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"'''Morph'''" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo [[Twenty One Pilots]] for their fifth studio album, ''[[Trench (album)|Trench]]'', which was released on October 5, 2018 through [[Fueled by Ramen]]. Despite not being released as a single, the song managed to achieve decent chart success in several countries, notably [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] and the [[United Kingdom]].
"'''Morph'''" is a song by American [[Alternative music|alternative]] musical duo [[Twenty One Pilots]] from their fifth studio album ''[[Trench (album)|Trench]]'' (2018). It was written by vocalist [[Tyler Joseph]] in a studio in his basement. The track was produced by Joseph alongside [[Paul Meany]] of [[Mutemath]] and recorded at [[United Recording Studios]] in Hollywood, California. Even though "Morph" was one of the less conceptual parts of their [[concept album]], it still revealed more about the surroundings of a world named "Trench" and a city called "DEMA." A key discovery comes in "Morph" with the identity of Nicolas Bourbaki, the titular character of the song "[[Nico and the Niners]]" and one of Joseph's main antagonists in the story.

The song's lyrics contain [[prosocial]] content, where the tension between anxiety and hope emerges as the band tries to come to terms and reckon with the reality of death. The duo incorporate [[History_of_depression#20th_and_21st_centuries|twenty-first century depression]] and a [[moral]] lesson about being caught in a holding pattern in life into "Morph." It provides an explanation on how Tyler Joseph will keep himself distracted and moving forward and continue "morphing" so he doesn’t wallow in isolation. "Morph" is a [[lounge jazz]] song that exhibits ''[[falsetto]]'' [[R&B]] [[Musical hook|hooks]] sung by Joseph. It features [[horn section]]s and [[electric piano]], and has a slick atmosphere that utilizes rapid [[Break_(music)#Breakbeat_(element_of_music)|breakbeats]] as well as jolting left turns while demonstrating both restraint and drummer Josh Dun's virtuosic [[percussion]]. Despite not being released as a [[Single (music)|single]], "Morph" managed to achieve modest chart success in multiple countries, reaching number eleven in [[New Zealand]].


== Background ==
== Background ==
Like all of the songs from their fifth studio album, ''[[Trench]]'', "Morph" was written by [[Tyler Joseph]] in a studio in his basement.<ref name="Bellamy"/> The [[concept album]] had featured an overarching storyline, with songs containing themes involving a world called "Trench."<ref name="Bellamy">{{Cite news|author=Bellamy, Sarah|url=http://musicfeeds.com.au/features/twenty-one-pilots-meaning-new-album-trench-blurryface-real-name/|title=Twenty One Pilots on the Meaning Behind New Album 'Trench' & Blurryface's Real Name |work=[[Music Feeds]] |date=October 5, 2018 |access-date=March 14, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Willman"/> However, "Morph" was one of the less conceptual parts of the album and lacked symbolic [[Origin story|origin stories]].<ref name="Willman"/> Though the entire album didn't tell one conceptual narrative from start to finish, it still reveals more about the world surrounding Trench and a city called DEMA.<ref name="Williams"/> One of the key discoveries came early in ''Trench'' at track three with "Morph." During the song, listeners learn the identity of Nico, the titular character of "[[Nico and the Niners]]" and one of the nine bishops and one of Joseph's key antagonists in this narrative. His full name is Nicolas Bourbaki, which is the collective [[pseudonym]] for the scientists who invented the notation for zero or "empty set" -- the Ø symbols used in much of the branding for Twenty One Pilots over the past years.<ref name="Williams"/>
Like all of the songs from their fifth studio album, ''[[Trench]]'', "Morph" was written by [[Tyler Joseph]] in a studio in his basement.<ref name="Bellamy"/> The [[concept album]] had featured an overarching storyline, with songs containing themes involving a world called "Trench."<ref name="Bellamy">{{Cite news|author=Bellamy, Sarah|url=http://musicfeeds.com.au/features/twenty-one-pilots-meaning-new-album-trench-blurryface-real-name/|title=Twenty One Pilots on the Meaning Behind New Album 'Trench' & Blurryface's Real Name |work=[[Music Feeds]] |date=October 5, 2018 |access-date=March 14, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Willman"/> However, "Morph" was one of the less conceptual parts of the album and lacked symbolic [[Origin story|origin stories]].<ref name="Willman"/> Though the entire album didn't tell one conceptual narrative from start to finish, it still reveals more about the world surrounding Trench and a city called "DEMA."<ref name="Williams"/> One of the key discoveries came early in ''Trench'' at track three with "Morph." During the song, listeners learn the identity of Nico, the titular character of "[[Nico and the Niners]]" and one of the nine bishops and one of Joseph's key antagonists in this narrative. His full name is Nicolas Bourbaki, which is the collective [[pseudonym]] for the scientists who invented the notation for zero or "empty set" — the Ø symbols used in much of the branding for Twenty One Pilots over the past years.<ref name="Williams"/>


