Stressed Out

The song "Stressed Out" is focal point for the thematic elements of the duo's second major-label studio album, Blurryface (2015), acting as an introduction to the "Blurryface".{{Cite web |url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/67156/Twenty-One-Pilots-Blurryface/ |title=Twenty One Pilots – Blurryface |date=May 20, 2015 |work=Sputnikmusic |access-date=May 20, 2015}}{{cite web|author=Wilson, Carl|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/music_box/2017/01/why_twenty_one_pilots_are_america_s_biggest_rock_band.html|title=The Mood Swing Vote|work=Slate|date=January 24, 2017|access-date=February 10, 2018|archive-date=December 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201228141009/https://slate.com/culture/2017/01/why-twenty-one-pilots-are-americas-biggest-rock-band.html|url-status=live}} It was written by Tyler Joseph from the perspective of the character Blurryface rather than an impersonal third-person narrator. Blurryface appears as the alter-ego of Joseph, "a monster-image of his insecurities and self-hatreds", and on "Stressed Out" Joseph attempts to defeat it. In an interview with MTV News, Joseph elaborated on the Blurryface, saying "it's a guy that kind of represents all the things that I as an individual — but also everyone around me — am insecure about. When I think about insecurities and my insecurities are getting the best of me, the things that I think of are kind of a feeling of suffocation and then also the things that I create with my hands... Very dramatic, I know, but it helps me get into that character".{{cite web|last1=Ehrlich|first1=Brenna|title=Um, Why Is The Dude From Twenty One Pilots Covered in Black paint?|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2145391/twenty-one-pilots-blurry-face-stressed-out-video/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150430072843/http://www.mtv.com/news/2145391/twenty-one-pilots-blurry-face-stressed-out-video/|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 30, 2015|publisher=MTV News|access-date=April 29, 2015}}

"Stressed Out" was produced by Mike Elizondo and recorded at Can Am in Los Angeles, California and at Livingston Studios in London, England.{{cite news|author=Rockol.com s.r.l.|title=Twenty One Pilots, chi sono? Ecco la storia del duo di 'Stressed out' - Video|url=https://www.rockol.it/news-657155/twenty-one-pilots-stressed-out-chi-sono-biografia-video?refresh_ce|publisher=Rockol.it|access-date=2016-05-05|trans-title=Twenty One who are they? Here is the story of the duo of 'Stressed out' - Video|language=it|archive-date=August 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809165055/https://www.rockol.it/news-657155/twenty-one-pilots-stressed-out-chi-sono-biografia-video?refresh_ce|url-status=live}} The track was then mixed at the Casita in Hollywood, California.{{cite AV media notes|title=Blurryface |others=Twenty One Pilots |year=2015 |type=Booklet |publisher=Fueled by Ramen|id=7567-86692-2}} During its recording, Elizondo had but one grievance in regards to the song. Speaking with front-man and principal songwriter Tyler Joseph, he opined that to the average listener, its lyrical content would come off as esoteric. Elizondo recalled: "So I had a good conversation with him trying to say, 'Hey, maybe you should change that; it's a great melody, it's a big hook of the song, but I just don't know what it means." He soon relaxed on the issue after Joseph provided an explanation of the larger album concept.

"Stressed Out" is a mid-tempo alternative hip hop, alternative rock{{cite web|url=https://www.iheart.com/content/2019-11-22-30-alternative-rock-songs-that-defined-the-2010s/|title=30 Alternative Rock Songs That Defined the 2010s|publisher=iHeartMedia|last=Nattress|first=Katrina|date=November 22, 2019|access-date=May 10, 2022|archive-date=May 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525121835/https://www.iheart.com/content/2019-11-22-30-alternative-rock-songs-that-defined-the-2010s/|url-status=live}} and rap rock{{cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/life-and-culture/g66l-2019/07/12598c2f641421/all-65-twenty-one-pilots-songs-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html|title=All 65 Twenty One Pilots songs ranked from worst to best|publisher=Cleveland.com|last1=Nickoloff|first1=Anne|last2=Smith|first2=Troy|date=July 5, 2019|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=January 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200125164636/https://www.cleveland.com/life-and-culture/g66l-2019/07/12598c2f641421/all-65-twenty-one-pilots-songs-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html|url-status=live}} song that runs for a duration of three minutes and twenty-two seconds. The musical composition has a throwback to rock music and psychedelic pop while maintaining clear pop sensibilities.{{Cite web|last=s.r.l|first=Rockol com|title=√ Recensioni {{!}} Dischi {{!}} Twenty One Pilots - Blurryface su Rockol|url=https://www.rockol.it/recensioni-musicali/album/6423/twenty-one-pilots-blurryface?refresh_ce=|access-date=2020-06-28|website=Rockol|language=it|archive-date=December 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201228140946/https://www.rockol.it/recensioni-musicali/album/6423/twenty-one-pilots-blurryface?refresh_ce=|url-status=live}} According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Music, it is written in the time signature of common time, with a moderate tempo of 85 beats per minute.{{Cite web|url=http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0150418|title=Twenty One Pilots 'Stressed Out' Sheet Music in A Minor - Download & Print|last=Joseph|first=Tyler|date=May 26, 2015|publisher=Musicnotes.com|access-date=April 23, 2016|archive-date=September 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926064710/http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0150418|url-status=live}} "Stressed Out" is composed in the key of A minor,{{Cite web|last1=Tyler|first1=Joseph|last2=Pilots|first2=Twenty One|date=2016-02-29|title=Stressed Out|url=https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0160577|access-date=2021-06-08|website=Musicnotes.com|archive-date=April 9, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409153220/https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0160577|url-status=live}} while Tyler Joseph's vocal range spans one octave and four notes, from a low of E₃ to a high of A₄. The song has a basic sequence of F–Dm–Am in the verses, pre-chorus and outro, changes to Am–G–C–E at the refrain and follows Am–G–C₅–E during the bridge as its chord progression. 

