Is anyone else really intrigued by the song’s structure? It somehow manages to be super catchy, but also consistently evolving. It starts off with a garage rock sound, but then shifts into an almost new wave sound as it reaches the chorus. And then of course, bringing out the ukelele is the cherry on top. This song isn’t gonna be for everyone, but I’m consistently impressed by the risks they’re taking on these new songs.
The song structure is perfection (for me). It flows so easily. All parts fit together. I'm so happy rn help 🥲 haven't felt that sort of excitement in forever
Yeah to me felt punk, then post-punk, then like late 2000's alt-rock/pop-rock and then britpop.
By the 2nd listen it felt just more post-punk overall rathen than normal punk but it works.
Is the song super original? Maybe not, but I appreciate a lot that they're dipping into these new sounds. Like, Next Semester doesn't sound like anything they've done before.
What this and Overcompensate are doing best is getting me hyped for the album cause they for sure are giving room to experimentation again
"Is the song super original?"
Yes. It's very much a song that you're bopping your head to and then you realize it's about suicide or mental health, which is basically what SAI Era was all about... catchy pop beats with very dark undertones.
The ooooh ooooh chorus Tyler repeats goes great with his Twenty Four cover by Switchfoot. It’s like he is singing in the same register. Maybe both songs was demos or recorded at the same time?
"I prayed those lights would take me home"
Man, this song is sad... but there is a hopeful undertone ("Start fresh next semester"). It reminds me of a lot of earlier lyrics:
"Take me out and finish this waste of a life"
"In the night, headlights call my name"
"I could pull the steering wheel"
I am really curious to see what the next track (*Backslide*) will be about.
Granted, in that song he seems to be talking about a slightly different scenario (tw: >!swerving into oncoming traffick, like in Car Radio "I could pull the steering wheel!<) but the idea is definitely the same in my opinion.
It never ceases to amaze me how skillfully they can discuss mental health stuff like literally trying to get hit by a car in the road with such a good beat
It feels like he's saying how he has tried to get hit by a car, when he was younger. "Cant change what youve done", "Those lights would take me". "Get out of the road".
Theory: This is a "parallel" video/metaphor about him "educating" citizens about Dema.
This is Clancy (we see him in the Clancy mask and he's using a Clancy guitar strap)...
Clancy is in front of a crowd of young people (just like in the Overcompensate mv)....
The black paint is on him while he teaches / sings (like in Overcompensate, as he controlled a vessel)...
He's telling the crowd about how he was heading toward vialism (in the road, journeying in the direction of death)...
and how he escaped ("hey kid, get out of the road")...
how something/someone helped him (the voice yelling at him/the torchbearer/Josh drumming in the road)...
how he was captured again and again and was in an ongoing cycle (you can't change what you've done, start fresh next semester)...
There are also a lot of call-backs to former videos -- even before the lore -- which makes me think this whole Dema thing is also an allegory for twenty one pilots themselves and what they do with their music. But that's another theory!!
It's got energy and then drops you into this emotional uke with his backgraound vocals and he's just asking you to move on and don't dwell on your mistakes. I went front being super hype to almost crying. I probabaly will cry at the live show. This is the song we needed.
unpopular opinion: i’m glad it has nothing to do with the lore. i missed listening to their songs that aren’t related to the lore, it reminds me of the tøp i fell in love with
I truly love the lore and all the work the boys have put into this storyline, but I completely agree. There's something so raw and deeply emotional about a song with no lore and just about his real world experiences (although I realize all of the lore ones are also related to his real world experiences with mental illness). Songs like this are just unapologetically open about his struggles.
Right? Whenever people get scared of what comes after DEMA, I just think about how half of their greatest songs come from Vessel. They're not one-trick ponies.
100% agree. I love the lore and the story they’re building, but after two albums in a row that were 75% lore, I missed songs like this. It’s very reminiscent of their older music and I’m here for it.
I don't understand this kind of view of things. It's not like the lore is some simple fairytale that has nothing to do with real life. The lore is an allegory for mental health; just because bishops or dema aren't mentioned doesn't mean it's not part of the lore, because the lore is deeper than the story bits. To me the lore is inseparable from the band/Tyler because it's a reflection of his experiences, not some fiction.
Definitely feeling that. Loving when they do this whole pop-punk/alt rock style sound. Jumpsuit is how I got into em and hearing this is why I stay around! Hoping for some more pop-punk/alt rock leaning sounds!
TW: Suicide attempt
When I was 19y/o I was really depressed and decided life wasn't worth it anymore. I tried to run onto a busy highway near my campus, but a friend called me and stopped me before it was too late. Honestly the whole memory is a little foggy, but I do remember "certain things"... the wet grass, the semi truck headlights roaring by, and my friend's voice on the other end of the line. The next semester, I moved states and universities and basically started my life over: I started to make friends, got out of a toxic relationship, and started the first of many years of therapy.
Needless to say, Next Semester hit me like a gut punch. The guys continue to make music that seems like it's written just for me.
Uh oh. Does anyone know how, when you listen to a new song, you only really listen to the melody and instrumentation? But then overtime, you actually take notice of what the lyrics are about? I was so captivated by the new punk sound that I neglected just how terrifying the lyrics are.
- The narrator begins the song by referencing what sounds like a high school graduation, however all they feel during that time is anxiety and uncertainty about their future. Unable to bear the mental agony (the events of the chorus follow)…
- (EDIT: "Stand up straight" may just be referring to the narrator's undeterred resolve to achieve what follows. The "graduation" might actually be referring to the narrator "graduating" from life — passing on.)
- The narrator can remember certain things about an incident, like what they were wearing (formal attire) and the yellow dashes in the street. Presumably standing in the center of the road, they prayed that “those lights” (headlights belonging to a car barreling toward him) would “take them home” (a metaphor for the afterlife).
- The man in the vehicle screams at the narrator, “Hey kid! Get out of the road!”
- In the next verse, the narrator is in shock about what transpired. They can’t feel their legs and they’re hyperventilating. I guess their “attempt” didn’t succeed, and they’re not enthused to have survived.
- In the refrain, it is revealed that the man driving the car slowed down and rolled down his window. He tells the narrator, “You can’t change what you’ve done.” (Implying that the narrator’s actions were irrational and reckless.) The driver then offers words of encouragement: “Start fresh next semester.”
- Exclusive to the song’s outro are the lyrics “Start fresh with the new year.” I suppose this signifies that the driver’s encouragement got through to the narrator.
- If you’re at rock bottom, the only way to go is up. And what better a time than next semester?
- “Next semester” is a metaphor for “starting over”. Akin to a New Year’s resolution, some find a shift to a new period of time can make it easier for someone to “reset” or “start from square one.” The allusions to “graduation” and “semesters” may also reflect the songwriter’s own depression, possibly peaking around high school and his early college years.
Is this, perhaps, a deeply personal song about an experience Tyler Joseph had? Cleverly veiled by pop punk instrumentation?
You really should make a separate thread with this info/theory. Made me have another level of appreciation for this song. I had the exact feeling of focusing on the melody until I dug into the lyrics.
It got me crying haha. Particularly the music video. Goddamn.
Overall really good. Definitely not the sound I expected but it was very clean and very awesome. Quite different to overcompensate.
I think I liked Next Semester more on my first listen than I did Overcompensate. Which is great because I love Overcompensate after listening to it for a few weeks so hopefully I grow to love Next Semester more as well.