While other songs felt like [[side quest]]s within its main storyline, the major narrative throughout the entirety of ''Trench'' is the limbo between being in one's darkest moments and making it through the other side.<ref name="Williams"/> "Morph" was among the songs from ''Trench'' that contain [[prosocial]] content, where the tension between anxiety and hope emerges. On "Morph", the band attempts to come to terms and reckon with the reality of death.<ref name="Holz"/> The song expounds on how Tyler Joseph will keep himself distracted and moving forward and continue "morphing" so he doesn’t wallow in isolation.<ref name="Williams">{{Cite news|last=Williams|first=Paige|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8478509/twenty-one-pilots-trench-decoding-meaning|title=Twenty One Pilots' 'Trench': Decoding the New Album's Hidden Meanings |work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=Lynne Segall |date=October 5, 2018|access-date=October 7, 2018}}</ref>
While other songs felt like [[side quest]]s within its main storyline, the major narrative throughout the entirety of ''Trench'' is the limbo between being in one's darkest moments and making it through the other side.<ref name="Williams"/> "Morph" was among the songs from ''Trench'' that contain [[prosocial]] content, where the tension between anxiety and hope emerges. On "Morph", the band attempts to come to terms and reckon with the reality of death.<ref name="Holz"/> The song expounds on how Tyler Joseph will keep himself distracted and moving forward and continue "morphing" so he doesn’t wallow in isolation.<ref name="Williams">{{Cite news|last=Williams|first=Paige|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8478509/twenty-one-pilots-trench-decoding-meaning|title=Twenty One Pilots' 'Trench': Decoding the New Album's Hidden Meanings |work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=Lynne Segall |date=October 5, 2018|access-date=October 7, 2018}}</ref>
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In an interview with ''[[Music Feeds]]'', Tyler Joseph explained the approach to writing ''Trench''. According to Tyler Joseph, "It was written down in my studio, in my basement, so it was all at home. It was very close to the chest and I think that was important for us in following up. Instead of it being a broader project involving a bunch of people, keeping it very intimate and sticking to the way we've always done it which is asking ourselves 'do we like this?' and that's it. I was very inclined to reach for the [[bass guitar]] while writing each of these songs. In the past, as I would teach myself how to play the piano, I found that same sense of excitement and inspiration in a new instrument in the bass guitar on this record, and I think that if you go into it thinking about that or realising that then you can see evidence of that."<ref name="Bellamy">{{Cite news|author=Bellamy, Sarah|url=http://musicfeeds.com.au/features/twenty-one-pilots-meaning-new-album-trench-blurryface-real-name/|title=Twenty One Pilots on the Meaning Behind New Album 'Trench' & Blurryface's Real Name |work=[[Music Feeds]] |date=October 5, 2018 |access-date=March 14, 2021}}</ref>
In an interview with ''[[Music Feeds]]'', Tyler Joseph explained the approach to writing ''Trench''. According to Tyler Joseph, "It was written down in my studio, in my basement, so it was all at home. It was very close to the chest and I think that was important for us in following up. Instead of it being a broader project involving a bunch of people, keeping it very intimate and sticking to the way we've always done it which is asking ourselves 'do we like this?' and that's it. I was very inclined to reach for the [[bass guitar]] while writing each of these songs. In the past, as I would teach myself how to play the piano, I found that same sense of excitement and inspiration in a new instrument in the bass guitar on this record, and I think that if you go into it thinking about that or realising that then you can see evidence of that."<ref name="Bellamy">{{Cite news|author=Bellamy, Sarah|url=http://musicfeeds.com.au/features/twenty-one-pilots-meaning-new-album-trench-blurryface-real-name/|title=Twenty One Pilots on the Meaning Behind New Album 'Trench' & Blurryface's Real Name |work=[[Music Feeds]] |date=October 5, 2018 |access-date=March 14, 2021}}</ref>


''Trench'' continued vocalist Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun's genre-bending hallmark of attacking various styles while showcasing a flair for songwriting.<ref name="Kennedy"/> On the album, Joseph and Dun again scheme familiar measures from ''Blurryface'', including [[reggae]] textures, [[ukulele]] bases and paranoid raps, alongside new developments.<ref name="Payne"/> "Morph" deployed accelerated [[breakbeat]]s and jolting left turns while demonstrating how much of a virtuoso [[percussion]]ist Dun had become.<ref name="Payne"/> The track was equipped with ''falsetto'' [[R&B]] [[Musical hook|hook]]s similar to "[[Heavydirtysoul]]" from their previous album.<ref name="Willman"/> It is one of many songs on ''Trench'' that distills disparate musical elements into a less definable but easily recognizable sound, with much of the record opting for slick, atmospheric production.<ref name="DeVille"/><ref name="Copperman"/>
''Trench'' continued vocalist Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun's genre-warping hallmark of attacking various styles while showcasing a flair for songwriting.<ref name="Kennedy"/> On the album, Joseph and Dun again schemed familiar measures from ''Blurryface'', including [[reggae]] textures, [[ukulele]] bases and paranoid raps, alongside new developments.<ref name="Payne"/> As always, Twenty One Pilots played around with a rotation of genres, delving into funky [[R&B]] on "Morph." This was bolstered by sleek, wide field of record production assisted by Paul Meany of [[Mutemath]].<ref name="Ryan">{{cite web|author=Ryan, Gary |title=Twenty One Pilots – ‘Trench’ Review |url=http://www.nme.com/reviews/album/twenty-one-pilots-trench-review |work=[[NME]] |publisher=[[TI Media]] |date=October 5, 2018 |accessdate=October 5, 2018}}</ref> It is one of many songs on ''Trench'' that condenses disparate musical elements into a less definable but easily recognizable sound, with much of the record opting for slick, atmospheric production.<ref name="DeVille"/><ref name="Copperman"/> Though their trademark [[cross-genre]], [[Dub music|dub]]-influenced sounds remained, Twenty One Pilots expanded their range with some new techniques, scattering things such as Tyler Joseph's ''[[falsetto]]'' into "Morph", which contains washes of R&B.<ref name="Yeung"/> The track was equipped with ''falsetto'' R&B [[Musical hook|hook]]s similar to "[[Heavydirtysoul]]" from their previous studio album.<ref name="Willman"/> Alongside bass guitar, Twenty One Pilots blended [[horn section]]s and [[electric piano]] into the record.<ref name="Bellamy"/><ref name="Pettigrew"/> "Morph" also deployed accelerated [[Break_(music)#Breakbeat_(element_of_music)|breakbeat]]s and jolting left turns while demonstrating how much of a virtuoso [[percussion]]ist Dun had become.<ref name="Payne"/>


