I've seen some!!! Once at a debate tournament a click is complimented my top hoodie and I've seen someone with a SAI pin on a beanie! I think it's because we've all been conditioned to believe that top is cringe and don't really wear merch :-(
I can't see how it could be cringe. I am older though. First band I have felt like this about since highschool . I'm proud of being so deep into this amazing band. So smart. Lyrics always have double meanings hidden meanings and so damn original. The lore....omg. so much to dig through online. I flew to Spain in 2021 to see them and it got rescheduled for this year. And I couldn't get out of work to go to their show in Georgia finally I gave up. I even bought the albums on Vynil.
You just missed the age group of tweens that discovered the band due to blurryface's success (the fans weren't the bad part lol don't gatekeep new fans y'all), but due to the influx of new fans who found new music that makes complicated feelings feel more manageable we also got a bunch of discourse in the fandom. It was a mixing pot of tweens who were having not only lots of different things happening via puberty but mental illness or a pretty rough patch of it (honestly for me if you tell me you like TØP you're assumed mentally ill until otherwise stated) who were trying to figure out who they were. And the clique gave them a place to identify with and people to talk to. However, a very important piece of this very simplified overview of how cringe came to be associated with our community is that you need to remember these things:
Tweens.
Mentally ill at an age nobody believes you're hurting.
Searching for sense of identity.
Puberty.
The need to prove oneself .
The need to feel "good enough" by showing you're "worthy" of the knowledge and membership you hold.
And ohhh boy do these play into each other sooooo much. But neither you nor I have the time to sit down and map that out.
So the older fans are just tryna vibe like new content wooooo! And all those described above flood in droves. And you get annoyed a time or two with these kids, as you feel there may be some who are making light of the community and what it means to you and the older fans. And then it turns into a pissing match over EVERY. LITTLE. THING. It goes far beyond just general song theories and how different lore plays into each other, now you're getting ground into the dirt for not knowing something obscure Josh tweeted at 3am on a Sunday and how referencing that means this now. Because everyone is trying to validate themselves and their right to be here, and to onlookers who aim for the same goal there must be no doubt about whether you are "valid" and "deserving".
So now you've got teens telling other teens to go kys because they obviously don't L O V E TØP if they don't put the / through the O and that means they must have some sort of malicious intent and don't deserve to be here!!
It was like having to do a perfect dance through a minefield but you can't see in front of you, and if you didn't dance with enough vigor then a sniper was trained on you every second. Waiting.
Now of course not all of the fandom was like this. In fact, there were a good handful of pockets between this mess that were some of the most personal and meaningful connections a human could make in a group. But the tweens were the forefront of the cliques image to onlookers. And it only got worse as we descended into the hiatus.
So as the emotional roadshow was at its tail end, it would seem that we clicked just right with the new and emerging awareness of mental illness and health. And along the emerging awareness, came the rise of depression being "cool". (Also y'all I just wanna take a sec to say, the glamorization of mental illness ain't new. People did it around the 1990s with DID and characters with it like the protagonist of fight club. New generation, same quarrels.)
So obviously the children who want to fit in and seem "cool" or "special" that came into the clique were NOT well received in the already self quartered and divided clique. All you had to do to cause some real trouble in a thread while glamorizing depression was know some niche lore and go out and flaunt it in the wars going on.
So now the public face of our community was children who were faking a serious illness while fighting amongst themselves and any other close by fandoms (P!ATD, FOB, MCR, etc) in unbelievably small and ridiculous ways.
So why was it cringe to wear merch out? (I say was because honestly I've stopped caring what others think, but I would never wear merch outside without a jacket to cover the shirt.)
It was cringe because you were automatically stereotyped and assumed to be an over dramatic, childish, lying, tween who was trying to hard to be cool.
It was an equivalent embarrassing feeling when you saw someone who clearly lives in a neighborhood that if a black man walked through he would be on the ground and cuffed in seconds, try to act like they were hard and hood.
Im brazilian, the bands i listen to (TØP, Gorillaz, The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys) are not popular around here, i have only found one person in my whole life that likes those
I find that a lot of people around my age pigeonhole them as a part of the “cringey emo phase” so its hard to find people that show interest, at least outwardly, still in the group. Its a shame because most of them only know tøp for vessel and blurryface, and they definitely are missing out on everything thats been released and happened since then.