I just hope we get a song on Clancy that isn't so repetitive. Overcompensate and Next Semester have both been very repetitive which isn't unexpected given their recent albums. But I do miss a lot of the long verses from their previous stuff, so hoping we get more songs like that in the album. I'll be happy whatever we get though, just a little wish haha. But Overcompensate and Next Semester have both been bangers, so I won't mind if we don't get that.
I cried as well!! As soon as the entrance hit I had the biggest grin on my face, and then the ending is where I teared up. I’m almost the same age as Tyler and this song felt like nostalgia but at the same time growing up too. Idk it’s hard to explain, but this song had me reflecting on why I love this band and how much they’ve overcome mentally (as well as myself)
I’ve learned to throw any expectations out the window with their music, each song has such a unique sound to it. Each time I listen to a new song I hear something new in it, and it makes me like the song so much more with every listen.
Oh yeah
I don't expect anything at all at this point in terms of sound and that's great!
And with Trench it felt like that as well, but I can see that later getting into the album it did have an overall sound ig
How is everyone not just wrecked by this song?? The lyrics are crushing my emotional little heart. So grateful for people like Tyler who tell the truth about their struggles so the rest of us don't feel so alone. Also so glad he chose to stay alive. 😭❤️🔥
ETA: I honestly love the sound too, but man the lyrics just cut me real deep. Ugh.
Interesting that the sequence where he’s dashing out of the way of the car repeats four times and he’s wearing the mask the fourth time, which parallels “three lights are lit but the fourth one’s out”
Update: it’s growing on me as i listen on spotify! I dig the my chemical romance vibes. And obviously a powerful suicide prevention message. I’m here for it. It inspired me to listen to welcome to the black parade. Such a banger
This song is like if I put all my favorite high school bands in a blender, minus their annoying features, then added an absolutely gut-wrenching narrative. I am destroyed.
Glad we actually have a dedicated thread. Took a while for one to be made for Overcompensate when that came out.
I like this song even more than Overcompensate, although both are welcome new additions to their discography.
The band dabbled in breakbeat last time. Now he’s foraying into 2000s PUNK music? Maybe some garage rock? Tyler and Co. are a never ending bag of surprises.
(Seems like they always try to prioritize and emphasize a good varied/diverse-sounding album, where one song is totally different from the next. That’s why if you’re not a fan of one song, you can look forward to what may come next.)
I love whatever key this new song is in. Is it minor or flat? The musical tone of the chorus seems to be neither happy nor sad.
I love Josh going ham on the Hi-Hats during the chorus.
IMO the song just gets better as it goes on. And TJ really pulled out the ukulele for this one boys.
I love the ending. It’s almost ethereal. Oh how far we’ve come from the beginning… How many people realize what a new foray it is for Tyler to place such an emphasis on acoustic guitar in a TØP song. (Only other time might be “Formidable”?) It creates a wonderful ambiance.
All in all, TØP are masters of genre-blending and I’m captivated as always.
If those lyrics are what they seem like they're about.. I can't believe he's going into such specifics after being so guarded when it comes to this subject. It's so direct. Even visually, going back to something like that is a dramatic leap from him never talking about it. I have never told anybody about my attempt and it's so eerily similar. He's grown and healed so much.
Agree, I think the lyrics are the darkest or deathiest lyrics yet, with ambiguity about whether start fresh means hang in there til the sun will rise again, or if it's more of a flippant "try again next lifetime." The uke walk sure seems like an out of body experience.
My thought was about the V-neck. He remembered what he was wearing, and the sweater left an impression that he fought to shake as he processed this experience.
I was starting to worry because all the leakers were complaining about the song and the 20 seconds snippet that was released didn't give us a very good idea of how the song would sound-- which turned out to be supersonic followed by heartbreak.
It seems like the Leakers (and probably staunch haters of SAI) are the loud minority as far as whether they dislike the song.
It's so Twenty One Pilots that it's ridiculous.
What genre is it? It's twenty one pilots.
That may be a tired refrain, but TØP has never stopped being their own unique genre.
Who else can write about suicide/mental health, put it to old-school, upbeat punk, and rile up the internet via people's complete lack of understanding the song?
I’m at work and I literally hid in a corner and put my phone speaker to my ear on the lowest volume because I literally could NOT wait 😭 I tried but I thought I was gonna explode
I prefer overcompensate but DAMN those lyrics. "Can't change what you've done, start fresh next semester" is something I needed to hear as a college student and the rest of the lyrics are so sad and dark. I wonder if he really attempted that 💔
This was right up my alley of music, so for myself I got chills on first listen.
Usually with any music I need at least a few listens to get a song and connect. This one… right away I knew and I got chills.
might be something silly and goofy to like notice or care about but it made me smile in the MV seeing how like genuinely all the extras looked like they were having the times of their lives.
Bro I’m at work, I figured it was releasing today but I expected a premiere, but I go on break and there’s a notification it released and I have never clocked out for break faster. And omfg I was NOT disappointed.
TYLER BROUGHT THE UKE BACK OUT BRO ITS A MOTHERFUCKING GOOD DAY WHEN THE UKE COMES OUT.
He jumps out of the road 4 times as the heavydirtysoul style car camera comes for him, with the last one in his Clancy hood. 4 cycles- vessel, blurryface, trench, Clancy. But then Josh sits still and stares the car down as it passes him. The next time we see Tyler on the road, he is stationary in the middle and the car cycles around him. A hint into how to break the cycle in half?
Torchbearer shows him the way to step out of the loop
Obvious observation: “I remember certain things… what I was wearing….”
Lots of people have core memories regarding their specific outfits during times of trauma.
On the second verse Tyler mets a car 4 times:
- first and second time he ran left (Blurryface and Trench),
- third time he ran right (SAI),
- fourth time he met car with a clancy mask (Clancy).
Maybe it's all about 4 albums in a whole storyline?
It brought me to tears.
To preface, my favourite album is Trench and thats when I discovered the band. I really liked Overcompensate but Next Semester perfectly captures the unfamiliarity one feels as a teenager as they are becoming their own person and finding themselves in this world. The anxiety that comes with not knowing what the future holds, the anxiety when you fail a test and think the world is ending. For me it just brought me back to those weird times as a teenager when you dont really know whats going on. Simultaneously, now as an older person, it's a sort of nostalgic and melancholic look back to my younger years and appreciating all that came before me.
Lyrically the song may not be a lot in content, but what is said, and also the overall sound itself is amazing.
I am super happy with this one.
Absolutely loved it! I enjoyed Overcompensate quite a bit, but I adore Next Semester on a whole different level. It brings me back to my teen music years, and the lyrics are deep and relatable.
I’m in shambles over this my stomach was in knots this morning waiting to hear it and I’ve listened to it 5 times since it was released, this might be the most I’ve liked a single of theirs that they’ve released on the first few listens, and I’ve been a fan since late 2015. I loved overcompensate a lot when I first listened to it but not as much as this
I love it so much. I kept on thinking "he gets it, he literally gets it" as I was listening to the lyrics. So good. Can't wait for us all to scream out these lyrics on tour.
edit: i knew what it was about from the first listen. but i keep on thinking of new ways that I resonate with the lyrics. This genuinely might be the best song on Clancy.
