Twenty One Pilots Scavenger Hunt

Perhaps going a bit stir crazy through the COVID-19 pandemic, Twenty One Pilots have been getting creative. If you haven’t heard their newest release, “Level of Concern,” that’s your first order of business. Their first single since the 2018 hit album “Trench,” this song hits the mark in every way. It’s got the usual TOP uniqueness: unhinged high pitches and muffled deep verses that the two artists fit perfectly with their funky electronic drum. I particularly love the sing-songy chorus: “I told you [pause] my level of concern / but you walked by like you never heard / and you could bring down my [pause] level of concern.” The beats that align with the first half of the verse get the song stuck in your head immediately (periods added for dramatic effect): “I. told. you.” and “you. could. bring. down my.” The pauses accentuate the strong beats throughout the song, while the slightly longer pause after the strong three chords highlights the quicker verse “level of concern” by letting it stand more alone. So, what does having any level of concern even mean?

Releasing a new song amidst a quarantine-causing pandemic wasn’t enough fan engagement for the Twenty One Pilots duo. To get involved, they created a very cryptic virtual scavenger hunt for their followers to engage with. On June 10th, they got it started by posting a video to Instagram with the code LOC-061-220-2012P with “Level of Concern” playing in the background. It had no caption, no explanation, just the code. Reading the comments to that post, fans had all kinds of crazy and hyperbolic theories, joking that Tyler leaked his credit card number or interpreting the code as saying an album would drop on 06/12/2020 with 12 tracks.

Instead, it was hinting at the band’s live YouTube video they posted at midnight on June 12th. Viewers were presented with a phone number, 1-877-LVL-CNRN, a link to a webpage, and a code to enter once you reached the page. The phone call was simply a voice telling the caller “If you are receiving this message, you are most likely currently receiving a level of concern. We thank you for your participation and interest. We have hidden codes all around the Internet for you to unlock new levels.” Following the website link, viewers were prompted to enter the code from the live video, and from there they received a downloadable zip file. Uploaded to your computer, clues lived in the digital folder: videos, pictures, and symbols that gave hints to help them complete the other 19 levels. So, the goal was to advance through the levels of concern, and receive a new song release. Each level lives on the main scavenger hunt webpage, and if coded successfully, you receive a new zip file each time with more clues. The band had planned on it taking people about a week to complete the scavenger hunt and ultimately “win” their new music video as a reward. However, fans were finishing it in just over 12 hours- that’s Twenty One Pilots dedication!

That led to the drop of the music video for “Level of Concern”- a never ending YouTube stream that includes footage from their fans and scavenger hunters. The song, 3 minutes and 40 seconds long, is on a never-ending loop. But, every time the song starts over, new fan footage plays within the video. Every time you look at your screen, something completely new is being featured, a new level of concern. Good thing it’s a song that’s hard to get tired of.

As I’ve said before, music is such a shared experience. During this quarantine, music junkies are being deprived of their love for live music. So, according to band member Tyler Joseph, they collaborated with storyteller Jason Zada to make this project happen, an attempt to connect with fans and give them “an opportunity to share meaningful experiences” (Cingrana). You see some people dancing by themselves, you see others just making goofy faces. In fact, while writing this I saw footage of a group of 6 opening 6 pizza boxes. It’s interesting to see all the ways people are enjoying and expressing their love for music through the lockdowns.

It all makes sense- sitting on the internet, listening to music, taking random videos. All the things everyone has been doing since March. Twenty One Pilots took that and ran with it. The song includes lyrics like “tell me we’re alright, tell me we’re okay.” They even say “would you be my little quarantine?” They totally used the current state of our nation and used it to their advantage. People came together digitally while promoting a new track. This is why I love unique bands like Twenty One Pilots. They display their personalities through their interaction with the public and it makes you feel somewhat close to them- like friends. They are clearly fans of coding and internet scheming, which some people probably didn’t know about them before. Another way to connect with the band!

It is confirmed that a new record is in the works, and the different clues may or may not hint at the tracks included. I personally tried the challenge, and it’s way too hard for me to figure out. If you tried the scavenger hunt, comment your reaction!!

The live video was only up for 24 hours, so if you’re interested in trying the challenge, here’s the first code. You’re welcome: LOC-491-555-09JKL

Sources: https://www.radio.com/music/alternative/twenty-one-pilots-end-scavenger-hunt-with-never-ending-video