Shy Away

{{Infobox song

| name = Shy Away

| cover = shyawaylive.jpeg

| caption = Livestream version cover

| type = single

| artist = Twenty One Pilots

| album = Scaled and Icy

| released = {{Start date|2021|04|07}}

| recorded = 2020{{ndash}}2021

| studio =

| genre =

| length = *2:55 (album version)

6:01 (MTV Unplugged version)

| label = Fueled by Ramen

| writer = Tyler Joseph

| producer = Tyler Joseph

| prev_title = Christmas Saves the Year

| prev_year = 2020

| next_title = Choker

| next_year = 2021

| misc =

{{External music video|{{YouTube|3sO-Y1Zbft4|"Shy Away"}}}}

}}

"Shy Away" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. It was released through Fueled by Ramen on April 7, 2021, as the lead single of their sixth studio album, Scaled and Icy (2021). A music video was released alongside the single, directed by Miles Cable and AJ Favicchio.

Background

File:ShyAwayLogo.svg

Tyler Joseph, the frontman of the duo, wrote "Shy Away" for his younger brother, Jay Joseph, as a tutorial on how to operate a recording studio.{{Cite web|last=Savage|first=Mark|date=2021-04-07|title=Twenty One Pilots' new single Shy Away 'started out as a tutorial'|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-56665750|access-date=2021-04-07|website=BBC}} During the recording, Joseph's daughter made a cooing noise which Joseph decided to keep in the song.

The song was created while communicating virtually as the COVID-19 pandemic limited interaction between the members of the band.{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Emily |date=2021-04-07 |title=twenty one pilots drop new single Shy Away, announce upcoming album Scaled And Icy |url=https://www.kerrang.com/the-news/twenty-one-pilots-have-released-a-brand-new-song-shy-away/ |access-date=2021-04-07 |website=Kerrang}} It was released two days after the announcement of Scaled and Icy, the band's sixth studio album.

Composition

"Shy Away" is a "propulsive" synth-pop,{{Cite magazine |last=Shaffer |first=Claire |date=April 7, 2021 |title=Twenty One Pilots Preview New Album 'Scaled and Icy' With First Single 'Shy Away' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/twenty-one-pilots-scaled-and-icy-shy-away-1151971/ |access-date=April 7, 2021 |magazine=Rolling Stone}} alternative rock, indie rock,{{Cite web |last=Aiex |first=Tony |date=2021-04-07 |title=Twenty One Pilots mergulha no indie, lança a inédita "Shy Away" e anuncia novo disco |url=https://www.tenhomaisdiscosqueamigos.com/2021/04/07/twenty-one-pilots-novo-disco-shy-away/ |access-date=2021-04-07 |website=Tenho Mais Discos Que Amigos!}} and pop rock{{cite web|url=https://www.gigwise.com/reviews/3399237/album-review-twenty-one-pilots-scaled-and-icy|title=Album Review: Twenty One Pilots - Scaled and Icy|last=Meyers|first=Mason|website=Gigwise|date=May 22, 2021|access-date=May 23, 2021|archive-date=May 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522115051/https://www.gigwise.com/reviews/3399237/album-review-twenty-one-pilots-scaled-and-icy|url-status=live}} song that runs for a duration of two minutes and fifty-five seconds. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Music, it is written in the time signature of common time at a tempo of 196 beats per minute.{{Cite web|date=2021-04-09|title=Shy Away|url=https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0231856|access-date=2022-02-04|website=Musicnotes.com}} "Shy Away" is composed in the key of C major, while Joseph's vocal range spans one octave and four notes, from a low E₃ to a high of A₄.

The track includes a "brief but tasteful" half-time breakdown for the "hardcore kids", and has been compared to the likes of artists such as the Strokes and Phoenix. It's considered to be one of the band's most upbeat songs, and is synth-heavy, with elements of electronic, pop and indie music.{{cite web|url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/4/9/twenty-one-pilots-shy-away-single-review/|title=The Crimson|accessdate=April 25, 2021}}

Music video

The music video for the song, directed by Miles Cable and AJ Favicchio, was released concurrently with the song. The video showcases the duo's new "era", and a new color scheme which changes during each album cycle. The video features the new colors prominently: vibrant shades of light blue, pink and occasional yellow.{{Cite web |last=Campbell |first=Rachel |date=2021-04-07 |title= Twenty One Pilots Kick off 'Scaled and Icy' Era With "Shy Away"—Watch |url=https://www.altpress.com/news/twenty-one-pilots-kick-shy-away-video-scaled-and-icy-album/ |access-date=2021-04-08 |website=AlternativePress}} In the video, a few background musicians portrayed by Joseph and Dun wear torn and burnt ski masks, a reference to the stylings of their earlier albums, Vessel and Blurryface. As of April 2024, the video has surpassed 54 million views on YouTube.