== Composition ==
== Composition ==
"Morph" is [[lounge jazz]] song that runs for a duration of four minutes and nineteen seconds.<ref name="Pettigrew"/> The musical composition is a blissed-out number that exhibits ''falsetto'' [[R&B]] [[Musical hook|hooks]].<ref name="Kennedy"/><ref name="Willman"/> Twenty One Pilots blend [[horn section]]s and [[electric piano]] with ''[[falsetto]]s''.<ref name="Pettigrew"/> The track has a slick atmosphere and utilizes rapid [[breakbeats]] as well as jolting left turns while demonstrating both restraint and Dun's virtuosic [[percussion]].<ref name="Payne"/><ref name="Copperman"/> According to the [[sheet music]] published at Musicnotes.com by [[Alfred Music|Alfred Publishing Co., Inc]], it is composed in the [[Key (music)|key]] of [[C-sharp minor|C{{music|sharp}} minor]] and set in the [[time signature]] of [[Time signature#Frequently used time signatures|common time]], with a [[tempo]] of 90 [[Tempo#Beats per minute|beats per minute]].<ref name="Sheet">{{cite web|last=Joseph |first=Tyler |url=http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0189988 |title= TutorialsByHugo "Morph" Sheet Music (Piano Solo) in C# Minor - Download & Print |publisher=Musicnotes.com|access-date=March 14, 2021}}</ref>
"Morph" is [[lounge jazz]] song that runs for a duration of four minutes and nineteen seconds.<ref name="Pettigrew"/> It is a blissed-out number that exhibits ''falsetto'' [[R&B]] [[Musical hook|hooks]].<ref name="Kennedy"/><ref name="Willman"/> Musically, the song features [[horn section]]s and [[electric piano]], with showers of ''[[falsetto]]s'' from Tyler Joseph being injected into washes of funky R&B.<ref name="Pettigrew"/><ref name="Yeung"/><ref name="Ryan"/> The track has a slick atmosphere and utilizes rapid [[Break_(music)#Breakbeat_(element_of_music)|breakbeats]] as well as jolting left turns while demonstrating both restraint and Josh Dun's virtuosic [[percussion]].<ref name="Payne"/><ref name="Copperman"/> According to the [[sheet music]] published at Musicnotes.com by [[Alfred Music|Alfred Publishing Co., Inc]], it is composed in the [[Key (music)|key]] of [[C-sharp minor|C{{music|sharp}} minor]] and set in the [[time signature]] of [[Time signature#Frequently used time signatures|common time]], with a [[tempo]] of 90 [[Tempo#Beats per minute|beats per minute]].<ref name="Sheet">{{cite web|last=Joseph |first=Tyler |url=http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0189988 |title= TutorialsByHugo "Morph" Sheet Music (Piano Solo) in C# Minor - Download & Print |publisher=Musicnotes.com|access-date=March 14, 2021}}</ref>