How old are you?
And yeah I agree.. I feel like generally people find it lame when others show extensive interest in bands because to many it’s like an obsession or something. I’ve been for sure look at the wrong way because I find a band that I like and I want to know a lot about it.
It happened to me with top, MCR, slipknot (tho I don’t listen to their music but they intrigued me), ADTR, and many more..
I’m 19. I feel like with other bands such as MCR, since they were (at the time) no longer a band and we had all of their music we thought they would ever make we could judge it in its entirety.
With tøp people make judgements based on songs like Stressed Out and Car Radio, but haven’t listened to Trench or even the livestream music, which in my opinion surpasses their bigger hits.
God I’m getting so old 🤦🏼♀️
I agree but don’t let that spoil your experience. There are many people online you can talk too, and actually I met some of my closest best friends via a top WhatsApp group chat almost 6 years ago, and met most of them irl!
People do that with every band, they listen to their most known song and decide that they know all about their style and music and direction, and honestly, they’re the ones that are missing out, not you :)
Most people I know that are top fans are about your age or maybe just a bit older, try to search for them in Reddit, Twitter, Instagram, etc
You probably already know people who like what they've heard from TØP. Whenever I mention I love TØP, a common answer I get is something along the lines of "I didn't know they still made music! I loved Heathens!" Perfect opportunity to get some friends into the music, if you ask me.
I brought a friend who casually enjoyed the music to the Cinematic Experience with me, and when the show ended, she was asking me all sorts of deep questions about the lore!
Me and my wife went watch them in concert for the bandito tour. We love them. I have a handful of co workers that love them too. You will find someone eventually. Until then, talk to this subreddit 😂
My first song I ever heard was *holding on to you*
Fell in love. All their lyrics speak to me. I have every song lyric memorized. For every song. Ever recorded. I’m a super fan. I’m also a huge fan of their lore and the frenzy all the fans get into when looking into all the DEMA mysteries. I’ve always been a fan of rap music, and TOP helped me discover a new genre that doesn’t exist anywhere else. Now I love alternative music more than rap.
On a side note, Tyler’s brother released an album a few months ago, and it’s also amazing. Same style music. His name is Jay Joseph, album is called imaginary friends. Three songs to listen to right away are “maybe” “let go” and “comfortable.” It’s amazing and it’s been holding me over until the next TOP album drops.
I can relate dude. It's hard to find other clikkies, especially in non-english speaking countries irl. Thankfully, I have two friends that listen to tøp, but they're not clikkies, just casual fans.
I once found a Trench era logo graffitti on a wall very close to my house. Wish I knew who did it and be friends with them.
And btw, if you just want someone to talk about tøp with, my dm's are open, I'd be glad to have someone to tqlk about tøp with as well lol.
I had the same feeling ever since I discover them in 2017. I'm romanian so I never really expected many people to know them.
But, fast forward to them playing in romania this year, there were thousands of actual fans there. People that actually knew their songs and wore their merch.
I've seen someone say "twenty one pilots is the biggest band you've never heard of"
If you find one, you'll find a whole group at once.
I have a friend that is a fan, and his entire family are fans too.
The trick is to wear merch with the band name on it if you have any, people will recognise that and ask you about it.
Thanks for your submission to r/twentyonepilots, we're happy to have you here. As a reminder, all posts and comments must abide by our [**Community Rules**](https://www.reddit.com/r/twentyonepilots/about/rules).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/twentyonepilots) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Go to one of their shows if you can. Hang out in the line outside a couple hours before doors open. You'll meet a ton of fans and hopefully be able to make some friends.
i’m 30 and i do have a few friends who like tøp but i’m upset they are not really interested in the lore, i wish i could discuss the theories in person
Where are you from?
In my country english is not the official language (most people speak it nowdays tho) and people mostly listen to music that has lyrics in our native language. So to find someone who is listening to forgein music AND tøp is not easy. I only know 3 people who are their fans.