Commercial performance

Within only two days of tracking, "Shy Away" made its debut at No. 20 on the US Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, and reached a peak of No. 7. On the Alternative Airplay chart, the song peaked at No. 1, and remained at the peak position for 8 weeks. On the Rock Airplay chart, the track also reached No. 1. In its first full week of tracking, it reached No. 56 in both the United Kingdom and Ireland, and peaked at No. 36 in Lithuania. On the chart dated April 24, 2021, the song made its debut on the US Billboard Hot 100 at No. 87, also being the only track from the album to chart there, before it fell out the week after.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Scaled and Icy.{{Cite web|title=TWENTY ONE PILOTS ' SCALED AND ICY' (TNSN DVSN)|url=https://tensiondivision.com/project/twenty-one-pilots-sai|access-date=2021-04-26|website=TNSN_DVSN|language=en-US|archive-date=April 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426071744/https://tensiondivision.com/project/twenty-one-pilots-sai|url-status=live}}

Tyler Joseph {{ndash}} vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, synthesizers, programming, production
Josh Dun {{ndash}} drums, percussion, backing vocals

Charts

=Weekly charts=

scope="row"\| Croatia (HRT){{cite web\|url=https://radio.hrt.hr/clanak/arc-100-datum-31-svibnja-2021/264537/\|title=Croatia ARC TOP 100\|publisher=HRT\|access-date=June 3, 2021\|archive-date=June 2, 2021\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213515/https://radio.hrt.hr/clanak/arc-100-datum-31-svibnja-2021/264537/\|url-status=dead}} \| 99
class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Weekly chart performance for "Shy Away" ! scope="col"\| Chart (2021) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
{{single chart\|Austria\|57\|artist=Twenty One Pilots\|song=Shy Away\|rowheader=true\|access-date=May 4, 2021}}
{{single chart\|Flanders Tip\|4\|artist=Twenty One Pilots\|song=Shy Away\|rowheader=true\|access-date=May 24, 2021}}
{{single chart\|Canada\|67\|artist=Twenty One Pilots\|rowheader=true\|access-date=April 20, 2021}}
{{single chart\|Billboardcanadarock\|14\|artist=Twenty One Pilots\|rowheader=true\|access-date=October 27, 2021}}
{{single chart\|Czech Republic\|15\|year=2021\|week=23\|rowheader=true\|access-date=June 14, 2021}}
{{single chart\|Czechdigital\|35\|year=2021\|week=15\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Billboardglobal200\|73\|artist=Twenty One Pilots\|rowheader=true\|access-date=April 20, 2021}}
{{single chart\|Hungarystream\|32\|year=2021\|week=15\|rowheader=true}}
scope="row"\| Ireland (IRMA){{cite web\|url=http://irma.ie/index.cfm?page=irish-charts&chart=Singles\|title=IRMA – Irish Charts\|publisher=Irish Recorded Music Association\|access-date=April 17, 2021}} \| 56
scope="row" \| Lithuania (AGATA){{cite web\|url=https://www.agata.lt/lt/naujienos/15s/\|title=2021 15-os SAVAITĖS (balandžio 9-15 d.) SINGLŲ TOP100\|language=lt\|publisher=AGATA\|date=April 16, 2021\|access-date=April 16, 2021\|archive-date=April 16, 2021\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416114910/https://www.agata.lt/lt/naujienos/15s/\|url-status=live}} \| 36
scope="row"\| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ){{cite web\|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/hot-singles/2021-04-30\|title=NZ Hot Singles Chart\|publisher=Recorded Music NZ\|date=May 3, 2021\|access-date=May 1, 2021}} \| 9
{{single chart\|Slovakdigital2\|38\|year=2021\|week=15\|rowheader=true\|access-date=April 19, 2021}}
scope="row"\| Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan){{cite web\|url=https://www.sverigetopplistan.se/chart/215?dspy=2021&dspp=15\|title=Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 15\|publisher=Sverigetopplistan\|access-date=April 16, 2021}} \| 11
{{single chart\|Switzerland\|90\|artist=Twenty One Pilots\|song=Shy Away\|rowheader=true\|access-date=April 18, 2021}}
{{single chart\|UK\|56\|date=20210416\|rowheader=true\|access-date=April 16, 2021\|refname=UK}}
{{single chart\|Billboardhot100\|87\|artist=Twenty One Pilots\|rowheader=true\|access-date=April 20, 2021}}
{{single chart\|Billboardrocksongs\|7\|artist=Twenty One Pilots\|rowheader=true\|access-date=April 20, 2021\|refname=RockAlt}}
{{single chart\|Billboardrockairplay\|1\|artist=Twenty One Pilots\|rowheader=true\|access-date=April 27, 2021}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+Year-end chart performance for "Shy Away" ! scope="col"\| Chart (2021) ! scope="col"\| Position
scope="row"\| US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2021/hot-rock-songs/\|title=Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2021\|magazine=Billboard\|date=2 January 2013\|access-date=December 2, 2021}} \| 31
scope="row"\| US Rock Airplay (Billboard){{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2021/rock-airplay-songs/\|title=Rock Airplay Songs – Year-End 2021\|magazine=Billboard\|date=13 December 2013\|access-date=December 2, 2021}} \| 7

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+Year-end chart performance for "Shy Away"

! scope="col"| Chart (2021)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"| US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2021/hot-rock-songs/|title=Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2021|magazine=Billboard|date=2 January 2013|access-date=December 2, 2021}}

| 31

scope="row"| US Rock Airplay (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2021/rock-airplay-songs/|title=Rock Airplay Songs – Year-End 2021|magazine=Billboard|date=13 December 2013|access-date=December 2, 2021}}

| 7

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for "Shy Away"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|artist=Twenty One Pilots|title=Shy Away|award=Platinum|type=single|relyear=2021|certyear=2022|access-date=October 31, 2022}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=Twenty One Pilots|title=Shy Away|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=2021|certyear=2025|access-date=June 25, 2025}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Twenty One Pilots|title=Shy Away|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=2021|certyear=2023|access-date=January 12, 2023}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true|noshipments=true}}

References

External links

{{YouTube|3sO-Y1Zbft4|"Shy Away" music video}}

Category:2021 singles

Category:Twenty One Pilots songs

Category:Fueled by Ramen singles

Category:American alternative rock songs

Category:American synth-pop songs

Category:Songs written by Tyler Joseph

Category:2021 songs