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Opening with its drumbeat, the linear musical arrangement is structured around the phrase: "My name is Blurryface and I care what you think."{{cite web|author=DeVille, Chris|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1803515/the-week-in-pop-meet-twenty-one-pilots-the-biggest-band-youve-never-heard-of/franchises/the-week-in-pop/|title=The Week In Pop: Meet Twenty One Pilots, The Biggest Band You've Never Heard Of|work=Stereogum|date=May 28, 2015|access-date=April 25, 2020|archive-date=December 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191210133539/https://www.stereogum.com/1803515/the-week-in-pop-meet-twenty-one-pilots-the-biggest-band-youve-never-heard-of/franchises/the-week-in-pop/|url-status=live}} The track is built from wobbly synths, a Caribbean style keyboard line and rapped vocals by Tyler Joseph. The song is punctuated by brief bursts of string section and synths as well as eerie, theremin-like sounds that underscore his vocals. During its verses, Joseph recites deceptively simple lyrics atop the track's earworm beat.{{cite web|author=Law, Sam|url=https://www.kerrang.com/features/the-20-greatest-twenty-one-pilots-songs-ranked/|title=The 20 Greatest twenty one pilots Songs – Ranked|work=Kerrang!|date=April 24, 2020|access-date=April 25, 2020|archive-date=April 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200428224544/https://www.kerrang.com/features/the-20-greatest-twenty-one-pilots-songs-ranked/|url-status=live}} Joseph's rapping has him delivering confessional lines in a conversational tone. Following its refrain, the eerie melody precedes the second verse. The musical composition has downbeat atmosphere, with lyrical content focusing on personal themes. 

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Lyrically, "Stressed Out" follows a one-line rhyme schemes pattern and tells a story about the harsh end of adolescence, touching on Tyler Joseph's ageing anxiety and his experience with making music.{{cite magazine |author=Greene, Andy |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/twenty-one-pilots-inside-the-biggest-new-band-of-the-past-year-49706/ |title=Twenty One Pilots: Inside the Biggest New Band of the Past Year |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=January 14, 2016 |access-date=January 14, 2016 |archive-date=September 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917143511/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/twenty-one-pilots-inside-the-biggest-new-band-of-the-past-year-49706/ |url-status=live }} Tyler Joseph was in his mid-20s at time of the single's release, performing a nostalgic "ode to the innocence of childhood" with lyrics speaking on the adolescent insecurity, transition from adolescence to adulthood,{{Cite news|last=Savage|first=Mark|date=2016-11-10|title=Twenty One Pilots chart a course for success|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-37910692|access-date=2020-05-25|archive-date=April 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410044114/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-37910692|url-status=live}} and millennial angst.{{cite magazine|author=Unterberger, Andrew|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/events/year-in-music-2016/7617635/billboard-top-100-pop-songs-of-2016|title=Billboard's 100 Best Pop Songs of 2016: Critics' Picks|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 12, 2016|date=December 12, 2016|archive-date=December 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161213090422/http://www.billboard.com/articles/events/year-in-music-2016/7617635/billboard-top-100-pop-songs-of-2016|url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/blurryface-mw0002837924 |title=Blurryface – Twenty One Pilots |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=October 18, 2016 |last=Yeung |first=Neil Z. |archive-date=October 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019104757/http://www.allmusic.com/album/blurryface-mw0002837924 |url-status=live }} He is speaking as a member of millennial generation "drowning in college loan debt" and sharing their anxieties while feigning apathy and yearning peer acceptance all over social media.

Throughout the track, Joseph personifies the parent album's titular character, "Blurryface", singing in the song's pre-chorus, "my name's 'Blurryface' and I care what you think". He is a character within a story who represents Joseph's self-doubt and insecurities. Blurryface{{'}}s insecurities lie in the idea of growing up and becoming an adult and desire to return to "the good 'ol days" and the tree houses of their carefree youth. His voice pines for a time prior to stress of reality, such as student loans and the pressure to get a job and find success. During the chorus, Joseph chants, "wish we could turn back time /to the good old days/when our mom would sing us to sleep/but now we're stressed out."{{cite web|last1=Haskoor|first1=Michael|title=Watch Twenty One Pilots Relive Childhood in New Video For 'Stressed Out'|url=http://diffuser.fm/twenty-one-pilots-stressed-out-music-video/|website=Diffuser|date=April 28, 2015|access-date=April 29, 2015|archive-date=August 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815081000/https://diffuser.fm/twenty-one-pilots-stressed-out-music-video/|url-status=live}} The song closes with an outro where external voices suggest the need to wake up because they need to make money.{{cite web|url=http://radio.com/2015/04/28/twenty-one-pilots-stressed-out-video/|title=Twenty One Pilots' 'Stressed Out' Video Puts On a Suburban Fairytale: Watch|publisher=Radio.com|last=E. Smith|first=Courtney|date=April 28, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518083528/http://radio.com/2015/04/28/twenty-one-pilots-stressed-out-video/|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=May 18, 2015}}

