It is a truth universally acknowledged that human beings desire, search for and seek out joy. They want life and art and beauty and comforts. They want to be surrounded by friends and by family, and both when they overlap. They want to feel. And this very fact has been made strikingly evident as Twenty One Pilots released their single ‘A Drag Path’, a track that has previously been meant only for exclusive listeners who purchased it in its original form some time ago. The song’s success on social media platforms arguably steamrolled this public release, and now listeners around the world can feel every emotion it brings to the surface.  

Although not an exact replica of the original, this rendition is simply beautiful and retains exclusivity for those original purchasers. It sings of nostalgia as though it's our best friend and worst enemy combined. We are forced to relive all the events across our lives that made us who we are today, feeling everything we’ve ever felt all at once. It’s special because it's overwhelming. It’s impactful because it is a constant stream of noise and speech, and reminiscence. It’s unrelenting in the most wonderfully crafted way. 

Finding great fame on TikTok, many videos used the final chorus to accompany metaphorical drag paths users found in the world around them. This could be anything from the appearance of a spiral shape in our natural world, depicting eternity and the idea of finite versus infinite, to words scratched under wallpaper of renovated houses or hair in a hairbrush of someone no longer with us.  

Many videos edit together different ‘path’s of desire’, a human urge to take a shortcut and venture off from the given walkways. Thousands upon thousands of strangers, all united in going a little off course, over time, create their own lane to follow. And we do it because someone has done it before us, we may do it because we’re in a rush or avoiding something, or maybe simply to make way for someone else to use that original path, whatever the reason, the new route shows that we are here and we are together.  

Some users place the sound under edited clips of graffiti around the world, humans leaving their message of existence on stone or bathroom doors. Some opt for a more personal connection with the song, anything from the last moments in the life of a loved one to a sentimental song playing by chance at family events. There are reminders of life, and love, and humanity around us all the time, and this song brings that fact to the surface. 

The song itself acts as its very own drag path; their decision to purchase the album ‘Breach (Digital Remains)’ brought them the original version. That choice they made has impacted the now and brought them this exclusivity, one that their younger self is ever grateful for. 

So, the duo has gone above and beyond with this release; it’s a tidal wave of emotional significance and connection. It encompasses that feeling of leaving a mark on the world, ensuring no one is forgotten, and seeing those who have been loved in the world around us.  

 

Abby Tapping

@abs.tapp75

Image: Twenty One Pilots ‘Drag Path’ Official Single Cover

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