“The Hype” by Twenty One Pilots

Twenty One Pilots’ “The Hype” is actually based on two different themes, though they are slightly related. On one hand Tyler Joseph is addressing his younger self. And in that regard he is giving the same type of advice that he wishes someone had given him in his youth. This particular aspect of the song is most noticeable during the second verse, where he concludes by telling the addressee that he has to ‘get burnt’ before developing “thick skin”, as in suffering through hardships will make him stronger.  Indeed fans have noticed that this particular track has somewhat of a strong advisory tone, if you will.

And the chorus can be partially applied to this side of the track also. That is to say that the part of the chorus in which the singer states “don’t believe the hype” can be interpreted once again as him talking to his younger self. And what he is saying this time around is basically not to let certain forces, as in “the hype”, overtake his mindframe.

But as mentioned before, there is another theme operating in this song concurrently, where the Twenty One Pilots are rather advising themselves not to “believe the hype”. This is due to the fact that they perceive hype men as being potentially dangerous. That is to say that such people are already their fans or just may be caught up in a particular moment. So they cannot rely on such individuals for a genuine assessment of say the quality of their music. In other words, the singer is outspokenly wary of letting himself get gassed up by others.

Conclusion

So ultimately it can argued that this song is an exercise in self-humility. For whether Tyler Johnson is speaking to his younger self or about his current situation, what he is espousing is a sentiment of not getting caught up in his own thoughts, regardless of whether they originate from internal or external pressures. Also there is also obviously an angle of the song that speaks to dealing with negativity and challenges. And in that regard he is encouraging the addressee for the most part to exercise perseverance and optimism in order to get through.

What Tyler Joseph said about the lyrics of “The Hype”

During an interview with Coup de Main, Tyler shed light on the lyrics of this song. Below are Tyler’s exact words in relation to this song’s meaning:

When was “The Hype” released?

Fueled by Ramen is the record label which released “The Hype”. It was released as the sixth single from Twenty One Pilots critically acclaimed album Trench on 26 July 2019.

On that same day the band dropped a music video for the song, which was directed by Reel Bear Media alongside Andrew Donoho.

Creation of “The Hype”

“The Hype” was written and produced exclusively by Twenty One Pilots’ member Tyler Joseph. The song was also recorded “in secret” in Tyler’s basement studio which is situated in his hometown Columbus, Ohio.

First live Performance

The first time Twenty One Pilots played “The Hype” live was actually in Monterrey, Mexico on 1 May 2019.