The duo also released a mystical video for the song that features miniature figurines, magic and robbery. Shot in their hometown of Columbus, OH, the cinematic visual shows Tyler Joseph entering a toy store where Josh Dun is working. 

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Fascinated by a tiny blue dragon toy, Joseph attempts to buy it but is ignored by Dun, who opts to rock out on drums from behind the counter. Later in the video, Joseph decides to steal the dragon toy and run out of the store. Dun chases him and uses a net gun to capture and bring him back to the storefront.

The visual’s aesthetics parallel the overall tone of the new era with a colorful rainbow palette and notes of icy blue. The band also added easter eggs for fans throughout the video. These include a DEMA mug and a window drawing of Ned, the fictional creature that was created by Joseph during the group’s Trench era. Dun’s golden retriever Jim Dun also plays a major role in the plot of the video’s storyline.

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The band first teased “Choker” on social media earlier this week, posting a teaser of the video ahead of its premiere on YouTube.

Joseph also gave fans a taste of the lyrics on Instagram, sharing a still from the video with the caption, “:.: i see no volunteers to co-sign on my fears, :.: i’ll sign on the line alone.”

 

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Fans were first given hints of a new album from the band last year when Joseph told Zane Lowe that they were gearing up to release new music sooner than might be expected. Since COVID-19 halted live shows indefinitely, the various festivals and headlining slots they had planned for the year were canceled. This freed up their time and gave them the opportunity to work more on the album. 

“I’m writing a record right now,” Joseph said during the interview. “I’m not sure when it’ll be released, but it’s definitely going to be sooner than we were planning on releasing a record.”

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Luckily enough, fans didn’t have to wait long to hear new music. Scaled And Icy will be the latest album from twenty one pilots since their 2018 release Trench. With their new free time, Joseph wrote and primarily produced the album from his home studio during quarantine. Dun was able to work on drums from across the country. 

Due to the pandemic, the two had to work together virtually, which forced them to completely overhaul their normal creative process. Joseph frequently shares his home studio setup on his Instagram, giving fans an inside look at how his life and work have been influenced by the pandemic.

Read more: twenty one pilots ‘Scaled And Icy’ album artwork came from an unexpected place

“Choker” follows “Shy Away,” the album’s debut single released earlier this month.

After announcing a May 21 release date for the album, the group also revealed a concert planned for the same day, streamed exclusively through Maestro. This virtual performance may see the duo perform new Scaled And Icy songs for the first time live, while also potentially treating fans to other songs from previous albums.

Sponsored by Chipotle and Hot Topic, the event will include various opportunities for fans. Through the purchase of a ticket, they will be able to unlock a 6-week interactive experience. This will give them access to rare content, limited merch and special upcoming versions of Scaled And Icy.

Tickets for the show are on available here.

You can watch the video for “Choker” below, and let us know your thoughts about the song in the comments!

twenty one pilots Scaled And Icy tracklist “Good Day”

1. “Choker”
2. “Shy Away”
3. “The Outside”
4. “Saturday”
5. “Never Take It”
6. “Mulberry Street”
7. “Formidable”
8. “Bounce Man”
9. “No Chances”
10. Redecorate”

“Choker” lyrics

I don’t bother anyone
Nervous when I stand
Choking on the circumstance
Only smoking secondhand
Cut us open, spread us out
Dry us in the sand
Lay the fibers side-by-side
And you’ll begin to understand

I know it’s over
I was born a choker
Nobody’s coming for me.
…coming for me

I don’t bother anyone
Never make demands
Choking on the circumstance
Self-sabotage is a sweet romance
Seems like all I’m worth is what
I’m able to withstand
Sooner I can realize
That pain is just a middle man.

I know it’s over
I was born a choker
Nobody’s coming for me.

I see no volunteers
to co-sign on my fears
I’ll sign on the line
Alone.

I’m gonna change my circumstance
I know I need to move right now
’cause…

I know it’s over
I was born a choker
Nobody’s coming for me.
(only smoking secondhand)

Like a little splinter
buried in your skin
Someone else can carve it out
But when you’ve got the pin
It hurts a little less
and you can even push it further in
When your body’s screaming out
Trust your mind’s listening.
Like a silhouette that you can barely see
As the shadow casts upon the ground
where you’ll eventually
lay forever, but the day goes on
the sun moves behind you
You get taller, bolder, stronger,
and the rear-view only blinds you

Designer Brandon Rike has teamed back up with twenty one pilots for the Scaled And Icy artwork. Previously, Rike designed the cover art for both Blurryface and Trench. Now, Rike has revealed where the inspiration for Trash The Dragon came from. As it turns out, the colorful illustration was created over 150 years ago for a children’s book.