{{quote box|align=right|width=25%|quote="At the time I heard the song, I had no idea what Blurryface was, and I was kind of scratching my head going, 'Dude, uh, what's Blurryface?{{'"}}{{cite magazine|author=Rutherford, Kevin|title=Songs That Defined the Decade: Twenty One Pilots' 'Stressed Out'|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/songs-that-defined-the-decade/8544249/twenty-one-pilots-stressed-out-songs-that-defined-the-decade|magazine=Billboard|date=November 21, 2019|access-date=November 23, 2019|archive-date=August 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804000759/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/songs-that-defined-the-decade/8544249/twenty-one-pilots-stressed-out-songs-that-defined-the-decade|url-status=live}}|source=—Mike Elizondo discussing the song's concept with Billboard}}

For a time, record producer Mike Elizondo was worried Joseph's specificity would limit the single's reception among the larger populace. In retrospect, Elizondo said: "We can all kind of relate to wanting to have more of those simpler days. I think he nailed it; though the lyrical content is very specific to him, the listener is able to impose their own story onto it. That type of feeling will never go away."

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"Stressed Out" was first released as a promotional single through Fueled by Ramen on April 28, 2015, on the Google Play Store{{cite web |url=https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Twenty_One_Pilots_Stressed_Out?id=B7q7qhrhzutymwmbutiqz6xq6bi |title=Stressed Out |publisher=Google Play Store |date=April 28, 2015 |access-date=April 30, 2015 |archive-date=May 4, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150504193945/https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Twenty_One_Pilots_Stressed_Out?id=B7q7qhrhzutymwmbutiqz6xq6bi |url-status=live }} and Amazon,{{cite web | url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UC9F0FO | title=Stressed Out - twenty one pilots (From the Album Blurryface) | website=Amazon | date=April 28, 2015 | access-date=January 25, 2016 | archive-date=July 11, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711194458/https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UC9F0FO | url-status=live }} It was later added as the second track on Twenty One Pilots' fourth studio album Blurryface on May 17, 2015. The song was issued to Contemporary hit radio stations as the album's fourth official single on November 10, 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=3735801|title=Twenty One Pilots' 'Stressed Out' Heading To Top 40 Radio|work=AbsolutePunk|author=DeAndrea, Joe|date=November 5, 2015|access-date=November 6, 2015|archive-date=December 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151226075110/http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=3735801|url-status=live}} "Stressed Out" became the first rock song to surpass a billion streams on Spotify.{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/twenty-one-pilots-scaled-and-icy-review-2944061|title=Twenty One Pilots – 'Scaled and Icy' review: an expectation-crushing statement of ambition|work=NME|last=Shutler|first=Ali|date=May 21, 2021|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=May 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521185759/https://www.nme.com/reviews/twenty-one-pilots-scaled-and-icy-review-2944061|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.altpress.com/reviews/twenty-one-pilots-scaled-and-icy/|title=Twenty One Pilots Call Back To Their Roots On New 'Scaled and Icy'|work=Alternative Press|last=Battoclette|first=Augusta|date=May 21, 2021|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=May 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521194304/https://www.altpress.com/reviews/twenty-one-pilots-scaled-and-icy/|url-status=live}}

"Stressed Out" debuted at number 87 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated May 16, 2015.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/2015-05-16|title=Billboard Hot 100 History - May 16, 2015|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 16, 2020}} The song later rose from number 45 to number 28 on the chart dated December 17, 2015, giving Twenty One Pilots their first top 40 hit in the United States.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6812945/hot-100-chart-moves-twenty-one-pilots-top-40|title=Hot 100 Chart Moves: Twenty One Pilots Hit Top 40 With 'Stressed Out'|magazine=Billboard|last=Trust|first=Gary|date=December 17, 2015|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=June 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608051925/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6812945/hot-100-chart-moves-twenty-one-pilots-top-40|url-status=live}} Although it was released in 2015, "Stressed Out" did not truly take off and gradually find widespread breakthrough success until the following year. On the chart dated January 16, 2016, "Stressed Out" rose from number 13 to number nine, giving the group their first top-10 hit in the US.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/6835380/twenty-one-pilots-mike-easterlin-interview|title=Twenty One Pilots 'Mean So Many Things to So Many People,' Says Fueled by Ramen Exec (Exclusive Q&A)|magazine=Billboard|last=Trust|first=Gary|date=January 7, 2016|accessdate=June 4, 2021}} A month later, the song rose from number four and reached its peak of number two, being blocked from reaching number one by Canadian singer Justin Bieber's 2015 single "Love Yourself".{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6875473/justin-bieber-no-1-hot-100-love-yourself|title=Justin Bieber Retakes No. 1 Spot From Zayn on Hot 100|magazine=Billboard|last=Trust|first=Gary|date=February 16, 2016|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=June 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608051926/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6875473/justin-bieber-no-1-hot-100-love-yourself|url-status=live}} At the time, Twenty One Pilots earned three top-10 hits: "Stressed Out", "Ride", and "Heathens", joining American electronic DJ and production duo The Chainsmokers as the only ones to have three or more top-10 hits on the Hot 100 in 2016.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7469647/sia-fourth-week-hot-100-twenty-one-pilots|title=Sia Spends Fourth Week Atop Hot 100, Twenty One Pilots Make History in Top 10|magazine=Billboard|last=Trust|first=Gary|date=August 15, 2016|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=August 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804010858/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7469647/sia-fourth-week-hot-100-twenty-one-pilots|url-status=live}} It ranked number five on the 2016 Hot 100 year-end list.

