Flashing lights, a dramatic performance, blasting speakers, and a crowd hopping to the beat while screaming the lyrics to each song at the top of their lungs. This is what I experienced at the most exhilarating concert of my life, where the popular band Twenty One Pilots was playing their album Trench.

However, I cannot see the same thing happening for their newest album: Scaled and Icy. Despite the fact that the album has not yet been released, I do not have high hopes after listening to their preview song “Shy Away.”

“Shy Away” is not a bad song by any means. The quality is incredible, the vocals are astounding, and the beat is catchy and interesting. The drums beat an aggressive tune while the vocals switch between major and minor cadences, letting emotions flow. Although the song is enjoyable, there are some contradictions with other songs by the band that made me fall in love with them.

In many songs by Twenty One Pilots, especially, “Lane Boy,” Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun, the two members of Twenty One Pilots, criticize mainstream music that is frequently on the radio. Since they are branded as an alternative band, this is expected and pretty amusing.

On the other hand, as Twenty One Pilots has grown in popularity and actually been blared on radios from all different stations, their music seems to have stopped pushing the boundaries. “Shy Away” is a prime example of this—it is about family, love, and growing up. Joseph even admits this in an interview, where he says he took a step back and didn’t put as much “fear” into the new album.

“Shy Away,” is a great song with a deep meaning, but seems to go against any of the Twenty One Pilots songs that were made a staple in the music industry. Songs in the albums Vessel and Blurryface bring forward rarely touched upon subjects in the world of music such as mental health, gun control, expectations, and stigmas.

“Shy Away” presents none of this.

Unfortunately, “Shy Away” doesn’t have the same air of importance as other Twenty One Pilots’ music. It doesn’t really confront any specific issue; the song walks along without any specific destination.

While other songs by the band are protesters raising their signs, “Shy Away” is the bystanders smiling on the sidelines.

In addition to lyrical blandness, “Shy Away” stays with a consistent beat the entire way through. One of my favorite things about Twenty One Pilots or alternative music, in general, is the unexpectedness and originality. It’s difficult to guess when the songs will do a full 180 turn and bring forth a new rhythm.

Again, “Shy Away” was lacking in the change and blend of beats. Ironically enough, the song is about not holding back, but that’s exactly what Joseph and Dun did in this tune. There was no pausing, no whispers, and no buildup to a full-on scream. This sucked every drop of excitement from the dry enough song. 

My disappointment with “Shy Away” is immeasurable, but my longtime love for the band could be behind my bias. Twenty One Pilots failed to climb to my high expectations this time around—I sincerely hope that the rest of Scaled and Icy will help the duo redeem themselves.