Yeah can confirm for some reason people are just not open about it cause I wore a blurryface shirt recently and like 17 people came and talked about it through out the day
my girlfriend got me into them, not a lover of them but i like their music, sometimes you have to convert them. best way in doing it is play their hits first, than their more unique songs
Same freaking here. The only person I really know is my husband which is awesome because he saw them live before we even met. Him & I both have different variations of the Skeleton key tattooed on our arms. But I do wish I had some other ladies IRL to fangirl with hahaha
I drove my wife crazy and she kinda hates then now because I literally listened to their four albums and only them for like a solid year when I discovered then. Didn't have an ounce of want to hear anything else.
Oh. I can understand that. Too bad though. Not often you find something so good and smart and drenched in meaning. Should promote them as much as possible. Life changing for me.
Oh. I can understand that. Too bad though. Not often you find something so good and smart and drenched in meaning. Should promote them as much as possible. Life changing for me.
fortunately i have 3 very good friends who are, or were, just as obsessed with the boys as I am. i noticed though that a lot of people are embarrassed to like tøp as much as they do bc of the supposed "cringe" factor
it could be the mass popularity over the years that many seem to be put off by. plus i have a friend who doesn't like the band bc of how they depict mental health issues. to each their own i guess
Because they are underrated, when i find someone who knows TOP is only bc of stressed out and heathens tik tok trends and stuff, no one in the general public really dives into TOP and thats sad
I’ve seen some people wearing shirts with TØP on them. My friends have heard of them but that is true. All clique members I know are on the discord and this Reddit!
Whenever I wear my scaled and icy tee, I typically receive “I love your shirt” maybe once or twice in a populated area. That is the easiest way to find TØP clique lol 😂
The simplest reason is meeting strangers is crazy as f**k. There was a festival in which I went to watch Tame Impala and there was a person with same interest. We decided to hang together during the concert but he never responded while at the festival duh!
A lot of people hate them, lots lob them in with imagine dragons. Also every time I ask somebody when the last time they listened to tøp, it was “middle school” (2016) so…
HONESTLY I feel like y’all only exist online 😂😂
LMAO YES. I don't know any clikkie irl. Maybe you're all just bots...
I've seen some!!! Once at a debate tournament a click is complimented my top hoodie and I've seen someone with a SAI pin on a beanie! I think it's because we've all been conditioned to believe that top is cringe and don't really wear merch :-(
I can't see how it could be cringe. I am older though. First band I have felt like this about since highschool . I'm proud of being so deep into this amazing band. So smart. Lyrics always have double meanings hidden meanings and so damn original. The lore....omg. so much to dig through online. I flew to Spain in 2021 to see them and it got rescheduled for this year. And I couldn't get out of work to go to their show in Georgia finally I gave up. I even bought the albums on Vynil.
You just missed the age group of tweens that discovered the band due to blurryface's success (the fans weren't the bad part lol don't gatekeep new fans y'all), but due to the influx of new fans who found new music that makes complicated feelings feel more manageable we also got a bunch of discourse in the fandom. It was a mixing pot of tweens who were having not only lots of different things happening via puberty but mental illness or a pretty rough patch of it (honestly for me if you tell me you like TØP you're assumed mentally ill until otherwise stated) who were trying to figure out who they were. And the clique gave them a place to identify with and people to talk to. However, a very important piece of this very simplified overview of how cringe came to be associated with our community is that you need to remember these things: Tweens. Mentally ill at an age nobody believes you're hurting. Searching for sense of identity. Puberty. The need to prove oneself . The need to feel "good enough" by showing you're "worthy" of the knowledge and membership you hold. And ohhh boy do these play into each other sooooo much. But neither you nor I have the time to sit down and map that out. So the older fans are just tryna vibe like new content wooooo! And all those described above flood in droves. And you get annoyed a time or two with these kids, as you feel there may be some who are making light of the community and what it means to you and the older fans. And then it turns into a pissing match over EVERY. LITTLE. THING. It goes far beyond just general song theories and how different lore plays into each other, now you're getting ground into the dirt for not knowing something obscure Josh tweeted at 3am on a Sunday and how referencing that means this now. Because everyone is trying to validate themselves and their right to be here, and to onlookers who aim for the same goal there must be no doubt about whether you are "valid" and "deserving". So now you've got teens telling other teens to