"Stressed Out" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, giving Twenty One Pilots their first number one hit on the chart.{{cite web|url=https://www.fuse.tv/2015/12/twenty-one-pilots-stressed-out-no-1-rock-songs-chart|title=Twenty One Pilots Score First No.1 Single on Rock Songs Chart|publisher=Fuse|accessdate=June 4, 2021}} The song spent a record 23 weeks at number one on the Hot Rock Songs.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6898390/rihanna-hot-100-third-week-kelly-clarkson-top-10|title=Rihanna Tops Hot 100 for Third Week, Kelly Clarkson Debuts in Top 10|magazine=Billboard|last=Trust|first=Gary|date=March 7, 2016|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=June 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608062307/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6898390/rihanna-hot-100-third-week-kelly-clarkson-top-10|url-status=live}} It also peaked at number one on the Billboard airplay charts: Adult Top 40, Rock Airplay, Mainstream Top 40, and Alternative Airplay.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/twenty-one-pilots/chart-history/mrt|title=Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Alternative Airplay)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=November 29, 2023|archive-date=January 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120121249/https://www.billboard.com/artist/twenty-one-pilots/chart-history/mrt/|url-status=live}} In September 2023, for the 35th anniversary of the latter chart,{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/alternative-airplay-chart-35th-anniversary-foo-fighters-all-time-low-rule-1235408126/|title=Alternative Airplay Chart's 35th Anniversary: Foo Fighters Remain No. 1 Act, 'Monsters' New Top Song|last=Rutherford|first=Kevin|magazine=Billboard|date=September 7, 2023|access-date=November 29, 2023|archive-date=October 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231013183139/https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/alternative-airplay-chart-35th-anniversary-foo-fighters-all-time-low-rule-1235408126/|url-status=live}} Billboard ranked "Stressed Out" at number 85 on its list of the 100 most successful songs in the chart's history.{{cite magazine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231006001750/https://www.billboard.com/charts/greatest-alternative-songs/|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/greatest-alternative-songs/|title=Greatest of All Time Alternative Songs|archive-date=October 6, 2023|access-date=November 29, 2023|url-status=live|magazine=Billboard}} On April 30, 2021, the single was certified 13× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting track-equivalent sales of 10,000,000 units in the US based on sales and streams.{{cite web|url=https://www.rocksound.tv/news/read/twenty-one-pilots-stressed-out-is-now-diamond-in-the-us|archive-date=June 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608062049/https://www.rocksound.tv/news/read/twenty-one-pilots-stressed-out-is-now-diamond-in-the-us|title=Twenty One Pilots' 'Stressed Out' Is Now Certified Diamond In The US|work=Rock Sound|last=Rogers|first=Jack|date=May 4, 2021|accessdate=June 4, 2021}} In March 2021, years after "Stressed Out" was released, it peaked at number 182 on the Billboard Global 200. The song peaked at number one in record charts of Russia and Mexico. It peaked within the top five in Australia, Austria, the Belgium Flanders chart, Canada, Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovakia, and Switzerland. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), "Stressed Out" was the tenth best-performing single of 2016, with 9.9 million units combined sales and track-equivalent streams worldwide.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/music/news/beyonce-lemonade-drake-one-dance-best-selling-2016-1202395667/|title=Beyonce's 'Lemonade' Was the World's Best-Selling Album in 2016|work=Variety|last=Parisi|first=Paula|date=April 25, 2017|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=October 27, 2021|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211027/https://variety.com/2017/music/news/beyonce-lemonade-drake-one-dance-best-selling-2016-1202395667/|url-status=live}}

Forbes called "Stressed Out" as an anthem for a millennial generation of a young man who has been discovering in mid 2010s that life as an adult is plagued with issues.{{cite web|archive-date=October 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007023126/http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/twenty_one_pilots_long_for_the_good_old_days_in_somber_stressed_out_video|url=http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/twenty_one_pilots_long_for_the_good_old_days_in_somber_stressed_out_video|title=twenty one pilots long for 'the good old days' in somber 'Stressed Out' video|work=Alternative Press|date=April 28, 2015|access-date=April 29, 2015}}{{cite web|author=Wannemacher, Paul|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/financialfinesse/2016/06/05/5-ways-millennials-can-avoid-boomer-mistakes/#300008757199|title=5 Ways Millennials Can Avoid Boomer Mistakes|work=Forbes|date=2016-06-05|access-date=2016-09-01|archive-date=April 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410110305/https://www.forbes.com/sites/financialfinesse/2016/06/05/5-ways-millennials-can-avoid-boomer-mistakes/#300008757199|url-status=live}} Philip Cosores and the staff of Consequence mentioned the song "resonates with listeners, as the two sing about 'the good 'ol days' before the stress of reality set in".{{cite web|url=https://consequence.net/2017/07/ranking-every-alternative-rock-hit-from-worst-to-best/4/|title=Ranking: Every Alternative Rock No. 1 Hit from Worst to Best|work=Consequence|last=Cosores|first=Philip|date=July 4, 2017|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=June 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210606025409/https://consequence.net/2017/07/ranking-every-alternative-rock-hit-from-worst-to-best/4/|url-status=live}} Writing for The Salt Lake Tribune, Sean P. Means felt that the song is "nostalgia-tinged".{{cite web|url=https://www.sltrib.com/artsliving/2019/10/28/twenty-one-pilots/|title=Twenty One Pilots postponed Monday's show at The Viv because of snow in Colorado|work=The Salt Lake Tribune|last=P. Means|first=Sean|date=October 28, 2016|accessdate=June 4, 2021}} Andja Curcic of Renowned for Sound commented that it "places an importance on lyrics that look at the transition from adolescence to adulthood".{{cite web|url=http://renownedforsound.com/album-review-twenty-one-pilots-blurryface/|title=Album Review: Twenty One Pilots – Blurryface|work=Renowned for Sound|last=Curcic|first=Andja|date=May 31, 2015|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=February 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228125947/http://renownedforsound.com/album-review-twenty-one-pilots-blurryface/|url-status=live}} In her review for The New York Times, Caryn Ganz considered the song an "anxiety anthem" and mentioned it is known for its "sing-songy chorus".{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/15/arts/music/twenty-one-pilots-trench.html|title=Twenty One Pilots Want to Stay Strange|work=The New York Times|last=Ganz|first=Caryn|date=October 15, 2018|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=April 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427221410/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/15/arts/music/twenty-one-pilots-trench.html|url-status=live}}

