After she and her former spouse Dalton Gomez parted ways, multiple sources started to report Ariana dating Ethan Slater happened to be playing in the same musical. Countless scandals have been chasing her since then, and the way she chose to confront them was to ‘get head to head’ with her music again.
The first track of the album starts off with Ariana telling her struggles of finding the right love, indirectly conveying her emotional state. An interference of a new person on Ariana’s relationships have made her tired of her current one. On the next track ‘bye’, she directly states farewell with her boyfriend on a danceable pop rhythm, yet calls it ‘bittersweet’ as some of their good memories remain. The next track ‘don’t wanna break up again’ intentionally switches up the person Ariana is saying to, between her ex—it ‘breaks her heart to keep breaking
yours again’—and her current date—’this situationship has to end, but just can’t refuse’. Ari gets upset because she has to keep scolding her boyfriend, yet she is starting to move her heart towards her new love.
‘Saturn Returns Interlude’ features
Astrologist Diana Garland explaining about Saturn’s orbital period, and how it gets ready to ride another orbit of 29 years. Saturn ‘hits you over the head’ and makes Ari realize:
“ Aha, it’s time for you to get real about life and sort out who you really are.
”
The transition to the next track ‘eternal sunshine’ is as smooth as sand flowing. On a dreamy pop beat with a trap rhythm, ‘eternal sunshine’ openly accuses her ex boyfriend of how he has been a profound liar, and yet Ari can’t help but wish him the best of his next stage of life. The deep bassline in this track contrasts with the high tone of Ariana’s voice, creating a pilowy sensation of floating in space. The dreamy, fantasical narrative continues to ‘supernatural’, ‘true story’ and ‘the boy is mine’, slightly shifting the attitude to a meaner one: ‘I’ll play the villain if you need me to… if it makes you feel better’. The album’s lead single ‘yes, and?’ functions as a freshener, bringing up disco pop rhythms and a
unique drumline. ‘we can’t be friends’ ponders on Ari’s rationale of her attitude. The wholesome house-dream pop fusion beat whooshes the listeners into focus. At the point where Ariana sings the melancholy, reminiscing track ‘i wish i hated you’, she is sick of this love, so much that she rather wishes her ex-boyfriend was worse towards her. The last track ‘ordinary things’ featuring Nonna talks about Ari’s happy times with her current boyfriend, how ‘ordinary’ life spent with him turns special. The album retains the dreamy, echoey vibes of Ariana’s voice till the very end.
‘eternal sunshine’ features 13 original songs, along with 4 bonus tracks remixing some of the highlights in the album. ‘supernatural’ and ‘yes, and?’ reimagined with Troye Sivan and Mariah Carey adds different colors in the vocals. Given the narratives Ariana has told to the listeners in this album, some say ‘her latest three albums create the perfect trilogy of healing.’ Her last three albums, ‘thank u, next’, ‘Positions’ and ‘eternal sunshine’ does chronicle Ariana mending her past scars and moving on to a new chapter in her relationships, effectively portraying her growth mentally and to a stronger being. Musically, Ariana’s dreamytrap-pop fusion style is truly starting to get in shape. As ‘eternal sunshine’ suggests another round of Saturn’s orbit after Ariana’s 29 years, listeners and her fellow ‘Arianators’ are supporting her fresh start on life.
eternal sunshine by ariana grande
- Released 2024.03.29j- hope
1. on the street (solo version)*
2. i wonder... (feat. Jung Kook)
3. lock/unlock (feat. benny blanco) (with Nile Rodgers)
4. i dont know (with HUH YUNJIN)
5. what if (dance mix) (with JINBO the SuperFreak)
6. NEURON (with Yoonmirae, Gaeko)
*title track(s)
J-Hope is a member of BTS which was created by Big Hit Entertainment in 2013. The group is recognized as those who led Korean pop culture all over the world. J-Hope takes on the role of lead rapper and main dancer in BTS. Recently, he has developed his talent as a songwriter and has produced a lot of hit songs. In 2018, his album Hope World was selected as one of the “5 songs to listen to this week” by TIME magazine and reached No.1 on the iTunes Charts in 63 countries. In 2019, he released the single “Chicken Noodle Soup”. It reached No.1 on the iTunes Top Song charts in 69 countries. His personality and talent were proven when he won the “Most Popular Male Artist in 2022”. He is also known for his fashion sense and is currently an ambassador for Louis Vuitton.
On 29th of March, 2024, J-Hope (BTS) released a new album, “HOPE ON THE STREET VOL.1”! It reached a high position, No.5 on the US Billboard 200 album chart. It is an album based on J-Hope’s artistic roots in street dance. “HOPE ON THE STREET VOL.1” contains six songs: on the street (solo version), i wonder… (feat. Jung Kook), lock / unlock (feat. benny blanco), i don’t know, what if (dance mix), NEURON, and this album shows J-Hope’s further growth as a solo artist.