On "Morph," the duo incorporate [[History_of_depression#20th_and_21st_centuries|twenty-first century depression]]. The song harbors a [[Moral|moral]] lesson about how being caught in a holding pattern in life — not being dead but not truly feeling alive either — isn't an aspiration.<ref name="Pettigrew"/> It attempt to come to terms with the reality of death: "Can't stop thinking about if and when I'll die/For now I see that 'if' and 'when' are truly different cries."<ref name="Holz"/> Nevertheless, the band acknowledges that death must be reckoned with: "We're surrounded and we're hounded/There's no 'above,' or 'under' or 'around' it."<ref name="Holz"/> "Morph" also talks about the temptation to change in order to please others, "I'll morph to someone else/[[Defense mechanism]] mode."<ref name="Holz"/> The sounds that Joseph makes during the song's chorus provide a [[double meaning]] to its titular line about "morphing to someone else."<ref name="Copperman"/> "Morph" expounds on how Tyler Joseph will keep himself distracted and moving forward and continue "morphing" so he doesn’t wallow in isolation.<ref name="Williams"/> He ponders over the ones and zeros transmitting messages to him, contemplating if anyone is listening. It appears as if Joseph is acknowledging [[Line code|coding]] in the music that only those who have faced similar struggles can truly "hear."<ref name="Williams"/> Additionally, he brings forth a call to courage: "What are we here for/If not to run straight through all our tormentors?"<ref name="Holz">{{cite web|author=Holz, Adam R. |title=Trench |url=http://www.pluggedin.com/album-reviews/twenty-one-pilots-trench/ |work=[[Plugged In]] |publisher= |date=October 5, 2018 |accessdate=March 13, 2021}}</ref>
Lyrically, the duo incorporate [[History_of_depression#20th_and_21st_centuries|twenty-first century depression]] and "Morph" harbors a [[Moral|moral]] lesson about how being caught in a holding pattern in life — not being dead but not truly feeling alive either — isn't an aspiration.<ref name="Pettigrew"/> It attempt to come to terms with the reality of death: "Can't stop thinking about if and when I'll die/For now I see that 'if' and 'when' are truly different cries."<ref name="Holz"/> Nevertheless, the band acknowledges that death must be reckoned with: "We're surrounded and we're hounded/There's no 'above,' or 'under' or 'around' it."<ref name="Holz"/> "Morph" also talks about the temptation to change in order to please others, "I'll morph to someone else/[[Defense mechanism]] mode."<ref name="Holz"/> The sounds that Joseph makes during the song's chorus provide a [[double meaning]] to its titular line about "morphing to someone else."<ref name="Copperman"/> "Morph" expounds on how Tyler Joseph will keep himself distracted and moving forward and continue "morphing" so he doesn’t wallow in isolation.<ref name="Williams"/> He ponders over the ones and zeros transmitting messages to him, contemplating if anyone is listening. It appears as if Joseph is acknowledging [[Line code|coding]] in the music that only those who have faced similar struggles can truly "hear."<ref name="Williams"/> Additionally, he brings forth a call to courage: "What are we here for/If not to run straight through all our tormentors?"<ref name="Holz">{{cite web|author=Holz, Adam R. |title=Trench |url=http://www.pluggedin.com/album-reviews/twenty-one-pilots-trench/ |work=[[Plugged In]] |publisher= |date=October 5, 2018 |accessdate=March 13, 2021}}</ref>