Jia Tolentino of The New Yorker stated the song's chorus is as "bright as its minor key will allow".{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/jia-tolentino/the-slippery-appeal-of-the-biggest-new-band-in-america|title=The Slippery Appeal of the Biggest New Band in America|magazine=The New Yorker|last=Tolentino|first=Jia|author-link=Jia Tolentino|date=August 21, 2016|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=May 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210527124114/https://www.newyorker.com/culture/jia-tolentino/the-slippery-appeal-of-the-biggest-new-band-in-america|url-status=live}} Randy Holmes for ABC News Radio described the track as a "multi-genre breakout hit",{{cite web|url=http://abcnewsradioonline.com/music-news/2016/4/7/twenty-one-pilots-talks-the-origins-of-stressed-out-in-billb.html|title=Twenty One Pilots Talks the Origins of 'Stressed Out' in 'Billboard' Cover Story|archive-date=June 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210606025428/http://abcnewsradioonline.com/music-news/2016/4/7/twenty-one-pilots-talks-the-origins-of-stressed-out-in-billb.html|publisher=ABC News Radio|last=Holmes|first=Randy|date=April 6, 2016|accessdate=June 4, 2021}} while Madison Desler of the Orange County Register called it a "monster hit".{{cite web|url=https://www.ocregister.com/2017/02/16/twenty-one-pilots-at-honda-center-a-spectacle-with-two-stages-and-a-giant-hamster-ball/|title=Twenty One Pilots at Honda Center a Spectacle with Two Stages and a Giant Hamster Ball|work=Orange County Register|last=Desler|first=Madison|date=February 16, 2017|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=June 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607013937/https://www.ocregister.com/2017/02/16/twenty-one-pilots-at-honda-center-a-spectacle-with-two-stages-and-a-giant-hamster-ball/|url-status=live}} Rachel Aroesti, writing for The Guardian, said "Stressed Out" is a "mode that is both evergreen and all the rage".{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/may/21/twenty-one-pilots-scaled-and-icy-review-genre-hoppers-find-their-happy-place|title=Twenty One Pilots: Scaled and Icy review – genre-hoppers find their happy place|work=The Guardian|last=Aroesti|first=Rachel|date=May 21, 2021|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=May 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521081823/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/may/21/twenty-one-pilots-scaled-and-icy-review-genre-hoppers-find-their-happy-place|url-status=live}} Tampa Bay Times{{'}} Jay Cridlin lauded it as an "arena-shaking hit".{{cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/blogs/soundcheck/2018/11/03/review-twenty-one-pilots-drop-apocalyptic-set-on-diehard-fans-at-tampas-amalie-arena/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104055901/http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/soundcheck/2018/11/03/review-twenty-one-pilots-drop-apocalyptic-set-on-diehard-fans-at-tampas-amalie-arena/|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 4, 2018|title=Review: Twenty One Pilots drop apocalyptic set on diehard fans at Tampa's Amalie Arena|work=Tampa Bay Times|last=Cridlin|first=Jay|date=November 3, 2018|accessdate=June 4, 2021}} The Oregonian reviewer Troy L. Smith felt that the song hit a "radio-friendly sweet spot".{{cite web|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/music/2015/05/twenty_one_pilots_blurryface_l.html|title=Twenty One Pilots' 'Blurryface' leaves a haze of disappointment (album review)|work=The Oregonian|last=L. Smith|first=Troy|date=May 18, 2015|accessdate=June 4, 2021}} Molly Lambert of MTV wrote that the song "has a haunted, music-hall feeling, and a slightly embarrassing but highly effective earnestness in its longing for a romanticized, innocent past". She continued, saying it "genuinely stressed me out at first, with its herky-jerk from the verses into the chorus, but I eventually found myself constantly sing-saying 'My name's Blurryface and I care what you think' under my breath in all kinds of situations".{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2937771/twenty-one-pilots-are-here-to-stay/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160930165722/http://www.mtv.com/news/2937771/twenty-one-pilots-are-here-to-stay/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 30, 2016|title=And Let Us Now Praise Twenty One Pilots|publisher=MTV|last=Lambert|first=Molly|date=September 29, 2016|accessdate=June 4, 2021}} The staff of Loudwire said that while they were listening to the songs lyrics, it was "not hard to see why the song has resonated with so many music fans".{{cite web|url=https://loudwire.com/best-hard-rock-songs-21st-century/|title=The 66 Best Hard Rock Songs of the 21st Century|work=Loudwire|date=October 2, 2020|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=April 12, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412202427/https://loudwire.com/best-hard-rock-songs-21st-century/|url-status=live}} Critic Cole Waterman of Spectrum Culture called "Stressed Out" one of the album's best songs.{{cite web|url=https://spectrumculture.com/2015/05/31/twenty-one-pilots-blurryface/|title=Twenty One Pilots: Blurryface|work=Spectrum Culture|last=Waterman|first=Cole|date=May 31, 2015|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=June 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210606220836/https://spectrumculture.com/2015/05/31/twenty-one-pilots-blurryface/|url-status=live}}