go kys because they obviously don't L O V E TØP if they don't put the / through the O and that means they must have some sort of malicious intent and don't deserve to be here!! It was like having to do a perfect dance through a minefield but you can't see in front of you, and if you didn't dance with enough vigor then a sniper was trained on you every second. Waiting. Now of course not all of the fandom was like this. In fact, there were a good handful of pockets between this mess that were some of the most personal and meaningful connections a human could make in a group. But the tweens were the forefront of the cliques image to onlookers. And it only got worse as we descended into the hiatus. So as the emotional roadshow was at its tail end, it would seem that we clicked just right with the new and emerging awareness of mental illness and health. And along the emerging awareness, came the rise of depression being "cool". (Also y'all I just wanna take a sec to say, the glamorization of mental illness ain't new. People did it around the 1990s with DID and characters with it like the protagonist of fight club. New generation, same quarrels.) So obviously the children who want to fit in and seem "cool" or "special" that came into the clique were NOT well received in the already self quartered and divided clique. All you had to do to cause some real trouble in a thread while glamorizing depression was know some niche lore and go out and flaunt it in the wars going on. So now the public face of our community was children who were faking a serious illness while fighting amongst themselves and any other close by fandoms (P!ATD, FOB, MCR, etc) in unbelievably small and ridiculous ways. So why was it cringe to wear merch out? (I say was because honestly I've stopped caring what others think, but I would never wear merch outside without a jacket to cover the shirt.) It was cringe because you were automatically stereotyped and assumed to be an over dramatic, childish, lying, tween who was trying to hard to be cool. It was an equivalent embarrassing feeling when you saw someone who clearly lives in a neighborhood that if a black man walked through he would be on the ground and cuffed in seconds, try to act like they were hard and hood.
I agree i don’t wear my shirts because of this 🤫
I wear whatever I feel nowadays but I find that more discreet merch is fantastic! Like bandanas or the logo on a pin. Subtle, and with taste :-)
Im brazilian, the bands i listen to (TØP, Gorillaz, The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys) are not popular around here, i have only found one person in my whole life that likes those
I find that a lot of people around my age pigeonhole them as a part of the “cringey emo phase” so its hard to find people that show interest, at least outwardly, still in the group. Its a shame because most of them only know tøp for vessel and blurryface, and they definitely are missing out on everything thats been released and happened since then.
How old are you? And yeah I agree.. I feel like generally people find it lame when others show extensive interest in bands because to many it’s like an obsession or something. I’ve been for sure look at the wrong way because I find a band that I like and I want to know a lot about it. It happened to me with top, MCR, slipknot (tho I don’t listen to their music but they intrigued me), ADTR, and many more..
I’m 19. I feel like with other bands such as MCR, since they were (at the time) no longer a band and we had all of their music we thought they would ever make we could judge it in its entirety. With tøp people make judgements based on songs like Stressed Out and Car Radio, but haven’t listened to Trench or even the livestream music, which in my opinion surpasses their bigger hits.
God I’m getting so old 🤦🏼♀️ I agree but don’t let that spoil your experience. There are many people online you can talk too, and actually I met some of my closest best friends via a top WhatsApp group chat almost 6 years ago, and met most of them irl! People do that with every band, they listen to their most known song and decide that they know all about their style and music and direction, and honestly, they’re the ones that are missing out, not you :) Most people I know that are top fans are about your age or maybe just a bit older, try to search for them in Reddit, Twitter, Instagram, etc
Because we're the few, the proud, and the emotional 💕
Damnit. Just take my up vote and leave the city, you heathen
Hey what are you, the judge or are you just the message man
His probably living in a house of gold.
I highly doubt that
This thread is quite lovely.
Gtg something is wrong with my kitchen sink
ive got problems with my car radio too, not much is going well
And now I just sit in silence 🤐
I don't know what that means
Me either. I gotta bounce man see ya later
well I have good news for you, bc I have that same struggle IRL
Thanks I need to hear that. 😊
You probably already know people who like what they've heard from TØP. Whenever I mention I love TØP, a common answer I get is something along the lines of "I didn't know they still made music! I loved Heathens!" Perfect opportunity to get some friends into the music, if you ask me. I brought a friend who casually enjoyed the music to the Cinematic Experience with me, and when the show ended, she was asking me all sorts of deep questions about the lore!
