Download Lee Braydon Lee Mr. Wood IB English 11, Period 6 March 15, 2016

Lee 1
Braydon Lee
Mr. Wood
IB English 11, Period 6
March 15, 2016
Written Task 2 Outline
“How does the text conform to, or deviate from, the conventions of a particular genre, and for
what purpose?”
Language and Mass Communication
“Stressed Out” by Twenty One Pilots conforms to the diverse parameters of alternate
rock in that “alternative rock” has a loose definition and various cultural connotations. Music is
often mixed in style according to the preferences of the artist, and this piece in particular is
evident of an alternative style. This is especially evident in
1) Lyric trends – rhyme, flow, and speech patterns are often distinctive trademarks of an
alternative artist.
2) Genre combinations – rhythm, chord progressions, and culture all combine in endless ways
to define any alternative style.
3) Mood – an intended mood versus feelings derived from the lyrics paint different yet coercive
emotional pictures.
Music has a dynamic nature in terms of interpretations. By applying and evaluating this
concept, subjective and debatable points can and will be addressed.
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Written Task 2
Twenty One Pilots’ “Stressed Out” is a contemporary piece of mass communication that
exemplifies an alternative rock genre. Much of Twenty One Pilots’ music conforms to alternative
boundaries, and this particular piece’s popularity makes it ideal for analysis (Twenty One Pilots Chart History). To be considered alternative rock, a song’s style is generally derived from 1980s
punk, although many subgenres are influenced by folk, country, or other genres (alternative rock
tag - Music at Last.fm). Due to this broad definition, coherent boundaries between genres are
difficult to employ. Considering this, alternative pieces often have common structural and
characteristic similarities including lyric trends, genre combinations, and emotional impact.
“Stressed Out” and other songs of similar style make use of distinct lyric patterns. Of
course, every song is an individual and often independent work of art; still, trends can be
observed. For example, alternative songs make use of irregular internal rhyming more than many
other genres, and doing so marks a clear deviation from the simple schemes of previous rock
styles. Likewise, Twenty One Pilots’ work with “Stressed Out” takes on a poetic use of phrase
grouping. By breaking complete thoughts into several pieces, a listener remains engaged. In a
similar way, following complete thoughts with perspective-changing modifiers aids in the
development in a reliably nonconformist distinction from other artists while still maintaining an
“alternative” label. Adding to individual style is the vocalists voice; the lead vocalist facilitates
framing lyrics in a way that best conveys the intended meaning. In “Stressed Out,” lead singer
Tyler Joseph does this in pronunciations and emphasis.
“Stressed Out” falls most consistently under the subgenre of rap rock. Evidence of this
exists in the structure of the song: the rhythm is constant in basic structure yet complex in vocal
flow, chord progressions are simple yet powerful, and the culture of other music plays a part in
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development. Vocal flow is closely related to the phrase grouping previously described;
however, this takes into account the artistic elements. Here, the subgenre of rap rock is most
obviously expressed and the influences of that culture are most decisive. In said rap culture,
words and rhythm are of dominant importance and the role of musical creativity is diminished;
this resulted in a minimalist approach to chord progressions. Chords are unelaborate and reduced
to use in a most basic form. In such an artistic approach, a listener focuses more on the
percussive elements or lyrics. In context, chords provide a basis to build emotional elements
upon. Combined with the actual spoken lyrics, chord progressions tell the story the artist is trying
to convey, even as this purpose is less effective in a rap-influenced piece. Such a coherent
relationship between these music elements thus defines “Stressed Out” as alternative rap rock.
Still to be examined is the mood of the song, which is another interesting element to the
song’s alternative nature. Referring back to previous analyses of instrumental and lyrical
elements, mood can be described as the emotions derived from the sentiments within the song.
Using this definition, a nearly infinite number of interpretations could be drawn from any lyrical
sequence. In “Stressed Out,” emotions expressed do not always correlate between what is said
and music accompanies what is said. For example, “Stressed Out” generally maintains an image
that the artist is in a place he does not want to be described with lines like “/wish we could turn
back time/to the good old days/” (Pilots) and often therefore conveys a depressing message. In
contrast, a generally calm and uplifting progression is maintained in the musical accompaniment.
Such contrasts are characteristic in emotional-type music genres including alternate rock. The
reason music is often left to emotional interpretation is so that a listener can identify with the
piece individually. A personal connection to the message brings about a love for the music as
well as a desire to share it.
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It could be argued that “alternative” is used to describe music that simply does not fit into
any other genre. It is true that alternative music is very different from other genres and includes a
very diverse range of styles, yet there is still a culture within to constitute it being a genre of its
own. Logically, if alternative music includes only that which does not fit into another genre, then
a song would have to fail entry to every other genre before being considered “alternative.” This
is not the case. There are songs that can quickly be identified as alternative rock, just like any
other genre. It is easy to identify a country song just by interpreting the impression given; this
process is likewise applicable to any genre, including alternative rock.
Twenty One Pilots’ “Stressed Out” deviates from every other genre of music by
conforming to the style of alternative music. It is not rap or rock, though the song borrows much
from those and other genres. Definitive distinctions between genres are rare if existent at all, yet
this song in particular is an example of many characteristics of alternative music. In structure,
sentiment, and speculation, “Stressed Out” falls under the wide umbrella of parameters that is the
alternative genre.
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Works Cited
alternative rock tag - Music at Last.fm. 6 April 2010. 21 March 2016.
Pilots, Twenty One. "Stressed Out." Blurryface. By Twenty One Pilots. 2015.
Twenty One Pilots - Chart History. 2016. 21 March 2016.