Jump to content

Level of Concern

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Level of Concern"
Single by Twenty One Pilots
from the album Scaled and Icy (Livestream Version)
ReleasedApril 9, 2020 (2020-04-09)
Recorded2020
Genre
Length3:40
LabelFueled by Ramen
Songwriter(s)Tyler Joseph
Producer(s)
Twenty One Pilots singles chronology
"The Hype"
(2019) 		"Level of Concern"
(2020) 		"Christmas Saves the Year"
(2020)
Music video
"Level of Concern" on YouTube

"Level of Concern" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. It was released as a standalone single on April 9, 2020, through Fueled by Ramen,[1] and was later included on the livestream version of Scaled and Icy (2021).[2]

"Level of Concern" is a dance-pop, pop rock and dance-rock song produced by lead singer Tyler Joseph alongside Paul Meany of alternative rock band Mutemath, and its lyrics revolve around the COVID-19 pandemic during which it was written and recorded. The song encourages hope during challenging times, while also addressing the widespread fear and panic associated with the pandemic. A portion of the song's proceeds were donated to Crew Nation, a global relief fund by Live Nation for touring and venue personnel affected by the pandemic. A music video for the track was uploaded upon the single's release. The song was a moderate hit, peaking at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, which made it the duo's fourth-highest-charting song behind "Stressed Out", "Heathens" and "Ride".

Background and recording

[edit]

At the beginning of March 2020, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States stood at 70, but by the following month it had grown by hundreds of thousands with an increasing death rate, resulting in the closure of schools and the banning of large gatherings. Social distancing measures, such as staying home as much as possible, had been widely recommended, and gatherings of over 10 people had been discouraged.[3][4] Twenty One Pilots wrote and recorded "Level of Concern", their first new release since their fifth studio album Trench (2018), in self-isolation.[5] Lead singer Tyler Joseph's mother and wife, in part, influenced his decision to write a song about the pandemic.[6][7]

"Level of Concern" was written by Joseph, who produced it alongside Paul Meany of the alternative rock band Mutemath.[8] The two had previously collaborated in this capacity on Trench,[9] but the song is a departure from the conceptual nature of that record as well as its predecessor Blurryface (2015).[10] On April 6, Joseph disclosed on Twitter that it was the first song he had written on an electric guitar, although he needed "a few days to finish it up". He added that he would send his bandmate Josh Dun the files for the song.[11] The song was released as a standalone single three days later.[12][10] A portion of the revenue generated by the single was donated to Crew Nation, a global relief fund by Live Nation for touring and venue personnel affected by the pandemic.[13]

Composition

[edit]

"Level of Concern" is defined as a dance-pop, pop rock and dance-rock song with elements of funk, pop and soft rock that runs for a duration of three minutes and forty seconds.[14][15][16][17][18] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Music, it is written in the time signature of common time, with a moderately fast tempo of 122 beats per minute.[17] "Level of Concern" is composed in the key of E minor, while Tyler Joseph's vocal range spans two octaves, from the low-note of D3 to the high-note of D5.[17] The song has a basic sequence of Cmaj7–Bm7–Am7 in the introduction and verses, alternates between the chords of Cmaj7 and Am7 during the pre-chorus, and follows Em–C–Am–G–D at the refrain, bridge and outro as its chord progression.[17]

The musical arrangement has an "upbeat groove" built around a "shimmering disco-esque guitar" before a beat played by Dun is added.[13] Entertainment Weekly's Omar Sanchez compared its groove to the band's single "Ride",[19] while Billboard journalist Chris Payne opined that the beat had "strong "Walking on a Dream" vibes," and also dubbed the single a "hashtag-2020 song" due to its frequent references to the pandemic.[20] The lyrics focus on finding hope and optimism in difficult times, with Joseph describing it as "simple but hopeful," but are "still earnest and honest about the chaos everywhere."[12][13] Chris Willman of Variety considered that the upbeat instrumental assuages the "anxiety" found in the lyrics, which also discuss "finding the right bunker-mate" with lines such as "would you be my little quarantine".[14][12]

Critical reception

[edit]

Chris Payne of Billboard described "Level of Concern" as a "bop" with a "nimble" chorus,[20] while Caryn Ganz called it "a delicious bit of '80s pop-funk that revels in its simplicity" in her assessment for The New York Times.[21] Variety's Chris Willman found that, rather than being a "quick novelty knock-off" about quarantining, the track sounded "fully produced".[14] Jason Lipshutz, also of Billboard, claimed that the track is "the first true anthem of the coronavirus age", and speculated that it could become a commercial success due to it having a more radio-friendly style than Trench, as well as "words that anyone could relate to at this moment".[15] Similarly, Entertainment Weekly's Omar Sanchez dubbed it "the first quarantine anthem".[19]

Commercial performance

[edit]

