"Next Semester" is a song by American musical duo

Twenty One Pilots Twenty One Pilots (stylized in all lowercase or as twenty øne piløts) are an American musical duo from Columbus, Ohio. Initially a band, the group was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist Tyler Joseph along with Nick Thomas and Chris Salih, who b ...

, released on March 27, 2024, through

Fueled by Ramen Fueled by Ramen LLC is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by 300 Elektra Entertainment. The label, founded in Gainesville, Florida in 1996, is now based in New York City. History John Janick conceived of the l ...

as the second single of their seventh studio album, ''

Clancy Clancy is an Irish name coming from the Gaelic ''Mac Fhlannchaidh/Mac Fhlannchadha'', meaning "Son of the red/ruddy warrior" (Mac being for sons, ''Ní Fhlannchaidh/Ní Fhlannchadha'' would be for daughters), or as a hypocorism for Clarence. ...

'', and was produced by

Tyler Joseph Tyler Robert Joseph (born December 1, 1988) is an American singer, rapper, musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the frontman for the musical duo Twenty One Pilots, alongside bandmate Josh Dun. He has been nominated for ...

and

Paul Meany Paul Meany (born July 2, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music director and record producer. He is best known as the lead singer and keyboardist for the alternative rock band Mutemath. Career While under the mo ...

. The song was accompanied by a music video directed by Andrew Donoho. On the same day, the band announced the Clancy World Tour.

Composition

"Next Semester" has been described as

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...

pop-punk Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti- suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-r ...

, and

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

. Theme wise, the song is considered to be a restless blast about wanting to begin again while still contending with what was in the past, containing lyrics that speak about the feeling of

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil Turmoil may refer to: * ''Turmoil'' (1984 video game), a 1984 video game released by Bug-Byte * ''Turmoil'' (2016 video game), a 2016 indie oil tycoon video ...

and an inescapable memory of standing in the road, in front of a moving vehicle, and escaping from being run over. According to Joseph, the song is "about a

panic attack Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear and discomfort that may include palpitations, sweating, chest pain or chest discomfort, shortness of breath, trembling, dizziness, numbness, confusion, or a feeling of impending doom or of losing ...

e had E, or e, is the fifth letter and the second vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''e'' (pronounced ); plur ...

in college." The title alludes to the idea of starting fresh next semester.

Release

Following days of speculation, "Next Semester" was officially announced on March 23, 2024. The band stated the song would be released "next week" and provided a teaser of the music video. The track, along with the music video, became available on March 27, 2024.

Music video

On March 17, 2024, the music video was filmed at

The Smell The Smell is an all-ages, alcohol and drug-free, punk rock and experimental music venue in Downtown Los Angeles, California. The Smell, notable for its DIY ethic, is home to many of the area's avant-garde performers and artists. The venue is ...

in downtown Los Angeles. The music video for "Next Semester" was directed by Andrew Donoho with editing by Mark C. Eshleman and

. As of September 25, 2024, it has garnered over 9.6 million views on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most ...

. On April 17, 2024, the band released a behind-the-scenes video. The video features the band performing the song in front of a crowd. The video consistently switches between shots of the concert and Joseph standing in the middle of a dimly lit road at night, presumably seen from the point-of-view of an oncoming vehicle.

Usage in media

"Next Semester" is featured in the video game ''

Fortnite ''Fortnite'' is an online video game developed by Epic Games and released in 2017. It is available in three distinct game mode versions that otherwise share the same general gameplay and game engine: '' Fortnite Battle Royale'', a free-to ...

'' as a Jam Track.

Personnel

Credits adapted from Twenty One Pilots' official

channel. Twenty One Pilots *

– vocals, bass, piano, synthesizers, programming, songwriting, production, ukulele,

electric ukulele An electric ukulele is a ukulele which is electrically amplified, via either piezoelectric or magnetic pickups. Electric vs. electro-acoustic A solid-body electric ukulele produces very little sound acoustically, requiring an amplifier to be he ...

Josh Dun Joshua William Dun (born June 18, 1988) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of the musical duo Twenty One Pilots, alongside Tyler Joseph, and also contributes backing vocals and trumpet to the band's work. He has collabor ...

– drums Additional personnel *

– programming, production *

Adam Hawkins Adam Hawkins (born July 1976) is an American recording and mix engineer. Life and career Hawkins was born in New Jersey, and later moved with his family to North Carolina. After graduating from high school he moved back to New Jersey to become ...

– mixing *

Joe LaPorta Joseph J. LaPorta (born ) is an American mastering engineer at Sterling Sound in New Jersey.http://www.allmusic.com/artist/joe-laporta-mn000199340/credits/date-asc/ Career Born and raised in New York, LaPorta graduated from New York Univer ...

– mastering

Charts

References

{{Authority control 2024 songs 2024 singles Twenty One Pilots songs Songs written by Paul Meany Songs written by Tyler Joseph American garage rock songs American pop punk songs American pop rock songs Fueled by Ramen singles