This song hit me hard. I've had similar feelings lately, of "I don't wanna be here" and "I prayed those lights would take me home". But really what I needed was the lyrics of the bridge: "Can't change what you've done, start fresh next semester". I needed that reminder that I can get up and start again, regardless of what I've done. So to Twenty One Pilots, thank you for that reminder and for this masterpiece.
Plus, it's an absolute banger.
I’m not partial to the genre or this style of early 2000s pop punk, so it says a lot that I actually still really like this song. The production and structure stop it from becoming boring and the lyrics are very meaningful and hit close to home.
I had a momentary thought and checked Ticketmaster to see if they listed the tour dates yet. When they did, I checked Twitter hoping for the song too, and they hadn’t announced the tour yet but had posted the song, so hubs and I took a break to watch it. Then did a re-listen of next semester with the lyrics, as well as overcompensate into next semester to get the album rhythm.
Absolutely love the song and video, by themselves and the cadence from overcompensate!! And so excited for Backslide as the next track. One of the things I love about TOP is the variety of musical genres and how they mix and match them. The song by itself, and the cadence with overcompensate, are perfect examples of this.
Loving the punk rock, and that switch to the ukelele is just masterful, genius. And it fits the message/story of the song. The heightened energy in the midst of the struggle and leading to the road, and then the release of all that into a sort of tentative calm…it just feels accurate and relatable as someone who’s been in that dark place and emerged from it. “It’s a taste test of what I hate less” stuck out for me in that respect - to me, he’s talking about that feeling like it’s just choosing between the lesser of two evils. And all you can do if you choose wrong is don’t dwell on it and try again. It’s that constant cycle of try, fail, try again. I dunno. It felt relatable to me so I can probably make all of it mean something specific like that. But a great song in all the ways and I just love it, as expected tbh.
I’d describe New Semester as a fusion of punk, pop, and alt/indie. With subtle nostalgic elements and it ends acoustically.
Kind of off-topic, but has anyone ever listened to the indie/alt-rock band Bad Suns before? (Specifically their album Disappear Here.)
If anyone likes this song “New Semester”, check out “Off She Goes” or “Outskirts of Paradise”. Those are the songs that the new TOP song made me think of.
Took them two songs to make me cry this time.
Also the track ends with the words “can’t change what you’ve done. start fresh next semester.” But the next track is Backslide 🙃
if i can get personal for a minute, im on my tenth? listen rn and it is LITERALLY describing my situation from 2022
possible TWs‼️‼️‼️
it was one year before my graduation. was at my worst, skipping school all the time either getting blackout drunk or shoplifting or planning self off or going on LONG walks (damn going on a walk didnt help me:()
School phobia was WILDING, didnt know how to exist in school without wanting to kms and being exhausted when coming home.
„I don't wanna be here, I don't wanna be here
Can't feel my legs (Ooh)
Might suffocate (Ooh)
There's a pressure in my chest (Ooh)
I don't wanna be here, I don't wanna be here
What's about to happen?”
in june they put me in the psych ward and every few weeks they would send me home just to get inpatient few days later. i was hopeless, didnt know how to break that cycle, my parents and family were miserable.
„Can't change what you've done”
but then a girl in the hospital told me being home schooled got her through high school.
„Start fresh next semester”
and as it was already october i gave it a go
„It's a taste test
Of what I hate less”
„Whats about to happen?”
and it kinda saved me. no more hospital since then. but well, as much as it saved me it also took my senior year experience from me. hearing and seeing how my classmates are doing things, having new stuff to talk about. i felt very alienated. even tho i had friends they never invented me, and my prom experience was really humilating.
So i kinda had to graduate one year earlier but i didnt even know my last days at school were my last days at school - „Graduate NOW”
now im doing MUCH better! atm im on the low as beginning of spring is always hard and for some reason im dealing with A LOT of flashbacks to 2022 - „I remember
I remember certain things
What I was wearin'
The yellow dashes in the street
I prayed those lights would take me home
Then I heard, "Hey, kid, get out of the road!"”
emphasising the „i remember certain things, WHAT I WAS WEARING” verse because i actually remember what i was wearing most of the time in the span of those few months.
fun thing, the „Can't feel my legs” verse despite indicating anxiety symptoms also reminds me of how i would be killing time in the hospital walking in circles arounf the corridor making 15km+ a day in slippers so at the end of the day i really couldnt feel my legs!
whats more, that nostalgic tone of the song kinda reminds me of how its all in the past and im a different person from who i was when these things were happening. feels very good. next semester definitely stays on repeat for now.
okay thats it i have no one to rant to abt tøp so pardon me for it!
Overcompensate took time to grow on me, but I loved this right away! Interesting, cuz that is the opposite of how it went for Scaled and Icy. I immediately loved Shy Away but Choker had to grow on me (I now love it).
Love Next Semester. Such a sad ass message, but I love the hope that shines through. We all can use a fresh start at some point in life, there’s hope just up ahead!
i think that it is SO fascinating how it is the same set of lyrics throughout the whole song but each time its sung its like ever so slightly different. its so nice to listen to. but i seriously missed music that wasn't heavy on lore. i love the lore and the universe they created but i also missed their music where it was not just made for lore and was emotionally hard hitting
I know the song/ music video may not be directly related to the lore.
Nevertheless, I'm compiling some things that have at least some meaning in the Dema/Clancy storyline. So far, this is my list:
- guitar strap with Clancy's name on it
- Clancy's mask the fourth time he dodges the car
- heavy nods to the HDS music video (the shots of the street are so similar)
- black hands and neck on Tyler
- red color theme in the venue
- lyrics "yellow dashes" remind of the Bandito's yellow tapes
- red stripes on Tyler's & Josh's pants
- ripped poster of Trash the Dragon on the wall next to Josh
Feel free to add to this list!
Interesting shots during the road sequence. It breaks the 180 rule in film which gives an appearance of two characters going back and forth. Maybe insinuating he was a conflict of decision or control
I cried when first heard it, I love it so much! If it came out when I was in school back in 2015 I know I would have rinsed the hell out of this song too, it feels so nostalgic to me for some reason, they never miss
THIS WAS SO REFRESHING!! FINALLY!!! Overcompensate still hasn't grown on me but man... Next Semester was so good. it seems a bit grunge but I'm not at expert. anyways, a total banger. Can't wait to see it live!!!
Overcompensate took a little bit to grow on me but man I love this right off the bat the lyrics are some of my favorite ever and the song is such a bop
As a college kid who is at a really low point and is relying on the idea of getting to the next semester to keep myself going, this hit so hard. This song is phenomenal and it’s just getting me more hyped for this album!
I did not expect to cry to this song. For someone who tried to run into on coming traffic on purpose when I was in grade 10 because of bullying and bad grades, this song hit home hard. The message rings true though, school is not that serious because there is always next semester to try again.
This is end-of-semester anxiety. There is regret about the last semester, and it's not just about academics, but what's worse than what's just past is what's up next: summer vacation. Time on your hands. Way too much time on your hands. Way too much time in your head. Anxiety enough that you do reckless things, hoping you don't make it.
"Can't change what you've done
Start fresh next semester"
is such an adult take. It's toxic positivity. It's blaming the kid for having a rough time, and pretending it'll be different next year. It's what all adult advice amounts to, no matter the words they choose. As they yell something at you for being in the road, beyond "get out of the road!", and you're not hearing them, these are the words you imagine they are saying. This driver doesn't even know you, but this is what you imagine hearing come out his mouth. The same advice you got from your parents.