Despite not registering a full week of tracking activity, "Level of Concern" debuted at number three on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart (an extension of the Billboard Hot 100), number two on the Hot Rock Songs chart and number nineteen on the Alternative Songs chart in the United States with 7,000 digital sales.[22] In its first full week of tracking, the track entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number twenty-three with 10.6 million streams and 12,000 downloads, making it their second-highest debut on that chart, and unseated Panic! at the Disco's "High Hopes" from the top of the Hot Rock Songs chart, becoming the first song at number one on the chart not by Panic! at the Disco since November 2018.[23] It also became their seventh number-one hit on the Alternative Songs chart, making them the seventh band with the most number-one hits on the chart at the time, which they are now the fourth as of 2022.[24]

In late 2023, for the 35th anniversary of Alternative Airplay,[25] Billboard published a list of the top 100 most successful songs in the chart's history; "Level of Concern" was ranked at number 26.[26]

Music video

[edit]

The music video for "Level of Concern" was shared upon the song's release on April 9, 2020, and was directed by frequent collaborator Reel Bear Media.[14] It features additional appearances from Joseph's wife Jenna, their daughter Rosie, and Dun's wife Debby Ryan.[27] It loosely documents the creation of the song and video as Joseph and Dun individually record and film their parts, uploading the audio and video onto a USB flash drive and sending it via snail-mail (although it is revealed that the two are living next door to each other at the end of the video). This is cut between clips of Joseph and Dun spending time with their respective partners and decorating their houses with flashing lights and fluorescent stars.[13][14][28][29][30]

A separate music video for the song was released in the form of a continuous stream. Dubbed the "never-ending music video", it ran for 178 days, from June 22 to December 18, 2020.[31] Guinness World Records certified it as the longest music video in history.[32]

Alternate reality game

[edit]

On June 12, 2020, a subset of the official Twenty One Pilots website began to accept alphanumerical codes in a specific format: "LOC-XXX-XXX-XXXXY", with "X" being digits and "Y" being letters. These events followed a Tweet made on the official band account that included a code in the format reading, "LOC-061-220-2012P".[33] Fans determined that the code translated to June 12, 2020, at 12:00, which was when the YouTube livestream began and the website began to accept codes. The livestream, which streamed from the official band account and ultimately lasted 24 hours, included clues to codes, although later codes were more dependent on files that users unlocked and downloaded through the website using the previous codes. These file downloads included clues that became progressively more difficult to decipher, such as images, words and short videos. Through the images, fans were able to create an alphabet based on the symbols included, which ultimately led to the solutions of later downloads. Behind-the-scenes clips and pictures of the band were also included inside the files, which were titled "USB", followed by the number of the code that unlocked the file (i.e., USB20). Codes 1 to 20 have been found.[34]

The final file download led users to a website that initially allowed them to input their name, mailing address, and Twitter handle. The first 500 individuals to do so received a physical flash drive containing exclusive images, videos, and old demo tracks from 2011.[35] As more responses were entered, the website was changed to show only a message of congratulations.

