Twenty One Pilots have never been afraid to rewrite their own rulebook and with the release of their brand new single “Drum Show”, the Columbus duo have done just that.
The track, unveiled on August 18, 2025, is the latest preview from their forthcoming album Breach, and it carries with it one of the most important moments in the band’s history: Josh Dun, the band’s drummer, finally takes the mic.
Josh Dun Finds His Voice
For over a decade, Tyler Joseph has shouldered the band’s vocal duties while Dun powered the music from behind the kit. But “Drum Show” flips the script. In a raw and emotional bridge, Dun delivers his first-ever lead vocals on a Twenty One Pilots track, his refrain, “I’ve been this way, I want to change,” already echoing as one of the most quoted lines among fans.
Joseph admitted he was initially nervous about the experiment:
“I thought I was hearing my own layered vocals in the demo, but it was Josh. He crushed it. Honestly, I’ve never been more proud.”
That vulnerability, both in the studio and in the song’s lyrics, makes “Drum Show” more than just another single, it’s a turning point.
A Video That Hits Close To Home
Directed by longtime collaborator Mark C. Eshleman, the music video strips away the elaborate Dema/Clancy mythology that has defined the band for years. Instead, it places the duo in simple, relatable settings, a parking garage, a van, the quiet space of frustration and release.
Fans have described it as a visual metaphor for being trapped inside your own head, punching the steering wheel until the music saves you. It’s personal, immediate, and unmistakably Twenty One Pilots.
Themes Of Struggle And Change
At its core, “Drum Show” speaks to the universal tension between stasis and transformation. Joseph’s imagery, “Feeling stuck between a rock and a home”, captures the exhaustion of feeling boxed in, while Dun’s vocals provide the breakthrough. It’s as if the band staged their own dialogue within the song: one voice wrestling with despair, the other declaring a need to evolve.
Looking Ahead: Breach And Beyond
- Breach arrives September 12, 2025, marking the duo’s eighth studio album and the closing chapter in a conceptual journey that began with Blurryface in 2015.
- The 13 track album includes “Drum Show” as the third track, following “City Walls” and “Rawfear.”
- Their massive Clancy Tour: Breach 2025 launches September 18 in their hometown of Cincinnati, before moving through stadiums and amphitheaters across North America.
Reception: A Canonical Moment
Critics have hailed the track as one of the band’s boldest moves yet. Kerrang! praised Dun’s vocal debut as “a hell of a performance,” while fans flooded social media with gratitude for the band’s willingness to evolve. For many, “Drum Show” feels like the start of a new chapter not only for Twenty One Pilots but for the people who have grown up with them.
Why “Drum Show” Matters
- It introduces a new dynamic by letting Dun’s voice enter the band’s story.
- It temporarily pauses the Dema/Clancy lore, creating breathing room for honesty.
- It embodies the raw desire for change that resonates deeply with a generation in flux.
With “Drum Show,” Twenty One Pilots aren’t just releasing a single, they’re handing their fans a mirror. And as Breach approaches, it’s clear this isn’t just the end of an era. It’s the sound of a band breaking through to something bigger.
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