In mixed to negative reviews: The Sydney Morning Herald critic George Palathingal deemed the song as "catchy", and "essentially inoffensive".{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/twenty-one-pilots-review-the-enjoyable-ultimately-outweighs-the-contentious-20170402-gvbpyq.html|title=Twenty One Pilots review: The enjoyable ultimately outweighs the contentious|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|last=Palathingal|first=George|date=April 2, 2017|accessdate=June 4, 2021}} Chris Deville of Stereogum saw it as the "probably the most linear" song the group has made, and said it still manages to merge Sublime, Portishead, and ASAP Rocky. Slate{{'}}s Carl Wilson criticized the song, stating the song's refrain is "menacingly flat and paranoiacally self-conscious in affect". Larry Fitzmaurice of Vulture opined the track is "arguably the most noxious quality of Twenty One Pilots' sound—front and center".{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2018/10/why-do-people-love-to-hate-twenty-one-pilots.html|title=Why Do People Love to Hate Twenty One Pilots?|work=Vulture|last=Fitzmaurice|first=Larry|date=October 10, 2018|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=July 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210708055534/https://www.vulture.com/2018/10/why-do-people-love-to-hate-twenty-one-pilots.html|url-status=live}} Peter Sblendorio from New York Daily News considered the song to be a "radio staple".{{cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/twenty-pilots-snl-article-1.2820525|title=Twenty One Pilots: Everything you need to know before their 'Saturday Night Live' performance|work=Spectrum Culture|last=Sblendorio|first=Peter|date=October 7, 2016|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=December 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209040108/https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/twenty-pilots-snl-article-1.2820525|url-status=live}}

Retrospectively, critics have considered "Stressed Out" one of Twenty One Pilots' best songs. Jason Pettigrew of Alternative Press called it a "diamond" and stated "Gen X boredom gives way to exasperated millennial neurosis" during the track.{{cite web|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|last=Pettigrew|first=Jason|date=September 26, 2019|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=September 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190930235509/https://www.altpress.com/features/twenty-one-pilots-songs-ranked/|url-status=live}} Bryony Symes from Louder Sound opined that "Stressed Out" is the group's best song to date and that the "kind of complex melody, with its slew of catchy hooks, that will get caught in a loop in your head, and have you humming along for hours after you've heard it".{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-10-best-twenty-one-pilots-songs|title=The 10 best Twenty One Pilots songs|work=Louder Sound|last=Bryony|first=Jason|date=August 20, 2018|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=June 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607052323/https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-10-best-twenty-one-pilots-songs|url-status=live}} Writing for Cleveland.com, Anne Nickoloff and Troy Smith mentioned it was "going to be a hit right from the opening beat" and that it is as "pure of a rap-rock song the band has written, but its pop sensibility is clear. Even Tyler Joseph's self-deprecating lyrics couldn't slow its momentum". Variety{{'s}} Chris Willman stated the "mortal concerns" of Twenty One Pilots' 2018 album Trench makes him feel "a little nostalgic" for some of the "in-your-face youth angst of 'Stressed Out{{'"}}.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/music/news/twenty-one-pilots-trench-album-review-1202971674/|title=Album Review: Twenty One Pilots' 'Trench'|work=Variety|last=Willman|first=Chris|date=October 7, 2018|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=October 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007224725/https://variety.com/2018/music/news/twenty-one-pilots-trench-album-review-1202971674/|url-status=live}} Sam Law for Kerrang! deemed the track "a pop culture changing of the guard fading the disenfranchisement of Generation X into the neuroses of their millennial successors"; he opined it "feels judderingly relevant but also destined to live forever". In 2018, Louder Sound ranked the song number one on their list of the 10 greatest Twenty One Pilots songs,{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-10-best-twenty-one-pilots-songs|title=The 10 best Twenty One Pilots songs|first=Bryony|last=Symes|work=Louder Sound|date=August 20, 2018|accessdate=April 5, 2022}} and in 2020, Kerrang ranked the song number three on their list of the 20 greatest Twenty One Pilots songs.{{cite web|url=https://www.kerrang.com/the-20-greatest-twenty-one-pilots-songs-ranked|title=The 20 greatest twenty one pilots songs – ranked|first=Sam|last=Law|work=Kerrang|date=April 24, 2020|accessdate=April 5, 2022|archive-date=April 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220405200004/https://www.kerrang.com/the-20-greatest-twenty-one-pilots-songs-ranked|url-status=live}}