Credits and personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from Tidal.[8]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications and sales for "Level of Concern"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[77] Platinum 40,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[78] Platinum 80,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[79] Gold 15,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[80] Gold 25,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[81] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[82] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Level of Concern - Single by twenty one pilots on Apple Music". Apple Music. Archived from the original on April 14, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  2. ^ Lavin, Will (November 19, 2021). "Twenty One Pilots share surprise livestream version of new album 'Scaled And Icy'". NME. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  3. ^ "Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  4. ^ Renken, Elena; Wood, Daniel. "Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Coronavirus In The U.S." NPR. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  5. ^ Young, Alex (April 9, 2020). "Twenty One Pilots Reveal New Single "Level of Concern": Stream". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  6. ^ @KISS107 (April 9, 2020). "Here's the backstory of #LevelOfConcern from #twentyonepilots: Tyler's mom inspired him to write a song for their fans in this unprecedented moment in all of our lives. He decided to write about the last time he felt this out of control" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. ^ Rowley, Glenn (April 24, 2020). "Tyler Joseph Says His Mom and Wife Inspired Twenty One Pilots' 'Level of Concern". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Credits / Level of Concern / twenty one pilots". Tidal. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  9. ^ Weingarten, Christopher R. (October 5, 2018). "Review: Twenty One Pilots Still Stressed, More Cohesive on 'Trench'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 6, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  10. ^ a b "twenty one pilots Have Dropped a Brand-New Song, Level of Concern". Kerrang!. April 9, 2020. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  11. ^ Moore, Sam (April 6, 2020). "Twenty One Pilots have a new song on the way, according to Tyler Joseph". NME. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  12. ^ a b c Reilly, Nick (April 9, 2020). "Listen to Twenty One Pilots encourage hope on new track 'Level of Concern'". NME. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  13. ^ a b c d Blistein, Jon (April 9, 2020). "Twenty One Pilots Dance Toward Hope on 'Level of Concern'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  14. ^ a b c d e Willman, Chris (April 9, 2020). "Twenty One Pilots Offer a Danceable Quarantine Anthem with 'Level of Concern' (Watch)". Variety. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  15. ^ a b Lipshutz, Jason (April 10, 2020). "First Stream: New Music From Twenty One Pilots, The Strokes, Selena Gomez & More". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  16. ^ WDR (May 11, 2020). "Twenty One Pilots - Level of Concern". www1.wdr.de (in German). Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  17. ^ a b c d "Twenty One Pilots "Level of Concern" Sheet Music in E Minor". Musicnotes. April 10, 2020.
  18. ^ Johnson, Laura. "Twenty One Pilots Drop New Track Level Of Concern - Stereoboard". Stereoboard.com. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  19. ^ a b Sanchez, Omar (April 9, 2020). "Twenty One Pilots release the first quarantine anthem 'Level of Concern'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  20. ^ a b Payne, Chris (April 9, 2020). "Twenty One Pilots Take on the Quarantine Blues With 'Level of Concern': Watch". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  21. ^ Pareles, Jon; Caramanica, Jon; Ganz, Caryn; Russonello, Giovanni (April 10, 2020). "Neil Young's Call to Action, and 14 More New Songs". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 11, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  22. ^ McIntyre, Hugh (April 14, 2020). "Twenty One Pilots Have Scored The First Real Coronavirus-Related Hit Single". Forbes. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  23. ^ "Twenty One Pilots' 'Level of Concern' Dethrones This Band From Hot Rock Songs No. 1 for First Time Since 2018". Billboard. April 20, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  24. ^ Ruterhford, Kevin (May 5, 2020). "Twenty One Pilots' Latest Has Already Reached the Top 'Level' on Alternative Songs Chart". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  25. ^ Rutherford, Kevin (September 7, 2023). "Alternative Airplay Chart's 35th Anniversary: Foo Fighters Remain No. 1 Act, 'Monsters' New Top Song". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  26. ^ "Greatest of All Time Alternative Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  27. ^ Greenwood, Koltan (May 21, 2020). "Yes, Josh Dun and Debby Ryan did get secretly married when you thought". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  28. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Share Video for 'Level of Concern'". Spin. April 9, 2020. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  29. ^ Rogers, Jack (April 9, 2020). "LISTEN: Twenty One Pilots' New Song 'Level of Concern'". Rock Sound. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  30. ^ "twenty one pilots - Level of Concern (Official Video)". YouTube. April 9, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  31. ^ Richards, Will (December 18, 2020). "Twenty One Pilots' 'never-ending' video for 'Level Of Concern' comes to a close". NME.
  32. ^ "Longest music video". Guinness World Records. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  33. ^ Twenty One Pilots [@twentyonepilots] (June 10, 2020). "https://youtu.be/LlHHX8anhOg" (Tweet). Retrieved June 24, 2020 – via Twitter.
  34. ^ "What Are Twenty One Pilots Up To? - News". Rock Sound Magazine. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  35. ^ "A REAL Level of Concern Flash drive from TWENTY ONE PILOTS! Scaled and icy??". YouTube. Joseph.
  36. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 20 April 2020". The ARIA Report. No. 1572. Australian Recording Industry Association. April 20, 2020.
  37. ^ "Twenty One Pilots – Level of Concern" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  38. ^ "Twenty One Pilots – Level of Concern" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  39. ^ "Twenty One Pilots – Level of Concern" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  40. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  41. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  42. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  43. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  44. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  45. ^ Twenty One Pilots — Level of Concern. TopHit. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  46. ^ "Croatia ARC TOP 100". HRT. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  47. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 16. týden 2020 in the date selector. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  48. ^ "EESTI TIPP-40 MUUSIKAS: nublul on uus esikohahitt". Eesti Ekspress (in Estonian). Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  49. ^ "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Week: 16/2020". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on May 4, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  50. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  51. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  52. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  53. ^ "2020 16-os SAVAITĖS (balandžio 10-16 d.) SINGLŲ TOP100" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. April 17, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  54. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Mexico Ingles Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  55. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 23, 2020" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  56. ^ "Twenty One Pilots – Level of Concern" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  57. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. April 20, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  58. ^ "Twenty One Pilots – Level of Concern". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  59. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  60. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 34. týden 2020 in the date selector. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  61. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 16. týden 2020 in the date selector. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  62. ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 16". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  63. ^ "Twenty One Pilots – Level of Concern". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  64. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  65. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  66. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  67. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  68. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  69. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  70. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  71. ^ "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. April 10, 2020. Archived from the original on November 21, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  72. ^ "Anglo" (in Spanish). Record Report. May 25, 2020. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  73. ^ "Pop" (in Spanish). Record Report. May 25, 2020. Archived from the original on May 19, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  74. ^ "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  75. ^ "Rock Airplay Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  76. ^ "Alternative Airplay Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  77. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Twenty One Pilots – Level of Concern" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  78. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Level Of Concern". Music Canada. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  79. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Twenty One Pilots – Level of Concern". Radioscope. Retrieved December 17, 2024. Type Level of Concern in the "Search:" field.
  80. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2021 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  81. ^ "British single certifications – Twenty One Pilots – Level of Concern". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  82. ^ "American single certifications – Twenty One Pilots – Level of Concern". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://wiki.riteme.site/w/index.php?title=Level_of_Concern&oldid=1263654382"