"Can't change what you've done
Start fresh next semester"
And then you do this to yourself every year as an adult.
I love it. I think I love it more than Overcompensate. When I heard the preview they posted I didn't think it would be a favorite for me but its so different from what I expected and its so fun and beautiful. I think this whole album is going to be one unexpected thing after another.
AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH the small crowd, ukulele, punk vibes, T being shirtless, “I remember what I was wearing” “can’t change what you’ve done” “start fresh next semester”
Felt a little off put on first listen, but mainly cause I was not excepting such a tone shift from Overcompensate to this. However on subsequent listens the song is really starting to set in, and I honestly love it. Absolutely can’t wait to hear this live!
Honestly one of my faves by them ever. Fun and catchy beat that also feels so nostalgic. And the lyrics hit hard too when you think about what he’s talking about. I’ll probably cry hearing this live lol. Reminds me of Taxi Cab for some reason too, maybe it's just how that song also relates to me a lot personally, but also just similar vibe in story.
Can’t wait for the rest of the album cause these first two songs have been amazing.
***”Cannot wait to sing this one with you.”***
Yes! ITS THIS SONG! THE SONG THAT WILL DEFINITELY MAKES US SING TOGETHER AND GO WILD!!!
The lyrics are very substantial, and the fact that it feels like it’s “lore-unrelated”, definitely gives us the vibe of *“small town band”* called twenty one pilots.
Thank you for reviving this kind of music which has been long gone. A lot of Punk Band nowadays are trying to do Pop-Electronic oriented, and now the boys are touring us back to the roots.
I think it's about being suicidal in your youth and engaging in self-destructive habits because you don't see the purpose of life. Then when you are at your lowest, you find your purpose and you stay alive. You let go of the shame of what you've done so you can move on. Such a beautiful song
Same…really liked the punk sound but was thinking it could’ve gone even a little grittier/grungier. The tempo change with the ukelele was nice, especially in the video, but took me out of that punk club vibe. Intentional, I’m sure. I just wanted more of it.
Overall I love it. It's kinda like a garage rock version of Shy Away 😂 But I feel like overall their songs have gotten too repetitive. I really miss the long verses and a lot more lyrical content outside of the same 2 sections with maybe a couple line variations
It’s not lore heavy but it hints. Some of those posters have to do something with it. And I may be mistaken, but has his neck paint always come that far down? He’s usually wearing a shirt so maybe, but it could also mean that “blurry face” is spreading no?
It's actually so good. I just listened to it for the first time. Songs ALWAYS grow on me, I didn't like overcompensate on first listen an now it's one of may fav songs of all time, but some how this song managed to make me blown away on first listen, and my expectations were through the roof. I'm speechless.
I love how the two main colors of the music video are red and blue, it feels like we’re back home again full circule to RAB even the sound has a very forest vibe to be, forest or like kitchen sink with the creaming and “ooohh”. Anyone agree?
I like it a lot! Maybe not as much as Overcompensate though. Really like the start of the song, but less towards the end. It’s a nice blend of SAI and Vessel, gives me Choker vibes.
I absolutely bawled my eyes out listening to this on the way to work. It is such the perfect mix of their music to me especially when paired with overcompensate. I can’t wait for this album. I feel like I grew with them and now at 30 years old no band and their music speaks more to me than they do. I love them. I am so thankful for what they got me through and I cannot wait for this album and tour. |-/
Is anyone else really intrigued by the song’s structure? It somehow manages to be super catchy, but also consistently evolving. It starts off with a garage rock sound, but then shifts into an almost new wave sound as it reaches the chorus. And then of course, bringing out the ukelele is the cherry on top. This song isn’t gonna be for everyone, but I’m consistently impressed by the risks they’re taking on these new songs.
yeah, it never gets boring
I was almost bored after 30 seconds and then it hooked me with the changes
tiktok attention span
The song structure is perfection (for me). It flows so easily. All parts fit together. I'm so happy rn help 🥲 haven't felt that sort of excitement in forever
Yeah to me felt punk, then post-punk, then like late 2000's alt-rock/pop-rock and then britpop. By the 2nd listen it felt just more post-punk overall rathen than normal punk but it works. Is the song super original? Maybe not, but I appreciate a lot that they're dipping into these new sounds. Like, Next Semester doesn't sound like anything they've done before. What this and Overcompensate are doing best is getting me hyped for the album cause they for sure are giving room to experimentation again
"Is the song super original?" Yes. It's very much a song that you're bopping your head to and then you realize it's about suicide or mental health, which is basically what SAI Era was all about... catchy pop beats with very dark undertones.
i can't identify what's the chorus and what's not and i LOVE IT that's so tøp, tyler going "screw song structures, imma do my own thing"
“I remember, I remember certain things” is definitely the chorus
That was my first impression when I finished the video. They are still clearly taking risks and it's SO exciting.
Took the words out of my mouth, in a much more eloquent way then they would have came out if I said them 😆.
The ooooh ooooh chorus Tyler repeats goes great with his Twenty Four cover by Switchfoot. It’s like he is singing in the same register. Maybe both songs was demos or recorded at the same time?
That was so good, gave me early 2000s pop punk vibes
Anybody else hear Relient K vibes?
MASSIVE Relient K vibes!!!
I know Josh was a big Relient K fan!
I’ve listened to Relient K since 2001 (god I’m old) so pop punk vibes will forever have my soul (even if …”I don’t need a soul to hold”)
It’s giving me early Green Day vibes tbh
10000% just texted this to my sis. Very Mhmm. The slow down Uke at the end sounds just like it
Agreed! It reminds me of something from a 20 year old Tony Hawk game.
Hard agree. Reminds me a lot of Frank Turner as well. Love both of them, so this was so exciting!
"I prayed those lights would take me home" Man, this song is sad... but there is a hopeful undertone ("Start fresh next semester"). It reminds me of a lot of earlier lyrics: "Take me out and finish this waste of a life" "In the night, headlights call my name" "I could pull the steering wheel" I am really curious to see what the next track (*Backslide*) will be about.
>"In the night, headlights call my name" This has always been on my list of ambiguous / not-understood lyrics! Good connection
Granted, in that song he seems to be talking about a slightly different scenario (tw: >!swerving into oncoming traffick, like in Car Radio "I could pull the steering wheel!<) but the idea is definitely the same in my opinion.
Wow I didn't even make the connection to fake you out. Great catch
“And I begin to envy the headlights driving south, I want to crack the door so I can just fall out”
It's just soooooo good! I feel young again listening to it!
I haven't heard Tyler vocals like this in a long time. It really sounds like RAB/Vessel era but with more control.
Way better production quality as well
this!!!!!
It never ceases to amaze me how skillfully they can discuss mental health stuff like literally trying to get hit by a car in the road with such a good beat
This is not helping me study for my test That said, absolute banger (Edit: I got a 97 on the test)
I mean, there's always next semester.
Thats a good one
Congrats on the test score!
It feels like he's saying how he has tried to get hit by a car, when he was younger. "Cant change what youve done", "Those lights would take me". "Get out of the road".