This work is his follow-up to his solo album “Jack in the Box” which was released in 2022
and reached No.6 on the US Billboard 200 album chart. The album shows J-Hope reaching the peak of his abilities and hard work for music and dance. In addition, through the song “NEURON”, he expresses his respect and affection for the dance crew he was a part of in the past.
Grammy.com published a feature article on J-Hope’s musical journey, focusing on his growth and musical evolution. The media outlets stated, “Before he became a global superstar, he first discovered his love for dance while dancing at a playground.”
Music media, Consequence Of Sound analyzed his new album, saying “It’s a return to the bright and optimistic sound of Hope World.” The album shows his musical growth and maturity with his age combined to produce better music and a more pleasing tone. His worldview has attracted famous artists such as Benny Blanco and Nile Rodgers, leading to collaboration that has made his work more remarkable. His music continues to evolve and captivate more people, and he is soon expected to become No.1 in the world.
Travis Scott’s (born Jacques Webster) road to fame was paved through with his distinct auto-tuned sound and well produced beats. Before his mainstream breakout, Travis was working as a small-time producer until he was recognized by Kanye West’s label, GOOD Music. By the time DAYS BEFORE RODEO was released in August 2014, he had already become an established producer in the industry, having already released his first mixtape, Owl Pharaoh. However, the album was never released officially on digital streaming platforms but nonetheless became one of his most highly rated albums by fans and critics alike. In August of this year it was released on Spotify and Apple Music for the 10 year anniversary of the original release.
DAYS BEFORE RODEO cemented Travis Scott’s status in the hip-hop industry as a visionary artist. Influences from his idols Kid Cudi and Kanye West can be seen throughout the album, from the production to the vocals and melodies. He uses his auto-tuned voice as another instrument, complimenting the synths and 808s seen throughout the album.
TRAVIS SCOTT
- Unofficial 2014.08.18- Released 2024.08.23Travis Scott
1. Days Before Rodeo: The Prayer
2. Mamacita (Ft. Rich Homie Quan & Young Thug)
3. Quintana Pt.2 (Ft. T.I.)
4. Drugs You Should Try It
5. Don’t Play (Ft. The 1975 & Big Sean)
6. Skyfall (Ft. Young Thug)
7. Zombies
8. Sloppy Toppy (Ft. Migos & Peewee Longway)
9. Basement Freestyle
10. Backyard
11. Grey
12. BACC
The mixtape is filled with heavy, reverb-laden beats, and haunting melodies, featuring collaborations with notable artists such as Young Thug, Big Sean, Migos and Rich Homie Quan. The fan-favorite track, “Drugs You Should Try It,” is often considered one of the best songs in Travis Scott’s discography. The song starts off with the main melody which is played by a guitar. As the song continues, the contrast between Travis’ autotuned voice and the drums almost recreates the euphoric feeling of being high. The repeating guitar riff continuously adds to the vibe of the song. The themes of excess, fame, and personal struggle, are frequently shown throughout the album. While his lyrics may not be the most complex, the emotion and delivery make them resonate, which is what many listen to his music for. The project is produced largely by Travis Scott, but other producers were involved as well such as Lex Luger, WondaGurl, Metro Boomin and Mike Dean.
While DAYS BEFORE RODEO isn’t Travis Scott’s most polished or most acclaimed album, it is a fan favorite and offers listeners a better view of how his music has evolved throughout the past ten years.
1. SKINNY* 2. LUNCH* 3. CHIHIRO 4. BIRDS OF A FEATHER* 5. WILDFLOWER* 6. THE GREATEST 7. L’AMOUR DE LA VIE 8. THE DINER 9. BITTERSUITE
BLUE
- Released 2024.05.17Billie Eilish *title track(s)
From a groundbreaking dark popstar to a world-renowned singer-songwriter, Billie Eilish has already devoured the charts and countless awards at the age of 22. Her unique voice intermingled with her brother Finneas’ production touched many feelings of the young generation, making her a one and only icon of the past decade. Her second studio album ‘Happier Than Ever’ released in 2021 did not quite follow the chart results as her first; yet, it was enough for her listeners to feel like she has evolved, expanding to a variety of genres and perfectly managing it under a single record. On top of how Billie has openly expressed her dark feelings and anxiety in her first album ‘When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’, she has chosen to be even more bold and free in expressing herself in her latest release ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’.
A melancholy guitar line fills the starting mood of ‘WILDFLOWER’. The mood gradually advances, keeping the minor tone throughout. The subtle chorus voices further amplify the spaciousness. The lyrics focuses on a triangle relationship of Billie admitting her sense of guilt over her friend, and regards it:
‘like a FEVER, like I’m BURNING ALIVE’.