== Critical reception ==
== Critical reception ==
Mark Kennedy of ''[[USA Today]]'' characterized "Morph" as being "blissed-out and terrific."<ref name="Kennedy">{{cite web|author=Kennedy, Mark |title=Review: Twenty One Pilots Score Again with Another Genre-Bending Album, 'Trench' |url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2018/10/05/review-twenty-one-pilots-score-again-with-terrific-trench/38064435/ |work=[[USA Today]] |publisher=[[Maribel Perez Wadsworth]] |date=October 5, 2018 |accessdate=March 13, 2021}}</ref> Citing it as an album highlight, ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''{{'}}s Chris Payne stated the track "deploys rapid-fire breakbeats and jarring left turns that recall [[the Prodigy]] and [[DJ Shadow]], suggesting what a virtuoso percussionist Dun has become."<ref name="Payne">{{Cite web|author=Payne, Chris|title=Twenty One Pilots Continue to Defy Critics on Surprisingly Cohesive 'Trench': Album Review |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8478462/twenty-one-pilots-trench-review-new-album |work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=Lynne Segall |date=October 5, 2018 |accessdate=March 14, 2021}}</ref> Chris Willman for ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' advised, "...take my recommendation and forget about the most deeply conceptual parts of this [[concept album]] — which just seems like a lot of work — and enjoy the many parts of ''Trench'' that don't require a thirst for symbolic [[Origin story|origin stories]]. There are plenty of these, like 'Morph'... which sport ''falsetto'' R&B hooks, somewhat in the tradition of the previous album's best track, '[[Heavydirtysoul]].'"<ref name="Willman">{{cite web |author=Willman, Chris |url=https://variety.com/2018/music/news/twenty-one-pilots-trench-album-review-1202971674/|title=Album Review: Twenty One Pilots’ ‘Trench’ |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=Michelle Sobrino-Stearns |date=October 7, 2018|access-date=March 13, 2021}}</ref> ''[[Stereogum]]''{{'}}s Chris DeVille claimed, "'Morph' sounds like the ''[[Odelay]]'' version of [[Maroon 5]]."<ref name="DeVille">{{cite web|author=DeVille, Chris |url=http://www.stereogum.com/2017586/twenty-one-pilots-trench-review/franchises/the-week-in-pop/|title=Twenty One Pilots May Not Be For You (Because They're For Everyone)|work=[[Stereogum]] |publisher=[[Valence Media]] |date=October 11, 2018 |access-date=2021-03-14}}</ref> Joshua Copperman from ''[[PopMatters]]'' opined, "Restraint isn't a bad fit for them. Possible future single 'Morph' sounds like a [[Khalid]] song on its chorus, giving the titular line about 'morphing to someone else' a double meaning and considering this group, that's likely intentional."<ref name="Copperman">{{cite web|first=Joshua|last=Copperman|url=https://www.popmatters.com/twenty-one-pilots-trench-2611885879.html|title=Twenty One Pilots Get Sensitive on 'Trench' |work=[[PopMatters]] |publisher=Sarah Zupko |date=October 12, 2018 |access-date=March 14, 2021}}</ref> Writing for ''[[The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate]]'', Keith Spera cites "Morph" as among the song where "the influence of [[Rock music|rock]]-[[Rap music|rap]]-[[reggae]] hybrid band [[311 (band)|311]] was evident."<ref name="Spera">{{cite web|author=Spera, Keith |title=Review: Twenty One Pilot recycled Some tricks, But They Were Still Entertaining At New Orleans Concert |url=http://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/keith_spera/article_432aa874-ebe3-5b6a-8d1f-98c4c02214ba.html |work=[[The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate]] |publisher=David Francis |date=June 20, 2019 |accessdate=2021-03-14}}</ref> Jason Pettigrew for ''[[Alternative Press (magazine)|Alternative Press]]'' remarked, "In a little over four minutes, the duo successfully mix '70s [[lounge jazz]] (with horn sections and electric piano) and [[disco]]-era [[Bee Gees]] ''falsettos'' with 21st century depression."<ref name="Pettigrew">{{Cite news |last=Pettigrew |first=Jason |url=https://www.altpress.com/features/twenty-one-pilots-songs-ranked/ |title=Twenty One Pilots Songs Ranked in All Of Their Pop Majesty |work=[[Alternative Press (magazine)|Alternative Press]] |publisher=Alternative Press Magazine, Inc |date=September 26, 2019 |access-date=2021-03-14}}</ref>
Regarding it among the "fresh tricks" found on ''[[Trench (album)|Trench]]'', [[AllMusic]]{{'}}s Neil Z. Yeung complimented Tyler Joseph's "suprising" use of ''falsetto'' on the track.<ref name="Yeung">{{cite web|author=Yeung, Neil Z. |title=Trench - Twenty One Pilots {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/trench-mw0003202493 |work=[[AllMusic]] |publisher=[[RhythmOne]] |date= |accessdate=August 3, 2019}}</ref> Mark Kennedy of ''[[USA Today]]'' characterized "Morph" as being "blissed-out and terrific."<ref name="Kennedy">{{cite web|author=Kennedy, Mark |title=Review: Twenty One Pilots Score Again with Another Genre-Bending Album, 'Trench' |url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2018/10/05/review-twenty-one-pilots-score-again-with-terrific-trench/38064435/ |work=[[USA Today]] |publisher=[[Maribel Perez Wadsworth]] |date=October 5, 2018 |accessdate=March 13, 2021}}</ref> ''[[NME]]'' writer Gary Ryan considered the song an example of how, "As ever, they play [[spin the bottle]] with genre. ... This is buoyed by sleek, widescreen production."<ref name="Ryan">{{cite web|author=Ryan, Gary |title=Twenty One Pilots – ‘Trench’ Review |url=http://www.nme.com/reviews/album/twenty-one-pilots-trench-review |work=[[NME]] |publisher=[[TI Media]] |date=October 5, 2018 |accessdate=October 5, 2018}}</ref> Citing it as an album highlight, ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''{{'}}s Chris Payne stated the track "deploys rapid-fire breakbeats and jarring left turns that recall [[the Prodigy]] and [[DJ Shadow]], suggesting what a virtuoso percussionist Dun has become."<ref name="Payne">{{Cite web|author=Payne, Chris|title=Twenty One Pilots Continue to Defy Critics on Surprisingly Cohesive 'Trench': Album Review |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8478462/twenty-one-pilots-trench-review-new-album |work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=Lynne Segall |date=October 5, 2018 |accessdate=March 14, 2021}}</ref> Chris Willman for ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' advised, "... take my recommendation and forget about the most deeply conceptual parts of this [[concept album]] — which just seems like a lot of work — and enjoy the many parts of ''Trench'' that don't require a thirst for symbolic [[Origin story|origin stories]]. There are plenty of these, like 'Morph' ... which sport ''falsetto'' R&B hooks, somewhat in the tradition of the previous album's best track, '[[Heavydirtysoul]].'"<ref name="Willman">{{cite web |author=Willman, Chris |url=https://variety.com/2018/music/news/twenty-one-pilots-trench-album-review-1202971674/|title=Album Review: Twenty One Pilots’ ‘Trench’ |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=Michelle Sobrino-Stearns |date=October 7, 2018|access-date=March 13, 2021}}</ref> ''[[Stereogum]]''{{'}}s Chris DeVille claimed, "'Morph' sounds like the ''[[Odelay]]'' version of [[Maroon 5]]."<ref name="DeVille">{{cite web|author=DeVille, Chris |url=http://www.stereogum.com/2017586/twenty-one-pilots-trench-review/franchises/the-week-in-pop/|title=Twenty One Pilots May Not Be For You (Because They're For Everyone)|work=[[Stereogum]] |publisher=[[Valence Media]] |date=October 11, 2018 |access-date=2021-03-14}}</ref> Joshua Copperman from ''[[PopMatters]]'' opined, "Restraint isn't a bad fit for them. Possible future single 'Morph' sounds like a [[Khalid (singer)|Khalid]] song on its chorus, giving the titular line about 'morphing to someone else' a double meaning and considering this group, that's likely intentional."<ref name="Copperman">{{cite web|first=Joshua|last=Copperman|url=https://www.popmatters.com/twenty-one-pilots-trench-2611885879.html|title=Twenty One Pilots Get Sensitive on 'Trench' |work=[[PopMatters]] |publisher=Sarah Zupko |date=October 12, 2018 |access-date=March 14, 2021}}</ref> Writing for ''[[The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate]]'', Keith Spera cites "Morph" as one of the songs where "the influence of [[Rock music|rock]]-[[Rap music|rap]]-[[reggae]] hybrid band [[311 (band)|311]] was evident."<ref name="Spera">{{cite web|author=Spera, Keith |title=Review: Twenty One Pilot recycled Some tricks, But They Were Still Entertaining At New Orleans Concert |url=http://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/keith_spera/article_432aa874-ebe3-5b6a-8d1f-98c4c02214ba.html |work=[[The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate]] |publisher=David Francis |date=June 20, 2019 |accessdate=2021-03-14}}</ref> Jason Pettigrew for ''[[Alternative Press (magazine)|Alternative Press]]'' remarked, "In a little over four minutes, the duo successfully mix '70s [[lounge jazz]] (with horn sections and electric piano) and [[disco]]-era [[Bee Gees]] ''falsettos'' with 21st century depression."<ref name="Pettigrew">{{Cite news |last=Pettigrew |first=Jason |url=https://www.altpress.com/features/twenty-one-pilots-songs-ranked/ |title=Twenty One Pilots Songs Ranked in All Of Their Pop Majesty |work=[[Alternative Press (magazine)|Alternative Press]] |publisher=Alternative Press Magazine, Inc |date=September 26, 2019 |access-date=2021-03-14}}</ref>