"Stressed Out" was nominated for Top Rock song at both the 2016 Billboard Music Awards and 2017 Billboard Music Awards.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/bbma/7378353/billboard-music-awards-2016-complete-winners-list|title=Billboard Music Awards 2016: Complete Winners List|magazine=Billboard|date=May 22, 2016|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=May 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160524230951/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/bbma/7378353/billboard-music-awards-2016-complete-winners-list|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/bbma/7801136/billboard-music-awards-2017-winners-list|title=Here Is the Complete List of Winners From the 2017 Billboard Music Awards|magazine=Billboard|date=May 21, 2017|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=June 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613060851/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/bbma/7801136/billboard-music-awards-2017-winners-list|url-status=live}} It was nominated for Choice Rock Song and Choice Song: Group at the 2016 Teen Choice Awards.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/teen-choice-awards-2016-winners-916007/choice-tv-actor-drama-2/|title=Teen Choice Awards: Winners List|work=The Hollywood Reporter|last1=Crist|first1=Allison|last2=Nordyke|first2=Kimberly|date=July 31, 2016|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=June 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608083811/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/teen-choice-awards-2016-winners-916007/choice-tv-actor-drama-2/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/784000/teen-choice-awards-2016-winners-the-complete-list|title=Teen Choice Awards 2016 Winners: The Complete List|work=E! Online|last=Vulpo|first=Mike|date=July 31, 2016|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=August 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803000635/https://www.eonline.com/news/784000/teen-choice-awards-2016-winners-the-complete-list|url-status=live}} The song won Alternative Rock Song of the Year at the 2016 iHeartRadio Music Awards,{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7318843/iheartradio-music-awards-2016-winners-list|title=iHeartRadio Music Awards 2016: See the Full Winners List|magazine=Billboard|date=April 3, 2016|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=April 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404070606/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7318843/iheartradio-music-awards-2016-winners-list|url-status=live}} and was also nominated for Song of the Year at the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7710210/iheartradio-music-awards-2017-winners-list|title=2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards: Complete Winners List|magazine=Billboard|date=March 5, 2017|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=November 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129144933/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7710210/iheartradio-music-awards-2017-winners-list|url-status=live}} At the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, "Stressed Out" was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, winning the latter.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/12/514877528/grammy-awards-2017-the-full-list-of-winners|title=Grammy Awards 2017: The Full List Of Winners|publisher=NPR|last=Flanagan|first=Andrew|date=February 12, 2017|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=February 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227082940/https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/12/514877528/grammy-awards-2017-the-full-list-of-winners|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2017/02/12/winners-list-who-won-what-59th-annual-grammys/97737914/|title=Grammys 2017: The complete list of winners|work=USA Today|date=February 12, 2017|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=October 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029083804/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2017/02/12/winners-list-who-won-what-59th-annual-grammys/97737914/|url-status=live}}

By the time of Blurryface{{'s}} release, Twenty One Pilots had been touring for a long time. When it was time to shoot a music video for "Stressed Out", the group had been feeling homesick from excessive touring. Their creative director, Mark Eshleman, arranged a time for the group to return to their hometown of Columbus, Ohio to shoot the video and finally be with their loved ones.{{cite web|url=https://www.altpress.com/features/twenty-one-pilots-blurryface-trivia/|title=10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Twenty One Pilots' 'Blurryface' Era|work=Alternative Press|last=Pettigrew|first=Jason|date=May 17, 2020|access-date=June 4, 2021|archive-date=May 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200531184035/https://www.altpress.com/features/twenty-one-pilots-blurryface-trivia/|url-status=live}} Most of the video was shot at Dun's childhood home, subsequently making it a destination for fans of the duo to visit. Dun said his parents have since had to cancel their landline telephone service in order to stop calls coming in at all hours.

Twenty One Pilots released the video for "Stressed Out" on April 27, 2015, and it was directed by Eshleman.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXRviuL6vMY&ab_channel=FueledByRamen|title=twenty one pilots: Stressed Out [Official Video]|date=April 27, 2015|publisher=YouTube|access-date=November 22, 2019|archive-date=September 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200909162950/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXRviuL6vMY&ab_channel=FueledByRamen|url-status=live}} The story begins on a partly cloudy day with Joseph pedalling down a street on a three wheeler. Throughout the music video, black paint can be seen on his neck and hands. Joseph arrives at a house and enters a bedroom where Dun is waiting for him. The two perform the song within the mind of the young man who resembles the two save their tattoos and colored hair. At one point, the pair drink Capri Suns while sitting near a curb. The scene then changes to Joseph and Dun lying in beds as members from their combined families who are dressed in black watch them sleep and all chant in unison "Wake up, you need to make money".

The video depicts a bleak narrative set in a dreary suburban neighborhood, summoning a mixture of existential sequences and drawing visual cues from fairy tales such as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It follows a theme of the desire to forever remain a child instead of taking a journey into a disorienting environment as adults.

Writing for Diffuser, Michael Haskoor described it as a "perfectly paired visual", and said it is way more "minimalist than their video for the explosive "Tear in My Heart" and seems to fit well with the song's chorus". Courtney E. Smith of Radio.com compared the visual to Scottish novelist J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, while Brenna Enrlich of MTV News compared it to the works of American rock band Blink-182 and stated the video is about "growing up and being an adult and whatnot. I think we can all relate to that". Cassie Whitt from Alternative Press opined it is a "sentiment any recent entrant into adulthood can relate". The video received a nomination for Best Music Video at the 2016 Alternative Press Music Awards.{{cite web|url=https://www.altpress.com/features/here_are_the_winners_of_the_2016_apmas/|title=Here are the nominees for the 2016 AP Music Awards!|work=Alternative Press|last=Whitt|first=Cassie|date=March 18, 2016|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=August 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820193029/http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/here_are_the_winners_of_the_2016_apmas|url-status=live}} It was also nominated for Favorite Music Video at the 2017 Kids' Choice Awards.{{cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/834817/kids-choice-awards-2017-winners-the-complete-list|title=Kids' Choice Awards 2017 Winners: The Complete List|work=E! Online|last=Vulpo|first=Mike|date=March 11, 2017|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=June 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170625080142/http://www.eonline.com/news/834817/kids-choice-awards-2017-winners-the-complete-list|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7718233/kids-choice-awards-2017-the-winners-list|title=Kids' Choice Awards 2017: The Winners List|magazine=Billboard|date=March 11, 2017|accessdate=June 4, 2021|archive-date=August 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809142834/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7718233/kids-choice-awards-2017-the-winners-list|url-status=live}}