"In the night, headlights call my name" :(
Good catch. This recontextualizes Fake You Out for me now. Maybe FYO was describing the same event? Some of the other lyrics line up pretty well too.
he envies the headlights driving south
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Theory: This is a "parallel" video/metaphor about him "educating" citizens about Dema. This is Clancy (we see him in the Clancy mask and he's using a Clancy guitar strap)... Clancy is in front of a crowd of young people (just like in the Overcompensate mv).... The black paint is on him while he teaches / sings (like in Overcompensate, as he controlled a vessel)... He's telling the crowd about how he was heading toward vialism (in the road, journeying in the direction of death)... and how he escaped ("hey kid, get out of the road")... how something/someone helped him (the voice yelling at him/the torchbearer/Josh drumming in the road)... how he was captured again and again and was in an ongoing cycle (you can't change what you've done, start fresh next semester)... There are also a lot of call-backs to former videos -- even before the lore -- which makes me think this whole Dema thing is also an allegory for twenty one pilots themselves and what they do with their music. But that's another theory!!
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That’s what I was thinking
SUCH A GOOD SONG OMG!! I noticed the references to heavydirtysould mv and car radio mv, no idea what that might mean tho
also the truce [mv? i forgot if that's official] where he playing the piano alone like that, but now it's uke
Yeah, the MV just seemed like nonstop references.
The song nor the mv are related to the lore, the references could just be fan service
It's got energy and then drops you into this emotional uke with his backgraound vocals and he's just asking you to move on and don't dwell on your mistakes. I went front being super hype to almost crying. I probabaly will cry at the live show. This is the song we needed.
YES. It's the transition from "this is great!" to "this is devastating." I don't understand how they did it.
I cried and I have NEVER cried about a song for any artist on first listen. Tyler reaaaally got me
Makes me feel nostalgic, I graduate in two months and there’s not gonna be a next semester. I’m emo
don't worry, semesters are important in jobs too🥲💀
I *am* applying to jobs in academia so lowkey 😭
unpopular opinion: i’m glad it has nothing to do with the lore. i missed listening to their songs that aren’t related to the lore, it reminds me of the tøp i fell in love with
I truly love the lore and all the work the boys have put into this storyline, but I completely agree. There's something so raw and deeply emotional about a song with no lore and just about his real world experiences (although I realize all of the lore ones are also related to his real world experiences with mental illness). Songs like this are just unapologetically open about his struggles.
Right? Whenever people get scared of what comes after DEMA, I just think about how half of their greatest songs come from Vessel. They're not one-trick ponies.
vessel my beloved
100% agree. I love the lore and the story they’re building, but after two albums in a row that were 75% lore, I missed songs like this. It’s very reminiscent of their older music and I’m here for it.
I don't understand this kind of view of things. It's not like the lore is some simple fairytale that has nothing to do with real life. The lore is an allegory for mental health; just because bishops or dema aren't mentioned doesn't mean it's not part of the lore, because the lore is deeper than the story bits. To me the lore is inseparable from the band/Tyler because it's a reflection of his experiences, not some fiction.
Amazing. Some parts of the song take me straight back to the Vessel days
I agree, it strong vessel vibes in the vocals
Yes! The uke took me back and the upbeat ‘ohh woah ohh’ in the background reminded me of it so much
Sounds a bit like My Chemical Romance especially the breakdown where he's screaming
I can totally hear gerard way cadence
Definitely feeling that. Loving when they do this whole pop-punk/alt rock style sound. Jumpsuit is how I got into em and hearing this is why I stay around! Hoping for some more pop-punk/alt rock leaning sounds!
Exactly! Mixed with Ramones imo
TW: Suicide attempt When I was 19y/o I was really depressed and decided life wasn't worth it anymore. I tried to run onto a busy highway near my campus, but a friend called me and stopped me before it was too late. Honestly the whole memory is a little foggy, but I do remember "certain things"... the wet grass, the semi truck headlights roaring by, and my friend's voice on the other end of the line. The next semester, I moved states and universities and basically started my life over: I started to make friends, got out of a toxic relationship, and started the first of many years of therapy. Needless to say, Next Semester hit me like a gut punch. The guys continue to make music that seems like it's written just for me.
Sounds like it was written just for you. 💛
Wow. Your story is inspiring and I'm so glad you were able to reflect back using this song. Thank you for sharing.
Pretty incredible. Again all the genres they throw in is amazing.
this song means so much to me. it hits so close to home and my own experiences, at least how I'm choosing to interpret it. love it so much
Uh oh. Does anyone know how, when you listen to a new song, you only really listen to the melody and instrumentation? But then overtime, you actually take notice of what the lyrics are about? I was so captivated by the new punk sound that I neglected just how terrifying the lyrics are. - The narrator begins the song by referencing what sounds like a high school graduation, however all they feel during that time is anxiety and uncertainty about their future. Unable to bear the mental agony (the events of the chorus follow)… - (EDIT: "Stand up straight" may just be referring to the narrator's undeterred resolve to achieve what follows. The "graduation" might actually be referring to the narrator "graduating" from life — passing on.) - The narrator can remember certain things about an incident, like what they were wearing (formal attire) and the yellow dashes in the street. Presumably standing in the center of the road, they prayed that “those lights” (headlights belonging to a car barreling toward him) would “take them home” (a metaphor for the afterlife). - The man in the vehicle screams at the narrator, “Hey kid! Get out of the road!” - In the next verse, the narrator is in shock about what transpired. They can’t feel their legs and they’re hyperventilating. I guess their “attempt” didn’t succeed, and they’re not enthused to have survived. - In the refrain, it is revealed that the man driving the car slowed down and rolled down his window. He tells the narrator, “You can’t change what you’ve done.” (Implying that the narrator’s actions were irrational and reckless.) The driver then offers words of encouragement: “Start fresh next semester.” - Exclusive to the song’s outro are the lyrics “Start fresh with the new year.” I suppose this signifies that the driver’s encouragement got through to the narrator. - If you’re at rock bottom, the only way to go is up. And what better a time than next semester? - “Next semester” is a metaphor for “starting over”. Akin to a New Year’s resolution, some find a shift to a new period of time can make it easier for someone to “reset” or “start from square one.” The allusions to “graduation” and “semesters” may also reflect the songwriter’s own depression, possibly peaking around high school and his early college years. Is this, perhaps, a deeply personal song about an experience Tyler Joseph had? Cleverly veiled by pop punk instrumentation?
You really should make a separate thread with this info/theory. Made me have another level of appreciation for this song. I had the exact feeling of focusing on the melody until I dug into the lyrics.
It got me crying haha. Particularly the music video. Goddamn. Overall really good. Definitely not the sound I expected but it was very clean and very awesome. Quite different to overcompensate. I think I liked Next Semester more on my first listen than I did Overcompensate. Which is great because I love Overcompensate after listening to it for a few weeks so hopefully I grow to love Next Semester more as well. I just hope we get a song on Clancy that isn't so repetitive. Overcompensate and Next Semester have both been very repetitive which isn't unexpected given their recent albums. But I do miss a lot of the long verses from their previous stuff, so hoping we get more songs like that in the album. I'll be happy whatever we get though, just a little wish haha. But Overcompensate and Next Semester have both been bangers, so I won't mind if we don't get that.
Singles are typically going to be the more repetitive songs.