== Live performance ==
Twenty One Pilots performed "Morph" during their second headlining appearance at the [[Smoothie King Center]] in New Orleans, Louisiana on June 19, 2019.<ref name="Spera"/> The multi-dimensional concert featured Tyler Joseph wearing a [[ski mask]]. Several fans in the audience wore yellow, which was the dominant color scheme for both the duo's recent studio album ''Trench'' and their [[Bandito Tour]], in contrast to the previous red color scheme.<ref name="Spera">{{cite web|author=Spera, Keith |title=Review: Twenty One Pilot recycled Some tricks, But They Were Still Entertaining At New Orleans Concert |url=http://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/keith_spera/article_432aa874-ebe3-5b6a-8d1f-98c4c02214ba.html |work=[[The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate]] |publisher=David Francis |date=June 20, 2019 |accessdate=2021-03-14}}</ref>


== Personnel ==
== Personnel ==
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Trench'' and [[Tidal (service)|Tidal]].<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Trench|others=[[Twenty One Pilots]]|year=2018|publisher=[[Fueled by Ramen]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/96146858|title=Trench / twenty one pilots – Tidal|website=Tidal|access-date=March 13, 2021}}</ref>
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Trench'' and [[Tidal (service)|Tidal]].<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Trench|others=[[Twenty One Pilots]]|year=2018|publisher=[[Fueled by Ramen]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/96146858|title=Trench / twenty one pilots – Tidal|website=Tidal|access-date=March 13, 2021}}</ref>

====Twenty One Pilots====
* [[Tyler Joseph]] – lead vocals, piano, synthesizers, bass guitar, programming, production, songwriting
* [[Tyler Joseph]] – lead vocals, piano, synthesizers, bass guitar, programming, production, songwriting
* [[Josh Dun]] – drums, backing vocals
* [[Josh Dun]] – drums, backing vocals

====Additional personnel====
* [[Paul Meany]] – co-production, programming, synthesizers
* [[Paul Meany]] – co-production, programming, synthesizers
* Adams Hawkins – audio mixing
* Adams Hawkins – audio mixing

Revision as of 18:40, 16 March 2021

"Morph"
Song by Twenty One Pilots
from the album Trench
ReleasedOctober 5, 2018
StudioTyler Joseph's home studio
United Recording Studios
(Hollywood, California)
Genre
Length4:19
LabelFueled by Ramen
Songwriter(s)Tyler Joseph
Producer(s)

"Morph" is a song by American alternative musical duo Twenty One Pilots from their fifth studio album Trench (2018). It was written by vocalist Tyler Joseph in a studio in his basement. The track was produced by Joseph alongside Paul Meany of Mutemath and recorded at United Recording Studios in Hollywood, California. Even though "Morph" was one of the less conceptual parts of their concept album, it still revealed more about the surroundings of a world named "Trench" and a city called "DEMA." A key discovery comes in "Morph" with the identity of Nicolas Bourbaki, the titular character of the song "Nico and the Niners" and one of Joseph's main antagonists in the story.

The song's lyrics contain prosocial content, where the tension between anxiety and hope emerges as the band tries to come to terms and reckon with the reality of death. The duo incorporate twenty-first century depression and a moral lesson about being caught in a holding pattern in life into "Morph." It provides an explanation on how Tyler Joseph will keep himself distracted and moving forward and continue "morphing" so he doesn’t wallow in isolation. "Morph" is a lounge jazz song that exhibits falsetto R&B hooks sung by Joseph. It features horn sections and electric piano, and has a slick atmosphere that utilizes rapid breakbeats as well as jolting left turns while demonstrating both restraint and drummer Josh Dun's virtuosic percussion. Despite not being released as a single, "Morph" managed to achieve modest chart success in multiple countries, reaching number eleven in New Zealand.

