Twenty One Pilots 'Drum Show': When the Drummer Takes Centre Stage

It had been a while since the release of The Contract, so anticipation was high for the second single. What might it be? When was the release date? Rumours spread online, turning Reddit into a frenzy. The first tease appeared on August 2nd, when Tyler Joseph posted a photo of Josh setting up his drums in a parking garage. What did this mean? No one knew. At the time, I thought the photo was hinting at Drum Show (I’m so happy I was right), but nothing official was confirmed, and the days passed with fans speculating. 

On August 11th, a 10-minute countdown launched on their official YouTube channel. Fans worldwide tuned in, wondering what would happen once the timer ran out. Spoiler: it wasn’t a new song. Instead, Josh set up his drums and Tyler swung in his deck chair. Well, more happened than just that, but you get the idea. To settle the suspense, a video appeared on the official Twenty One Pilots page on August 13th, featuring the track name Drum Show, a premiere date of August 18th, and a short snippet. Social media everywhere erupted in excitement. The countdown to Monday began. Two more teasers came before the track’s release: a quick set video with the time of the music video’s release, and Tyler posted on his official account, hinting that Josh might do more than just drum. Monday arrived, the countdown was ending, and, like me, we waited for the premiere. 

What can I say about Drum Show? Was it one of Twenty One Pilots’ most emotional songs? Yes, absolutely. Why? This was the first time Josh Dun sang lyrics on a track. His words, “I’ve been this way, I want to change,” felt deeply personal. As a longtime fan, seeing his confidence grow over the years was beautiful. Combine that with a catchy baseline and Tyler’s signature screams; his scream after Josh’s initial lyrics was one of my favourites to date. Then you have the recipe for a classic Twenty One Pilots song, and that’s what Drum Show was. I can’t say how many times I’ve listened to this track already; I’ve lost count. However, what I can say is that I strongly believe this is going to be a very emotional Twenty One Pilots album, and I’m eager to hear it.

You can stream Drum Show here