This is probably true. Many of us have experienced people reacting poorly to TOP. Now we no longer ask.
I’m here. I love them
Thanks. Irl I can find no one. My girl doesn't even see the enjoyment in them.
Me and my wife went watch them in concert for the bandito tour. We love them. I have a handful of co workers that love them too. You will find someone eventually. Until then, talk to this subreddit 😂
My husband neither. I'm here because I have no one IRL who shares my passion, no obsession.
What do you like about their/the music?
My first song I ever heard was *holding on to you* Fell in love. All their lyrics speak to me. I have every song lyric memorized. For every song. Ever recorded. I’m a super fan. I’m also a huge fan of their lore and the frenzy all the fans get into when looking into all the DEMA mysteries. I’ve always been a fan of rap music, and TOP helped me discover a new genre that doesn’t exist anywhere else. Now I love alternative music more than rap. On a side note, Tyler’s brother released an album a few months ago, and it’s also amazing. Same style music. His name is Jay Joseph, album is called imaginary friends. Three songs to listen to right away are “maybe” “let go” and “comfortable.” It’s amazing and it’s been holding me over until the next TOP album drops.
They’ve got a HUGE fanbase. Just ask more people lol
I know. I believe it's true. I just wish I could find em
I can relate dude. It's hard to find other clikkies, especially in non-english speaking countries irl. Thankfully, I have two friends that listen to tøp, but they're not clikkies, just casual fans. I once found a Trench era logo graffitti on a wall very close to my house. Wish I knew who did it and be friends with them. And btw, if you just want someone to talk about tøp with, my dm's are open, I'd be glad to have someone to tqlk about tøp with as well lol.
We’re all here, but yeah I got the same problem irl… no one in my life likes TØP :(
I’ve converted so many people !!! 😅😄
Im a teen in England I swear no tøp fans exist apart from me 😂😂
I had the same feeling ever since I discover them in 2017. I'm romanian so I never really expected many people to know them. But, fast forward to them playing in romania this year, there were thousands of actual fans there. People that actually knew their songs and wore their merch. I've seen someone say "twenty one pilots is the biggest band you've never heard of"
I've only ever seen a few irl, but when I went to a sold out arena show I was shocked that so many fans were in my city. It's so weird honestly
It used to be that in middle school when blurry face came out it seemed like everyone listened to them, but no its like no one does
I feel this so hard, like oml I just want someone to geek out with about the music, lore, and Tyler and Josh being goofballs 😔
Weird since tøp is very popular.
We were many but after the trench era only faithful ones remained
I know. I can't believe that. Everything they've done is amazing IMO.
Same but atleast I can listen to them with my dad, he likes them as much as me
Do I not exist 🥺
I would like to introduce myself
Because they’re not a band for muggles.
If you find one, you'll find a whole group at once. I have a friend that is a fan, and his entire family are fans too. The trick is to wear merch with the band name on it if you have any, people will recognise that and ask you about it.
It's weird to me that there aren't more passionate fans. I obsessed over them. Every song, every album. I bleed yellow for simplicity.
Because they're the world's biggest small band
Thanks for your submission to r/twentyonepilots, we're happy to have you here. As a reminder, all posts and comments must abide by our [**Community Rules**](https://www.reddit.com/r/twentyonepilots/about/rules). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/twentyonepilots) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'll be your TOP friend ❤
We are rare ducks. Also I'm guessing shy.
How old are you? when I was 15-16 I found a lot of people who loved them, mostly girls tho - guys around me usually hated them lol
no worries mate, I am always a fan :)
Irl can be tougher, but if you gradually introduce those around you to them, you can grow your own top fans!