Background

Like all of the songs from their fifth studio album, Trench, "Morph" was written by Tyler Joseph in a studio in his basement.[1] The concept album had featured an overarching storyline, with songs containing themes involving a world called "Trench."[1][2] However, "Morph" was one of the less conceptual parts of the album and lacked symbolic origin stories.[2] Though the entire album didn't tell one conceptual narrative from start to finish, it still reveals more about the world surrounding Trench and a city called "DEMA."[3] One of the key discoveries came early in Trench at track three with "Morph." During the song, listeners learn the identity of Nico, the titular character of "Nico and the Niners" and one of the nine bishops and one of Joseph's key antagonists in this narrative. His full name is Nicolas Bourbaki, which is the collective pseudonym for the scientists who invented the notation for zero or "empty set" — the Ø symbols used in much of the branding for Twenty One Pilots over the past years.[3]

While other songs felt like side quests within its main storyline, the major narrative throughout the entirety of Trench is the limbo between being in one's darkest moments and making it through the other side.[3] "Morph" was among the songs from Trench that contain prosocial content, where the tension between anxiety and hope emerges. On "Morph", the band attempts to come to terms and reckon with the reality of death.[4] The song expounds on how Tyler Joseph will keep himself distracted and moving forward and continue "morphing" so he doesn’t wallow in isolation.[3]

Recording

"Morph" was produced by Tyler Joseph, who co-produced it with record producer Paul Meany, and recorded at United Recording Studios in Hollywood, California.[5][6] The track was then mixed by Adam Hawkins and mastered by Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound Studios in New York City.[5] The song was written in Tyler Joseph's studio in his basement.[1] Twenty One Pilots recorded songs for their fifth studio album at United Recording Studios and chose to collaborate with record producer and audio engineer Darrell Thorp.[6] 

In an interview with Music Feeds, Tyler Joseph explained the approach to writing Trench. According to Tyler Joseph, "It was written down in my studio, in my basement, so it was all at home. It was very close to the chest and I think that was important for us in following up. Instead of it being a broader project involving a bunch of people, keeping it very intimate and sticking to the way we've always done it which is asking ourselves 'do we like this?' and that's it. I was very inclined to reach for the bass guitar while writing each of these songs. In the past, as I would teach myself how to play the piano, I found that same sense of excitement and inspiration in a new instrument in the bass guitar on this record, and I think that if you go into it thinking about that or realising that then you can see evidence of that."[1]

Trench continued vocalist Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun's genre-warping hallmark of attacking various styles while showcasing a flair for songwriting.[7] On the album, Joseph and Dun again schemed familiar measures from Blurryface, including reggae textures, ukulele bases and paranoid raps, alongside new developments.[8] As always, Twenty One Pilots played around with a rotation of genres, delving into funky R&B on "Morph." This was bolstered by sleek, wide field of record production assisted by Paul Meany of Mutemath.[9] It is one of many songs on Trench that condenses disparate musical elements into a less definable but easily recognizable sound, with much of the record opting for slick, atmospheric production.[10][11] Though their trademark cross-genre, dub-influenced sounds remained, Twenty One Pilots expanded their range with some new techniques, scattering things such as Tyler Joseph's falsetto into "Morph", which contains washes of R&B.[12] The track was equipped with falsetto R&B hooks similar to "Heavydirtysoul" from their previous studio album.[2] Alongside bass guitar, Twenty One Pilots blended horn sections and electric piano into the record.[1][13] "Morph" also deployed accelerated breakbeats and jolting left turns while demonstrating how much of a virtuoso percussionist Dun had become.[8]

Composition

"Morph" is lounge jazz song that runs for a duration of four minutes and nineteen seconds.[13] It is a blissed-out number that exhibits falsetto R&B hooks.[7][2] Musically, the song features horn sections and electric piano, with showers of falsettos from Tyler Joseph being injected into washes of funky R&B.[13][12][9] The track has a slick atmosphere and utilizes rapid breakbeats as well as jolting left turns while demonstrating both restraint and Josh Dun's virtuosic percussion.[8][11] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Publishing Co., Inc, it is composed in the key of C♯ minor and set in the time signature of common time, with a tempo of 90 beats per minute.[14]

Lyrically, the duo incorporate twenty-first century depression and "Morph" harbors a moral lesson about how being caught in a holding pattern in life — not being dead but not truly feeling alive either — isn't an aspiration.[13] It attempt to come to terms with the reality of death: "Can't stop thinking about if and when I'll die/For now I see that 'if' and 'when' are truly different cries."[4] Nevertheless, the band acknowledges that death must be reckoned with: "We're surrounded and we're hounded/There's no 'above,' or 'under' or 'around' it."[4] "Morph" also talks about the temptation to change in order to please others, "I'll morph to someone else/Defense mechanism mode."[4] The sounds that Joseph makes during the song's chorus provide a double meaning to its titular line about "morphing to someone else."[11] "Morph" expounds on how Tyler Joseph will keep himself distracted and moving forward and continue "morphing" so he doesn’t wallow in isolation.[3] He ponders over the ones and zeros transmitting messages to him, contemplating if anyone is listening. It appears as if Joseph is acknowledging coding in the music that only those who have faced similar struggles can truly "hear."[3] Additionally, he brings forth a call to courage: "What are we here for/If not to run straight through all our tormentors?"[4]

