On September 12, 2025, a band that I used to listen to in middle school and early high school released a new album that managed to successfully pull me back into their fanbase. The band being Twenty One Pilots, and the album being Breach. While there are many aspects of this album that stand out to me, one song in particular comes to mind when considering the album in terms of its soundscape and impact: Track 8, Center Mass.
Track 8: Center Mass
When listening to Center Mass and focusing on its production, it is reasonable to assume that this was recorded professionally. The tone is clear for the lyrics and instruments, the volume intentionally varies when needed (as can be heard at 2:14 where there is a fairly dramatic dip in volume before it quickly rises once again), and even when the song feels as if it’s in a climax it does not seem too overwhelming. What interests me the most about this song occurs at its beginning within the timestamp of 0:12-0:20. When listening closely, there are a couple of rather quiet voices pairing with the music that don’t seem to fit the sound of the band’s lead singer. While the first voice can be heard singing and the second can be heard speaking, they both share the trait of coming from videos that were taken by fans at Twenty One Pilots concerts and then later uploaded online.
First Clip: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTMR5U3en
Second Clip: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTMR5e1PF
Expanding on each of these clips, the first clip captured an audience member’s voice standing out above everyone else’s during a concert’s final song, while the second clip captured someone stealing one of the band’s drums and the shocked reaction of the person recording. From a production standpoint, these audio clips were not professionally recorded. Both clips were captured on cell phones without the intention of being part of the Breach album, as supported by the background noise in each of the original clips, as well as the settings in which they were filmed. Yet, even with the knowledge of these recordings existing due to being casually shot on a phone, the band still chose to use them in their album.
When listening to these clips within the actual song, it seems as if the voices within each clip were semi-isolated in order to clean up their overall sound qualities and improve how well they would fit into the production of Center Mass itself. The clipped voices sound filtered and almost empty in comparison to the lead singer’s voice that carries out the rest of the song. Additionally, the volumes of the selected clips have been lowered within the track when compared to how loud they are in their original sources. These adjustments allow for their inclusion to be subtle enough to not harm the professionalism or seriousness of the track, but for them to still be noticeable when paying attention.
Another important factor to consider about this sound artifact is the impression that these clips left on the fanbase, as it was a positive one. The usage of the clips demonstrated that the band/management team is aware of what occurs in online spaces and that they relate in what they find entertaining. On a more general scale when assessing the relevance of Center Mass’s introduction, the use of these clips in an album created by a band with a large following such as this one shows just how wide the reach of social media extends – from fans, to celebrities, and even further. Without various social media platforms existing to circulate funny moments such as these, the introduction of the song may have been completely different. Lastly, the reception of the song’s introduction has appeared to be overall positive, as many fans online quickly began to discuss the inclusion of the clips as soon as the album was released and started sharing the information with others (through social media, once again).