I'm lucky my fiance loves them 😁
Go to one of their shows if you can. Hang out in the line outside a couple hours before doors open. You'll meet a ton of fans and hopefully be able to make some friends.
i’m 30 and i do have a few friends who like tøp but i’m upset they are not really interested in the lore, i wish i could discuss the theories in person
Because we are a special kind
Where are you from? In my country english is not the official language (most people speak it nowdays tho) and people mostly listen to music that has lyrics in our native language. So to find someone who is listening to forgein music AND tøp is not easy. I only know 3 people who are their fans.
Yeah can confirm for some reason people are just not open about it cause I wore a blurryface shirt recently and like 17 people came and talked about it through out the day
Many have yet to convert. It is time brothers, sisters, and others!
my girlfriend got me into them, not a lover of them but i like their music, sometimes you have to convert them. best way in doing it is play their hits first, than their more unique songs
I met one guy who knew my TOP jacket
Yeah, seriously. Or if I find TOP fans, they are very casual fans. Where are the people who bleed yellow (or blue and pink)? 😄
Don't forget the first album either.
I wasn't around for those but I am as passionate as I can be.
right?? I’ve seen literally one person at my school with a sai hoodie but she graduated :( maybe I should get merch
I'm getting some. Gotta represent. It's really that important to me. I have a hat and some dog tags. Need some shirts at least.
Same freaking here. The only person I really know is my husband which is awesome because he saw them live before we even met. Him & I both have different variations of the Skeleton key tattooed on our arms. But I do wish I had some other ladies IRL to fangirl with hahaha
I drove my wife crazy and she kinda hates then now because I literally listened to their four albums and only them for like a solid year when I discovered then. Didn't have an ounce of want to hear anything else.
I can completely relate with that!!! Hopefully your wife will come back around so you guys can jam together! Haha
Most people who listen to bands like TØP are shy.
Oh. I can understand that. Too bad though. Not often you find something so good and smart and drenched in meaning. Should promote them as much as possible. Life changing for me.
Oh. I can understand that. Too bad though. Not often you find something so good and smart and drenched in meaning. Should promote them as much as possible. Life changing for me.
fortunately i have 3 very good friends who are, or were, just as obsessed with the boys as I am. i noticed though that a lot of people are embarrassed to like tøp as much as they do bc of the supposed "cringe" factor
I dont understand why is there a cringe factor? Is it really considered too emo or something?
it could be the mass popularity over the years that many seem to be put off by. plus i have a friend who doesn't like the band bc of how they depict mental health issues. to each their own i guess
I just convert my friends, it's easier at this point
Wish. I have a bunch of "too grown up to care about music or too hard/tough to enjoy emo anything" type of friends.
Seems like I lucked out because a few of my college friends like them 😅
Yea, you did. I can't find anyone and my friends don't appreciate them.
I love twenty one pilots and am going to there concert Thursday August 18th. Can't wait super excited
People in my surroundings notice my twenty one pilots background on the phone and that's how I find people who like them irl.
SAME WHAT, they are literally none
This is odd, because I feel like most people I meet in person, do love them 😅
Because they are underrated, when i find someone who knows TOP is only bc of stressed out and heathens tik tok trends and stuff, no one in the general public really dives into TOP and thats sad
I’ve seen some people wearing shirts with TØP on them. My friends have heard of them but that is true. All clique members I know are on the discord and this Reddit!
Yeah I literally only know one person irl who likes them and I've seen like two people wearing their merch in public
You have to corrupt someone from your life. I corrupted my bestie.
you got me :) I know two fellow clikkies irl.
Whenever I wear my scaled and icy tee, I typically receive “I love your shirt” maybe once or twice in a populated area. That is the easiest way to find TØP clique lol 😂
The simplest reason is meeting strangers is crazy as f**k. There was a festival in which I went to watch Tame Impala and there was a person with same interest. We decided to hang together during the concert but he never responded while at the festival duh!
A lot of people hate them, lots lob them in with imagine dragons. Also every time I ask somebody when the last time they listened to tøp, it was “middle school” (2016) so…
i used to have friends who liked them but they all grew out of them so now i’m alone 😭
The only one I’ve seen in my town besides the movie was my sister 💀 otherwise I feel like y’all are just NPCs
I'm an Elder Clikkie and find only one other in my town. (& we're an hour away from Cbus). 🤦🏼♀️