I cried as well!! As soon as the entrance hit I had the biggest grin on my face, and then the ending is where I teared up. I’m almost the same age as Tyler and this song felt like nostalgia but at the same time growing up too. Idk it’s hard to explain, but this song had me reflecting on why I love this band and how much they’ve overcome mentally (as well as myself)
It's a banger!!
Ngl I didn’t like it at first but I think I was expecting it to sound like something from trench but as the song went on I think I really like it
I’ve learned to throw any expectations out the window with their music, each song has such a unique sound to it. Each time I listen to a new song I hear something new in it, and it makes me like the song so much more with every listen.
Oh yeah I don't expect anything at all at this point in terms of sound and that's great! And with Trench it felt like that as well, but I can see that later getting into the album it did have an overall sound ig
wow for me it has everything to do with trench. I think I heard a guitar trough the song, the lyrics reminds me of my blood, morph, cut my lip.
How is everyone not just wrecked by this song?? The lyrics are crushing my emotional little heart. So grateful for people like Tyler who tell the truth about their struggles so the rest of us don't feel so alone. Also so glad he chose to stay alive. 😭❤️🔥 ETA: I honestly love the sound too, but man the lyrics just cut me real deep. Ugh.
No bc I want to start sobbing it’s so good but sad
Sad but with that classic TØP hopeful undertone
Haha im crying rn bought me to tears, the uke at the end hit me so hard
Interesting that the sequence where he’s dashing out of the way of the car repeats four times and he’s wearing the mask the fourth time, which parallels “three lights are lit but the fourth one’s out”
I also like "Metaphorically, I'm a whore, and that's denial number four" with Clancy as the fourth 'denial'
Tyler looks like a young Flea hahaha
This is literally the most perfect college kid song
What in the punk rock?? Gotta give this a few more listens lol
Update: it’s growing on me as i listen on spotify! I dig the my chemical romance vibes. And obviously a powerful suicide prevention message. I’m here for it. It inspired me to listen to welcome to the black parade. Such a banger
This song is like if I put all my favorite high school bands in a blender, minus their annoying features, then added an absolutely gut-wrenching narrative. I am destroyed.
Wow I didn't expect something like this at all. This might be the most emo they've ever gone.
Real
Glad we actually have a dedicated thread. Took a while for one to be made for Overcompensate when that came out. I like this song even more than Overcompensate, although both are welcome new additions to their discography. The band dabbled in breakbeat last time. Now he’s foraying into 2000s PUNK music? Maybe some garage rock? Tyler and Co. are a never ending bag of surprises. (Seems like they always try to prioritize and emphasize a good varied/diverse-sounding album, where one song is totally different from the next. That’s why if you’re not a fan of one song, you can look forward to what may come next.) I love whatever key this new song is in. Is it minor or flat? The musical tone of the chorus seems to be neither happy nor sad. I love Josh going ham on the Hi-Hats during the chorus. IMO the song just gets better as it goes on. And TJ really pulled out the ukulele for this one boys. I love the ending. It’s almost ethereal. Oh how far we’ve come from the beginning… How many people realize what a new foray it is for Tyler to place such an emphasis on acoustic guitar in a TØP song. (Only other time might be “Formidable”?) It creates a wonderful ambiance. All in all, TØP are masters of genre-blending and I’m captivated as always.
Sounds to me like the main part is in A major then key changes to E major for the “I remember…” parts
If those lyrics are what they seem like they're about.. I can't believe he's going into such specifics after being so guarded when it comes to this subject. It's so direct. Even visually, going back to something like that is a dramatic leap from him never talking about it. I have never told anybody about my attempt and it's so eerily similar. He's grown and healed so much.
Agree, I think the lyrics are the darkest or deathiest lyrics yet, with ambiguity about whether start fresh means hang in there til the sun will rise again, or if it's more of a flippant "try again next lifetime." The uke walk sure seems like an out of body experience.
He had Blurryface neck and hands!!!
it was up to his collarbone area this time... could this mean anything??
I saw someone on another thread for a different thing talk about a theory of Blurryface taking over??
My thought was about the V-neck. He remembered what he was wearing, and the sweater left an impression that he fought to shake as he processed this experience.
This is everything I wanted Overcompensate to be. Absolutely love this one already. Major The Killers vibes.
I was starting to worry because all the leakers were complaining about the song and the 20 seconds snippet that was released didn't give us a very good idea of how the song would sound-- which turned out to be supersonic followed by heartbreak. It seems like the Leakers (and probably staunch haters of SAI) are the loud minority as far as whether they dislike the song. It's so Twenty One Pilots that it's ridiculous. What genre is it? It's twenty one pilots. That may be a tired refrain, but TØP has never stopped being their own unique genre. Who else can write about suicide/mental health, put it to old-school, upbeat punk, and rile up the internet via people's complete lack of understanding the song?
I need to wait a few hours till I’m out of office 🥲
I’m at work and I literally hid in a corner and put my phone speaker to my ear on the lowest volume because I literally could NOT wait 😭 I tried but I thought I was gonna explode
Same, I’m in class rn—have to wait until later to watch 🥲
i gave up and waited til the teacher took a break and then had my earphones out of my bag faster than flash lol
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Since I’ve seen nobody bring it up, I’m curious if anybody else gets big “where is my mind” vibes from the acoustic ending
IT'S SO GOOD- I LOVE LIVING
This is my favorite twenty one pilots song. Full stop. Im sobbing
Me too, I can't believe how much I love it
IM CRYING IT WAS SO GOOD IM SO HAPPY I WAITED OMGGGGGGG
SAME!! My impression of the song will forever be shaped by Tyler's face in the video.
I prefer overcompensate but DAMN those lyrics. "Can't change what you've done, start fresh next semester" is something I needed to hear as a college student and the rest of the lyrics are so sad and dark. I wonder if he really attempted that 💔
This was right up my alley of music, so for myself I got chills on first listen. Usually with any music I need at least a few listens to get a song and connect. This one… right away I knew and I got chills.
might be something silly and goofy to like notice or care about but it made me smile in the MV seeing how like genuinely all the extras looked like they were having the times of their lives.
Alright signed up for pre sale hopefully🙏🏻🙏🏻 LETS GOO
Bro I’m at work, I figured it was releasing today but I expected a premiere, but I go on break and there’s a notification it released and I have never clocked out for break faster. And omfg I was NOT disappointed. TYLER BROUGHT THE UKE BACK OUT BRO ITS A MOTHERFUCKING GOOD DAY WHEN THE UKE COMES OUT.
He jumps out of the road 4 times as the heavydirtysoul style car camera comes for him, with the last one in his Clancy hood. 4 cycles- vessel, blurryface, trench, Clancy. But then Josh sits still and stares the car down as it passes him. The next time we see Tyler on the road, he is stationary in the middle and the car cycles around him. A hint into how to break the cycle in half? Torchbearer shows him the way to step out of the loop
Obvious observation: “I remember certain things… what I was wearing….” Lots of people have core memories regarding their specific outfits during times of trauma.
On the second verse Tyler mets a car 4 times: - first and second time he ran left (Blurryface and Trench), - third time he ran right (SAI), - fourth time he met car with a clancy mask (Clancy). Maybe it's all about 4 albums in a whole storyline?
