From small-town duo to worldwide phenomenon, Twenty One Pilots has had an incredible influence on the music industry over the past year. Who would have thought that two guys from Columbus, performing in front of crowds of 100 people or less, would eventually be playing sold-out shows in enormous arenas? They’ve basically founded their own genre of music and revolutionized the world of live performances. I had the privilege of seeing them live last summer and it was truly an unforgettable experience. There are an endless amount of reasons as to why Twenty One Pilots is a phenomenal band, but these are just a few.

1. Tyler Joseph is a mind-blowing songwriter.

He asks a lot of existential questions that we don’t find in modern music. Why are we here? What is the point? These are all valid questions that are hard to find the answers to sometimes. Tyler constantly emphasizes though that no matter how difficult it is to find a purpose, it’s always worth it to stick around and keep looking.

2. Their band bio:

“Basically, we are all responsible for the preservation of our personal joy; but happiness is different. Joy is not circumstantial, happiness is. You can be depressed and still have joy. You can be suicidal and still have joy. We all stop thinking and we all stop talking and we all stop sharing and we all stop creating, because by doing any of these things we quickly find out just how unhappy we are. But that’s okay. That’s normal. Don’t let the fear of unhappiness cripple your pursuit of finding what it is you believe. Since joy is found in belief, we all have to push through unhappiness to find joy.”

3. They are open about mental health issues and are helping to break the stigma.

Songs like “Migraine” and “Guns for Hands” bring important issues like depression and self-harm to light through metaphors and spark healthy discussion. A line specifically in “Migraine” lends a perfect example:

“Am I the only one I know
Waging my wars behind my face
And above my throat
Shadows will scream that I’m alone
But I know we’ve made it this far, kid."

No one should be afraid to ask for help if they are struggling, and knowing you aren’t the only one with issues like this makes it so much easier to reach out.

4. They love their fans.

They are always emphasizing that their concerts are a safe place. Connecting with their audience through shared experiences and their love for music is so important to them. No matter what anyone in the audience is going through, they want them to leave it behind them and just have fun for one night. They break the barrier between performer and audience and actually step into the crowd multiple times throughout a show, and for their encore, they always have the audience hold them up on platforms. They do this to make themselves tangible and real to their fans. They don’t want to be seen as untouchable “rock gods.” They are always stressing to everyone that they are real people just like us and they are here to unite everyone through their love for life and music.

I have so much respect for these two guys and everything they are doing. They make such meaningful music and have worked so incredibly hard for everything they have accomplished and have come such a long way from 2009. I truly hope they keep doing what they’re doing and continue to inspire others how they’ve inspired me.