A classic yet powerful guitar solo sets the mood for the first track ‘SKINNY’, as Billie starts to explain the emptiness and the weaknesses of herself in the midst of her popularity. As the song progresses, what’s most noticeable is how Billie’s vocals have gotten better again. The change between her falsetto and modal voice is even more smooth, bringing impact on the right moment to move the audience. A rather abrupt, upbeat transition leads to the next track ‘LUNCH’, as she directly expresses her identity in the chorus: ‘I could eat that girl for lunch … tastes like she might be the one’. Her manipulation of her vocals with ease goes spot on with the production of Finneas O’Connell, her brother and co-producer. The next track ‘CHIHIRO’ is inspired from the Ghibli animation ‘Spirited Away’ as a lot of lyrics are referenced in scenes in the movie. As it is apparent that Billie has been resonating herself with the main character, the lyrics are written from Billie and Chihiro’s point of view at the same time. ‘BIRDS OF A FEATHER’ takes a whooshing breather from the melancholy mood, romantically stating ‘I’ll love you till the day that I die’. Billie’s vocals under this light tempo enables an initiative for the listeners to imagine the dramatic feeling of riding a bicycle with their loved ones, and further serves as a hint and a rising action for the climax of the album, ‘THE GREATEST’.
The subsequent song indeed talks of unrequited love where Billie is ‘trying my best to keep you satisfied’ yet her partner ‘made it all look painless’. The sad ukulele builds up until the second pre chorus, and gets on to the loudest, most dramatic chorus of the album yet, with powerful band and orchestral sounds backing up Billie’s helpless yet heartfelt shouting. After the outburst, the album sets on a new phase with the number ‘L’AMOUR DE MA VIE’ singing farewell to her partner in a calmer attitude. ‘I told you a lie … that you were the love of my life’ openly accepts the fact that she has been the one who hurt her partner’s feelings. It seems like the song would end in a gradual diminuendo as the high pitched, buzzy voice of Billie evokes nostalgia…
An abrupt drum beat and an 80s synth line interferes the close call of the track, immediately changing the mood upside down. It almost seems like Billie herself has brought another character inside her to express her feelings even deeper inside. The high-end, unique production credited by Finneas almost evokes a grotesque sensation when it comes to the songs ‘THE DINER’ and the last minutes of ‘BITTERSUITE’. At last, the carefully integrated and officially released ‘BLUE’ from years ago wraps up the record.
emotions, appealing in a familiar yet fresh taste of her style. The delicate transitions between the different moods enliven the play. Of all, what’s most significant is her true self portrayed onto every beat and melody. Just like the ending message ‘When can I hear the next one?’ Billie leaves a trail for us to anticipate her next evolution along with her brother.
The 10 compact tracks of the album ‘shouts to the listeners’ in all caps about her deep
I TRY TO LIVE IN BLACK AND WHITE, BUT I’M SO BLUE ...but when can I hear the next one?
- Released 2024.05.24twenty one pilots
1. Overcompensate*
2. Next Semester*
3. Backslide*
4. Midwest Indigo
5. Routines In The Night
6. Vignette
7. The Craving (Jenna’s version)*
8. Lavish
9. Navigating
10. Snap Back
11. Oldies Station
12. At The Risk Of Feeling Dumb
13. Paladin Strait
Twenty One Pilots’ album Trench (2018) introduced fans to the enigmatic world of Clancy, a character whose journey unfolds through cryptic letters and metaphors. The album’s narrative centers around a city called Dema, a metaphorical prison controlled by a group of nine bishops, including the main figure named Nico. Clancy, an inhabitant of Dema, seeks to escape its oppressive grip and find freedom in a place called Trench, a safe haven representing hope and self-liberation.
*title track(s)
Dema itself represents mental struggles like depression, anxiety, and inner conflict. Each bishop symbolizes a different manifestation of these mental battles. Nico, the leader of the bishops, is thought to embody self-doubt or negative self-talk, constantly trying to keep people, including Clancy, trapped in Dema. This ongoing struggle is a key theme in Trench, both lyrically and symbolically. Clancy’s journey reflects the band members’ personal struggles, particularly Tyler Joseph’s battle with mental health. TWENTY ONE
Throughout the album, the letters written by Clancy reveal his desire to break free from the control of Dema and Nico. These letters, posted on a cryptic website before the album’s release, add depth to the lore and provide fans with more insight into Clancy’s world. He describes the oppression he feels within Dema and his longing for a better life in Trench.
The metaphorical battle between Dema and Trench is central to Twenty One Pilots’ Trench album, representing the ongoing fight between mental health struggles and the quest for peace and freedom. Clancy’s journey, while specific to the fictional world of Trench, resonates deeply with fans as a reflection of the human experience with mental health, identity, and self-discovery.
clancy by twenty one pilots
