‘Overcompensate’ Single Review: Twenty One Pilots Brings Emo Back

Is emo back? The newest single from Twenty One Pilots, “Overcompensate,” seems to answer this question with an emphatic “yes.”

“Overcompensate” dropped on Feb. 29 to tease the duo’s newly announced album, “Clancy,” which is set to release on May 17. A week before “Overcompensate” hit fans’ ears, the band posted a video on their YouTube channel called “I Am Clancy,” which explains both the lore that lies behind their previous conceptual albums and the direction of their new record. The video’s ending suggests to fans that “Overcompensate” will start a new era for Twenty One Pilots.

The single’s beginning echoes with the lyrics of their 2018 track, “Bandito,” from the album “Trench”: “I created this world / To feel some control / Destroy it if I want.” The sentiment of attempting to direct one’s own life was a central part of the “Trench” album narrative. But then the misty feeling of “Bandito” blends into a looping synthesizer beat accompanied by Josh Dun’s energizing drums. This sonic dive into a new tone sends a clear message — this song will not only focus on the “Trench” era.

“Overcompensate” then jumps into Tyler Joseph’s iconic rap style. Joseph combines quick spoken lines with snatches of the song’s chorus — “Don’t hesitate to maybe overcompensate” — before diving into the track’s longest-rapped verse. The lyrics tie into the band’s lore: “If you can’t see, I am Clancy, / Prodigal son, done running, come up with Josh Dun, / Wanted dead or alive, / So now you pick who you serve.” Joseph reveals that he is Clancy, a character in “Trench” meant to save the masses from the bishops, who symbolize both inner anxiety and false religion. The emphasis on rapping is reminiscent of the duo’s 2015 album “Blurryface,” again harkening back to an earlier era and showing the place of “Clancy” in the group’s discography. While the rapping portions have fantastic lyricism, they do leave the song wanting for a more lyrical element.

After the rap section concludes, the song’s ending returns to the chorus with additional backing tracks. Behind Joseph’s vocals are a curiously divergent combination of drums, echoing distortions of his voice, and shrill synths. These sounds culminate as Joseph sings the catchy verse once more, with the backing instrumentals suddenly stilling to silence as he repeats, “And then by the time I catch in my peripheral, / Don’t hesitate to maybe overcompensate.” The chaotic energy of the song’s finale emphasizes the lyrics’ urgency. Joseph, as an embodiment of the character Clancy, asks the listener to “overcompensate” and avoid the influence of the bishops. This focus on emotion, overcompensation, and rebellion is a clear hallmark of the emo genre in which the duo found their early success. Invigorating these classic emo themes makes the single feel more meaningful than just another hit, and contributes to the beautifully nostalgic element of the song.

“Overcompensate” promises an exciting new album for Twenty One Pilots that centers itself on the band’s emo roots. The single uses musical cues such as Joseph’s classic rap style and introspective lyrics to look back at albums such as “Blurryface” and “Trench,” emblems of 2010s emo culture, while simultaneously teasing a new era for the band. It also shows that the duo’s strength lies in their conceptual work, especially when it concerns themes such as religion and mental health. Overall, “Overcompensate” promises that emo is back, even if it may have new directions to go in.

—Staff writer Hannah E. Gadway can be reached at hannah.gadway@thecrimson.com.