It brought me to tears. To preface, my favourite album is Trench and thats when I discovered the band. I really liked Overcompensate but Next Semester perfectly captures the unfamiliarity one feels as a teenager as they are becoming their own person and finding themselves in this world. The anxiety that comes with not knowing what the future holds, the anxiety when you fail a test and think the world is ending. For me it just brought me back to those weird times as a teenager when you dont really know whats going on. Simultaneously, now as an older person, it's a sort of nostalgic and melancholic look back to my younger years and appreciating all that came before me. Lyrically the song may not be a lot in content, but what is said, and also the overall sound itself is amazing. I am super happy with this one.
ohmygod THAT WAS AWESOME! this is the best way i’ve been woken up omgogmg
Absolutely loved it! I enjoyed Overcompensate quite a bit, but I adore Next Semester on a whole different level. It brings me back to my teen music years, and the lyrics are deep and relatable.
Takes me back to RAB and self titled with how it sounds vocally, and sonically, very late 90’s/early 2000’s!
Put on my jorts for this one
Honestly I don’t think I can dislike anything they put out. Loved it!
I’m in shambles over this my stomach was in knots this morning waiting to hear it and I’ve listened to it 5 times since it was released, this might be the most I’ve liked a single of theirs that they’ve released on the first few listens, and I’ve been a fan since late 2015. I loved overcompensate a lot when I first listened to it but not as much as this
I love it so much. I kept on thinking "he gets it, he literally gets it" as I was listening to the lyrics. So good. Can't wait for us all to scream out these lyrics on tour. edit: i knew what it was about from the first listen. but i keep on thinking of new ways that I resonate with the lyrics. This genuinely might be the best song on Clancy.
They made this for me as a graduation present how sweet
This song hit me hard. I've had similar feelings lately, of "I don't wanna be here" and "I prayed those lights would take me home". But really what I needed was the lyrics of the bridge: "Can't change what you've done, start fresh next semester". I needed that reminder that I can get up and start again, regardless of what I've done. So to Twenty One Pilots, thank you for that reminder and for this masterpiece. Plus, it's an absolute banger.
Its better than overcompensate imo. Nice uptempo beat; like the ukelele at the last. And holy, screams are back? Gonna be good live!!!
It sounds so different from Overcompensate. It's definitely giving off some indie rock and pop punk vibes. I like it though.
I've never cried to such a bop 😭😭😭
IT’S SO GOOD!!
This is by far the best song structures I've seen them doing. It's so wow in numerous aspects. The drums beat in the chorus is insane.
i am fully obsessed.
one of the best songs by them in my opinion. classic RAB and Vessel vibes with this one. I feel so emotional listening to it
That chorus is awesome. Love the “hey kid, get out of the road” line
I’m not partial to the genre or this style of early 2000s pop punk, so it says a lot that I actually still really like this song. The production and structure stop it from becoming boring and the lyrics are very meaningful and hit close to home.
I had a momentary thought and checked Ticketmaster to see if they listed the tour dates yet. When they did, I checked Twitter hoping for the song too, and they hadn’t announced the tour yet but had posted the song, so hubs and I took a break to watch it. Then did a re-listen of next semester with the lyrics, as well as overcompensate into next semester to get the album rhythm. Absolutely love the song and video, by themselves and the cadence from overcompensate!! And so excited for Backslide as the next track. One of the things I love about TOP is the variety of musical genres and how they mix and match them. The song by itself, and the cadence with overcompensate, are perfect examples of this. Loving the punk rock, and that switch to the ukelele is just masterful, genius. And it fits the message/story of the song. The heightened energy in the midst of the struggle and leading to the road, and then the release of all that into a sort of tentative calm…it just feels accurate and relatable as someone who’s been in that dark place and emerged from it. “It’s a taste test of what I hate less” stuck out for me in that respect - to me, he’s talking about that feeling like it’s just choosing between the lesser of two evils. And all you can do if you choose wrong is don’t dwell on it and try again. It’s that constant cycle of try, fail, try again. I dunno. It felt relatable to me so I can probably make all of it mean something specific like that. But a great song in all the ways and I just love it, as expected tbh.
That ukulele bit made me cry lol
insta fave for me
Big Green Day vibes from this song I LOVED IT
I’d describe New Semester as a fusion of punk, pop, and alt/indie. With subtle nostalgic elements and it ends acoustically. Kind of off-topic, but has anyone ever listened to the indie/alt-rock band Bad Suns before? (Specifically their album Disappear Here.) If anyone likes this song “New Semester”, check out “Off She Goes” or “Outskirts of Paradise”. Those are the songs that the new TOP song made me think of.
I thought it sounded like bad suns too! Haven’t listened to them much. The nostalgia in the song reminds me of ‘this was a home once’ for some reason
THEY'RE GIVING ME A CHANCE TO CHANGE
It was great!
Took them two songs to make me cry this time. Also the track ends with the words “can’t change what you’ve done. start fresh next semester.” But the next track is Backslide 🙃
“Can’t change what you’ve done… start fresh next semester” made me bawl my eyes out
That end is perfect.
if i can get personal for a minute, im on my tenth? listen rn and it is LITERALLY describing my situation from 2022 possible TWs‼️‼️‼️ it was one year before my graduation. was at my worst, skipping school all the time either getting blackout drunk or shoplifting or planning self off or going on LONG walks (damn going on a walk didnt help me:() School phobia was WILDING, didnt know how to exist in school without wanting to kms and being exhausted when coming home. „I don't wanna be here, I don't wanna be here Can't feel my legs (Ooh) Might suffocate (Ooh) There's a pressure in my chest (Ooh) I don't wanna be here, I don't wanna be here What's about to happen?” in june they put me in the psych ward and every few weeks they would send me home just to get inpatient few days later. i was hopeless, didnt know how to break that cycle, my parents and family were miserable. „Can't change what you've done” but then a girl in the hospital told me being home schooled got her through high school. „Start fresh next semester” and as it was already october i gave it a go „It's a taste test Of what I hate less” „Whats about to happen?” and it kinda saved me. no more hospital since then. but well, as much as it saved me it also took my senior year experience from me. hearing and seeing how my classmates are doing things, having new stuff to talk about. i felt very alienated. even tho i had friends they never invented me, and my prom experience was really humilating. So i kinda had to graduate one year earlier but i didnt even know my last days at school were my last days at school - „Graduate NOW” now im doing MUCH better! atm im on the low as beginning of spring is always hard and for some reason im dealing with A LOT of flashbacks to 2022 - „I remember I remember certain things What I was wearin' The yellow dashes in the street I prayed those lights would take me home Then I heard, "Hey, kid, get out of the road!"” emphasising the „i remember certain things, WHAT I WAS WEARING” verse because i actually remember what i was wearing most of the time in the span of those few months. fun thing, the „Can't feel my legs” verse despite indicating anxiety symptoms also reminds me of how i would be killing time in the hospital walking in circles arounf the corridor making 15km+ a day in slippers so at the end of the day i really couldnt feel my legs! whats more, that nostalgic tone of the song kinda reminds me of how its all in the past and im a different person from who i was when these things were happening. feels very good. next semester definitely stays on repeat for now. okay thats it i have no one to rant to abt tøp so pardon me for it!
