On February 15, 2024, the cover art of previous Twenty One Pilots albums Vessel (2013), Blurryface (2015), Trench (2018), and Scaled and Icy (2021) were updated to be partially covered in red tape on streaming services.[5] Additionally, several fans received mail sent by the "Sacred Municipality of Dema", a fictional dystopian city in the storyline introduced in Trench.[6] The mail contained journal pages from the storyline's protagonist Clancy, who declared that with the "new power of psychokinesis",[a] he "no longer feels powerless" and implied he wanted to cross a strait and "create an inferno" together with the "Banditos", a rebellion operating on the metaphorical continent of Trench. A new location called "Paladin Strait", situated between the continent and a small island called "Voldsøy", was revealed on a map attached with the mail, as well as a cryptic 2-2-9 pattern, leading fans to believe a new track would be released on February 29.[7] This date was further supported when a BBC Radio 1 Future Sounds episode called "Twenty One Pilots Hottest Record" was scheduled to air on the same day.[8]
On February 22, the band posted a short video titled "I Am Clancy" on social media, which recapped the storyline, including Clancy's attempts to escape Dema, joining the Banditos, being captured by the bishops of Dema and escaping to Voldsøy before obtaining a special power to take control of recently-deceased people.[b] The video ended with Clancy announcing that he would be "returning to Trench".[10]
On February 28, the band officially announced on social media that a new single titled "Overcompensate", along with its music video, would be released the following day at 13:00 ET.[11]
Music video
The music video, directed by Mark C. Eshleman, and edited by him and Joseph, was primarily filmed at the Athenaeum Theatre in Columbus, Ohio. It premiered with the song on February 29, 2024. The video begins with illustrations and scenery in relation to the lore created by the band (coinciding with the German, French and Spanish voices at the beginning of the song). It then shows the duo playing at the venue, which begins to fill up with people who are known as the "citizens of Dema", all of whom are showing no emotion. Clancy (played by Joseph) then presents images of his journals and maps of the city to the citizens, before passing out as the video reveals the physical body in the venue had already been dead and was of someone else. It was possessed by Clancy, who arrives along with the imaginary Torchbearer (played by Josh Dun) on the continent of "Trench".[4] As of December 25, 2024, the music video has garnered over 25 million views on YouTube.
Usage in media
"Overcompensate" is included on the soundtrack for the 2024 video game NHL 25.[12]
Track listing
Digital download / stream
No.
Title
Length
1.
"Overcompensate"
3:56
2.
"Overcompensate" (edit)
3:11
Personnel
Credits adapted from Twenty One Pilots' official YouTube channel.[13]
Twenty One Pilots
Tyler Joseph – lead vocals, bass, piano, synthesizers, sampling, programming, songwriting, production
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 10. týden 2024 in the date selector. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