Critical reception

Regarding it among the "fresh tricks" found on Trench, AllMusic's Neil Z. Yeung complimented Tyler Joseph's "suprising" use of falsetto on the track.[12] Mark Kennedy of USA Today characterized "Morph" as being "blissed-out and terrific."[7] NME writer Gary Ryan considered the song an example of how, "As ever, they play spin the bottle with genre. ... This is buoyed by sleek, widescreen production."[9] Citing it as an album highlight, Billboard's Chris Payne stated the track "deploys rapid-fire breakbeats and jarring left turns that recall the Prodigy and DJ Shadow, suggesting what a virtuoso percussionist Dun has become."[8] Chris Willman for Variety advised, "... take my recommendation and forget about the most deeply conceptual parts of this concept album — which just seems like a lot of work — and enjoy the many parts of Trench that don't require a thirst for symbolic origin stories. There are plenty of these, like 'Morph' ... which sport falsetto R&B hooks, somewhat in the tradition of the previous album's best track, 'Heavydirtysoul.'"[2] Stereogum's Chris DeVille claimed, "'Morph' sounds like the Odelay version of Maroon 5."[10] Joshua Copperman from PopMatters opined, "Restraint isn't a bad fit for them. Possible future single 'Morph' sounds like a Khalid song on its chorus, giving the titular line about 'morphing to someone else' a double meaning and considering this group, that's likely intentional."[11] Writing for The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate, Keith Spera cites "Morph" as one of the songs where "the influence of rock-rap-reggae hybrid band 311 was evident."[15] Jason Pettigrew for Alternative Press remarked, "In a little over four minutes, the duo successfully mix '70s lounge jazz (with horn sections and electric piano) and disco-era Bee Gees falsettos with 21st century depression."[13]

Live performance

Twenty One Pilots performed "Morph" during their second headlining appearance at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana on June 19, 2019.[15] The multi-dimensional concert featured Tyler Joseph wearing a ski mask. Several fans in the audience wore yellow, which was the dominant color scheme for both the duo's recent studio album Trench and their Bandito Tour, in contrast to the previous red color scheme.[15]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Trench and Tidal.[16][17]

  • Tyler Joseph – lead vocals, piano, synthesizers, bass guitar, programming, production, songwriting
  • Josh Dun – drums, backing vocals
  • Paul Meany – co-production, programming, synthesizers
  • Adams Hawkins – audio mixing
  • Chris Gehringer – audio mastering

Charts

Chart (2018) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[18] 54
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[19] 11
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[20] 6
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[21] 9
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[22] 10
UK Singles (OCC)[23] 67

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Bellamy, Sarah (October 5, 2018). "Twenty One Pilots on the Meaning Behind New Album 'Trench' & Blurryface's Real Name". Music Feeds. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Willman, Chris (October 7, 2018). "Album Review: Twenty One Pilots' 'Trench'". Variety. Michelle Sobrino-Stearns. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Williams, Paige (October 5, 2018). "Twenty One Pilots' 'Trench': Decoding the New Album's Hidden Meanings". Billboard. Lynne Segall. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e Holz, Adam R. (October 5, 2018). "Trench". Plugged In. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Trench (Media notes). Twenty One Pilots. Fueled by Ramen. 2018.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ^ a b "Twenty One Pilots Tracks Songs for "Trench" at United Recording". United Recording Studios. Hudson Pacific Properties, Inc. September 7, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  7. ^ a b c Kennedy, Mark (October 5, 2018). "Review: Twenty One Pilots Score Again with Another Genre-Bending Album, 'Trench'". USA Today. Maribel Perez Wadsworth. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c d Payne, Chris (October 5, 2018). "Twenty One Pilots Continue to Defy Critics on Surprisingly Cohesive 'Trench': Album Review". Billboard. Lynne Segall. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  9. ^ a b c Ryan, Gary (October 5, 2018). "Twenty One Pilots – 'Trench' Review". NME. TI Media. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  10. ^ a b DeVille, Chris (October 11, 2018). "Twenty One Pilots May Not Be For You (Because They're For Everyone)". Stereogum. Valence Media. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  11. ^ a b c d Copperman, Joshua (October 12, 2018). "Twenty One Pilots Get Sensitive on 'Trench'". PopMatters. Sarah Zupko. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  12. ^ a b c Yeung, Neil Z. "Trench - Twenty One Pilots | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  13. ^ a b c d e Pettigrew, Jason (September 26, 2019). "Twenty One Pilots Songs Ranked in All Of Their Pop Majesty". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  14. ^ Joseph, Tyler. "TutorialsByHugo "Morph" Sheet Music (Piano Solo) in C# Minor - Download & Print". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  15. ^ a b c Spera, Keith (June 20, 2019). "Review: Twenty One Pilot recycled Some tricks, But They Were Still Entertaining At New Orleans Concert". The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate. David Francis. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  16. ^ Trench (Media notes). Twenty One Pilots. Fueled by Ramen. 2018.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ^ "Trench / twenty one pilots – Tidal". Tidal. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  18. ^ "Discography Twenty One Pilots". irish-charts.com. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  19. ^ "charts.nz – New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  20. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  21. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  22. ^ "Discography Singles". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  23. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 21, 2018.

External links

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