Overcompensate took time to grow on me, but I loved this right away! Interesting, cuz that is the opposite of how it went for Scaled and Icy. I immediately loved Shy Away but Choker had to grow on me (I now love it). Love Next Semester. Such a sad ass message, but I love the hope that shines through. We all can use a fresh start at some point in life, there’s hope just up ahead!
i think that it is SO fascinating how it is the same set of lyrics throughout the whole song but each time its sung its like ever so slightly different. its so nice to listen to. but i seriously missed music that wasn't heavy on lore. i love the lore and the universe they created but i also missed their music where it was not just made for lore and was emotionally hard hitting
I know the song/ music video may not be directly related to the lore. Nevertheless, I'm compiling some things that have at least some meaning in the Dema/Clancy storyline. So far, this is my list: - guitar strap with Clancy's name on it - Clancy's mask the fourth time he dodges the car - heavy nods to the HDS music video (the shots of the street are so similar) - black hands and neck on Tyler - red color theme in the venue - lyrics "yellow dashes" remind of the Bandito's yellow tapes - red stripes on Tyler's & Josh's pants - ripped poster of Trash the Dragon on the wall next to Josh Feel free to add to this list!
Interesting shots during the road sequence. It breaks the 180 rule in film which gives an appearance of two characters going back and forth. Maybe insinuating he was a conflict of decision or control
The song reminded me a lot of My Chemical Romance, especially in his voice. I really liked the song
I cried when first heard it, I love it so much! If it came out when I was in school back in 2015 I know I would have rinsed the hell out of this song too, it feels so nostalgic to me for some reason, they never miss
giving me huge taxi cab vibes. huge
I’ve been convinced to buy a ukulele
So the yellow dashes on the road maybe = yellow tape?
THIS WAS SO REFRESHING!! FINALLY!!! Overcompensate still hasn't grown on me but man... Next Semester was so good. it seems a bit grunge but I'm not at expert. anyways, a total banger. Can't wait to see it live!!!
The beginning gives off early Cure/post punk vibes. Also the screaming takes me back to the RAB era. This song is amazing 🔥
Overcompensate took a little bit to grow on me but man I love this right off the bat the lyrics are some of my favorite ever and the song is such a bop
As a college kid who is at a really low point and is relying on the idea of getting to the next semester to keep myself going, this hit so hard. This song is phenomenal and it’s just getting me more hyped for this album!
The video has Smells Like Teen Spirit vibes. Love it!
I did not expect to cry to this song. For someone who tried to run into on coming traffic on purpose when I was in grade 10 because of bullying and bad grades, this song hit home hard. The message rings true though, school is not that serious because there is always next semester to try again.
It's good.. not really catchy though and prefer overcompensate, sure it will grow on me though 🙂
The song certainly feels a bit "safer" than Overcompensate, but sometimes it's nice to not have to overthink when they release something.
This is end-of-semester anxiety. There is regret about the last semester, and it's not just about academics, but what's worse than what's just past is what's up next: summer vacation. Time on your hands. Way too much time on your hands. Way too much time in your head. Anxiety enough that you do reckless things, hoping you don't make it. "Can't change what you've done Start fresh next semester" is such an adult take. It's toxic positivity. It's blaming the kid for having a rough time, and pretending it'll be different next year. It's what all adult advice amounts to, no matter the words they choose. As they yell something at you for being in the road, beyond "get out of the road!", and you're not hearing them, these are the words you imagine they are saying. This driver doesn't even know you, but this is what you imagine hearing come out his mouth. The same advice you got from your parents. "Can't change what you've done Start fresh next semester" And then you do this to yourself every year as an adult.
I needed this song before I graduated college!!
I love it. I think I love it more than Overcompensate. When I heard the preview they posted I didn't think it would be a favorite for me but its so different from what I expected and its so fun and beautiful. I think this whole album is going to be one unexpected thing after another.
It makes me tear up man. Overcompensate didn't actually.
Love the kinda surf-rock, kinda pop-punk vibes… parts of it remind me of early Switchfoot in a way
AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH the small crowd, ukulele, punk vibes, T being shirtless, “I remember what I was wearing” “can’t change what you’ve done” “start fresh next semester”
Felt a little off put on first listen, but mainly cause I was not excepting such a tone shift from Overcompensate to this. However on subsequent listens the song is really starting to set in, and I honestly love it. Absolutely can’t wait to hear this live!
Honestly one of my faves by them ever. Fun and catchy beat that also feels so nostalgic. And the lyrics hit hard too when you think about what he’s talking about. I’ll probably cry hearing this live lol. Reminds me of Taxi Cab for some reason too, maybe it's just how that song also relates to me a lot personally, but also just similar vibe in story. Can’t wait for the rest of the album cause these first two songs have been amazing.
***”Cannot wait to sing this one with you.”*** Yes! ITS THIS SONG! THE SONG THAT WILL DEFINITELY MAKES US SING TOGETHER AND GO WILD!!! The lyrics are very substantial, and the fact that it feels like it’s “lore-unrelated”, definitely gives us the vibe of *“small town band”* called twenty one pilots. Thank you for reviving this kind of music which has been long gone. A lot of Punk Band nowadays are trying to do Pop-Electronic oriented, and now the boys are touring us back to the roots.
I think it's about being suicidal in your youth and engaging in self-destructive habits because you don't see the purpose of life. Then when you are at your lowest, you find your purpose and you stay alive. You let go of the shame of what you've done so you can move on. Such a beautiful song
it reminded me of older twenty one pilots, like vessel or even self titled, especially the “and then he slowed down” part
I love the lyrics. It takes me back to high school.
was hoping for a heavier, grungier track when they revealed it but it's still good
Same…really liked the punk sound but was thinking it could’ve gone even a little grittier/grungier. The tempo change with the ukelele was nice, especially in the video, but took me out of that punk club vibe. Intentional, I’m sure. I just wanted more of it.
Overall I love it. It's kinda like a garage rock version of Shy Away 😂 But I feel like overall their songs have gotten too repetitive. I really miss the long verses and a lot more lyrical content outside of the same 2 sections with maybe a couple line variations
It’s not lore heavy but it hints. Some of those posters have to do something with it. And I may be mistaken, but has his neck paint always come that far down? He’s usually wearing a shirt so maybe, but it could also mean that “blurry face” is spreading no?
It's actually so good. I just listened to it for the first time. Songs ALWAYS grow on me, I didn't like overcompensate on first listen an now it's one of may fav songs of all time, but some how this song managed to make me blown away on first listen, and my expectations were through the roof. I'm speechless.
I love how the two main colors of the music video are red and blue, it feels like we’re back home again full circule to RAB even the sound has a very forest vibe to be, forest or like kitchen sink with the creaming and “ooohh”. Anyone agree?
I already watched/listened to it several times so yeah I love it.
WE GOT OUR FIRST (kinda) SCREAM OF THE ALBUM LETSGO
I got the notification for it and immediately got out of bed and woke up my mom to show her lol
I like it a lot! Maybe not as much as Overcompensate though. Really like the start of the song, but less towards the end. It’s a nice blend of SAI and Vessel, gives me Choker vibes.
Never Take it and The Hype had a baby and the baby is twice as fast
I LOVE THIS SONG I WANT TO EAT IT!
I absolutely bawled my eyes out listening to this on the way to work. It is such the perfect mix of their music to me especially when paired with overcompensate. I can’t wait for this album. I feel like I grew with them and now at 30 years old no band and their music speaks more to me than they do. I love them. I am so thankful for what they got me through and I cannot wait for this album and tour. |-/