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By now, twenty one pilots fans know that everything Dun and Joseph release has been strategically thought out with deep meanings. So, naturally, a lot of fans began to wonder what the significance behind the Scaled And Icy artwork is. Over the weekend, Instagram user @20bndk05 asked Rike where the Trash The Dragon illustration came from.

Eventually, Rike revealed on his Instagram post that the illustration is actually from a children’s book that was released in the 1860s. The artwork was created by Walter Crane and is part of the public domain, which is why twenty one pilots are able to use it for their Scaled And Icy cover art.

Crane was a British artist who lived from 1845 to 1915. During his lifetime, Crane illustrated numerous children’s books and nursery rhymes including 1874’s The Frog Prince and Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince And Other Tales. Along with this, he also created numerous dragon illustrations including Prince Cheri And The Dragon and Aschemon The Dragon.

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“Old 1860s (terrifying) children’s book illustration by Walter Crane (public domain),” Rike says on Instagram.

 

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More on twenty one pilots

On April 7, twenty one pilots kicked off their Scaled And Icy era with the premiere of their new single “Shy Away” on BBC Radio 1 with host Jack Saunders. Moments before the new track hit the radio waves, Saunders took to social media to share the first listen of “Shy Away” was airing at 1:07 p.m. ET/6:07 p.m. GMT.

Shortly after its premiere, the colorful video for “Shy Away” debuted on YouTube. The captivating visual was directed by Miles And AJ and introduces twenty one pilots’ new era and its accompanying colors of blue, pink and yellow. 

Although “Shy Away” marks the beginning of twenty one pilots’ next chapter, the duo still managed to incorporate plenty of nods to their past albums including their signature ski masks that appear in both the Blurryface and Trench eras.

“Shy Away” follows up twenty one pilots’ surprise holiday song “Christmas Saves The Year” which debuted back in December. After cryptically teasing the track, Dun and Joseph dropped the new song following a Fortnite livestream.

The “Shy Away” video is available to stream below.

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After the global pandemic changed twenty one pilots’ plans for 2020, Joseph began work on their next album. Back in May, Joseph told Zane Lowe during his Apple Music show that he had started writing new material for the project.

“I’m writing a record right now,” he told Lowe. “I’m not sure when it’ll be released, but it’s definitely going to be sooner than we were planning on releasing a record.”

Over the past year, Joseph ended up writing and producing Scaled And Icy from his home studio in Columbus, Ohio. Throughout the recording process, Joseph shared numerous cryptic updates on his social media platforms. More recently, in mid-November, he gave fans an update on his Instagram Story where he simply shared, “I’m working on the album.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Joseph and Dun recorded Scaled And Icy separately. Dun worked from home, engineering drums for the album from across the country. 

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In celebration of the album’s release, twenty one pilots have a special livestream performance in store. On May 21 at 8 p.m. ET, they will be hosting their first-ever streamed concert on Maestro’s platform. 

For “Twenty One Pilots – Livestream Experience,” which is sponsored by Chipotle and Hot Topic, Dun and Joseph will perform tracks off of Scaled And Icy for the very first time. As well, the duo plans to incorporate plenty of other hits from throughout their discography.

With each purchased ticket, fans will unlock a 6-week interactive experience produced by lili STUDIOS. As well, ticket holders will gain access to rare content, limited merch and special editions of the upcoming album. The official poster for the livestream event also includes a subtle reference to the Trench era as it is billed as “A production of dma.org and Good Day Dema.” Tickets are available here. 

twenty one pilots Scaled And Icy tracklist

1. “Good Day”
2. “Choker”
3. “Shy Away”
4. “The Outside”
5. “Saturday”
6. “Never Take It”
7. “Mulberry Street”
8. “Formidable”
9. “Bounce Man”
10. “No Chances”
11. “Redecorate”

What are your reactions to the origin of twenty one pilots’ Scaled And Icy artwork? Let us know in the comments below.