The Real Meaning Behind "Level Of Concern" By Twenty One Pilots
Twenty One Pilots are one of the most successful musical duos of the moment, and with their 2021 single "Shy Away," it doesn't look like they're slowing down anytime soon. Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun shot to the top of the charts in late 2015 with their hit single "Stressed Out" and have continued to achieve massive success ever since (via Billboard). For example the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 track was the third single from Twenty One Pilot's fourth studio album, "Blurryface" (via AllMusic). The break-out album hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart and has been certified four-times platinum by the RIAA (via Loudwire). "Blurryface" also helped the duo earn their first GRAMMY Award in 2016 for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
In 2020, Twenty One Pilots released the track "Level Of Concern" as a standalone single. Joseph wrote the song, which was produced by record label Fueled By Ramen (via Genius). The track peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, while simultaneously dethroning Panic! At the Disco from their 76-week reign atop the chart (Billboard).
Level of Concern is a pandemic anthem
"Level of Concern" was written at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (here's when every American might be vaccinated, in case you were wondering). The first verse opens with, "Panic on the brain, world has gone insane // Things are starting to get heavy, mm" before asking, "Wondering' would you bee my little quarantine?" Following the release of the song, Tyler Joseph tweeted, "First song i ever wrote on electric guitar. I think it's simple but hopeful." The song revealed Joseph's concerns about the impact coronavirus was having on society and his anxieties about finding the right person to quarantine with. He writes, "Tell me we're alright, tell me we're okay, yeah // You could bring down my level of concern".
At the time of the song's release, Joseph also tweeted that he wanted a portion of the song's earnings to go to a charity called Crew Nation, aimed at providing aid to people in the music industry that found themselves jobless at the hands of COVID-19. The duo partnered with Crew Nation again to sell hoodies that helped raise funds for their touring team (via Music Feeds). The duo wrote on their merchandise page, "Crew members are the backbone of the live music industry, and we hope you'll join us in supporting them through this temporary intermission until we can once again unite millions around the world through the power of live music."