File:Tyler_Joseph_Twenty_One_Pilots-0955_(22870123730).jpg

During the promotion of their forthcoming studio album, Joseph began wearing black paint in every video and live performance promoting Blurryface. Both the lyrics of "Stressed Out" as well as the paint reference the name and titular character of the album.{{Cite web |url=https://www.allthingsloud.com/twenty-one-pilots-blurryface-album-review/ |title=Album Review: Twenty One Pilots - Blurryface |last=Parker |first=Jack |date=May 29, 2015 |website=All Things Loud |access-date=April 29, 2019 |archive-date=October 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021025011/https://www.allthingsloud.com/twenty-one-pilots-blurryface-album-review/ |url-status=live }}

"Stressed Out" has since become a fan favorite at live concert venues.{{cite web |author=Deeley, Chelsea |date=April 21, 2016 |title=Twenty One Pilots – The Roundhouse UNSW, Sydney 20/04/16 |url=https://musicfeeds.com.au/gig/twenty-one-pilots-roundhouse-unsw-sydney-200416/#/slide/1 |access-date=August 5, 2021 |work=Music Feeds |archive-date=November 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111123020/https://musicfeeds.com.au/gig/twenty-one-pilots-roundhouse-unsw-sydney-200416/#/slide/1 |url-status=live }} Twenty One Pilots performed "Stressed Out" on Late Night with Seth Meyers on September 21, 2015.{{cite web | url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/VIDEO-Twenty-One-Pilots-Perform-New-Single-Stressed-Out-on-LATE-NIGHT-20150915 | title=Twenty One Pilots Perform New Single 'Stressed Out' on Late Night | work=Broadway World | date=September 15, 2015 | access-date=January 21, 2016 | archive-date=March 5, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305044145/http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/VIDEO-Twenty-One-Pilots-Perform-New-Single-Stressed-Out-on-LATE-NIGHT-20150915 | url-status=live }} Twenty One Pilots performed "Stressed Out" on their 2016 Emotional Roadshow World Tour in Ohio, with Joseph altering the lyrics of the first verse, which characterized the song as "overplayed, overstayed".{{cite web | url=http://www.fuse.tv/2016/06/twenty-one-pilots-stressed-out-changed-lyrics | title=Twenty One Pilots Criticize Own Success in 'Stressed Out' Lyric Change | work=Fuse | date=June 10, 2016 | access-date=February 27, 2017 | archive-date=January 8, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190108045946/https://www.fuse.tv/2016/06/twenty-one-pilots-stressed-out-changed-lyrics | url-status=live }} Twenty One Pilots performed the song during a concert at the UNSW Roundhouse in Sydney, Australia on April 20, 2016.

Credits adapted from Blurryface liner notes.

• Tyler Joseph{{spaced en dash}}lead vocals, programming, keyboards, songwriting
• Josh Dun{{spaced en dash}}drums
• Mike Elizondo{{spaced en dash}}upright bass, keyboards, programming
• Adam Hawkins{{spaced en dash}}engineering
• Neal Avron{{spaced en dash}}mixing engineer
• Scott Skrzynski{{spaced en dash}}assistant mixing engineer
• Chris Gehringer{{spaced en dash}}mastering engineer

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-end}}

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Stressed Out"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=single|award=Platinum|number=6|relyear=2015|certyear=2021|access-date=July 11, 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Austria|artist=Twenty One Pilots|title=Stressed Out|award=Platinum|number=2|type=single|relyear=2015|certyear=2020|access-date=October 21, 2020}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Belgium|artist=Twenty One Pilots|title=Stressed Out|award=Platinum|number=2|type=single|relyear=2015|access-date=February 25, 2017|certyear=2017|certmonth=2}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=Twenty One Pilots|title=Stressed Out|type=single|award= Diamond|relyear=2015|certyear=2020|refname="Canadacert"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|artist=Twenty One Pilots|title=Stressed Out|award=Platinum|number=2|type=single|relyear=2015|certyear=2020|access-date=March 23, 2020|id=9034}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|artist=Twenty One Pilots|title=Stressed Out|type=single|award=Diamond|relyear=2015|certyear=2018|certmonth=03|access-date=March 22, 2018}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|artist=Twenty One Pilots|title=Stressed Out|award=Diamond|type=single|relyear=2015|certyear=2021|access-date=November 7, 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|artist=Twenty One Pilots|title=Stressed Out|type=single|award=Platinum|number=5|relyear=2015|certyear=2019|id=7248|access-date=October 21, 2019}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Mexico|type=single|title=Stressed Out|artist=Twenty One Pilots|award=Gold|relyear=2015|certyear=2016|access-date=January 3, 2019}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Netherlands|type=single|title=Stressed Out|artist=Twenty One Pilots|award=Platinum|relyear=2015|relmonth=11|certyear=2016|access-date=January 3, 2019}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Twenty One Pilots|title=Stressed Out|award=Platinum|number=6|access-date=December 17, 2024|source=radioscope|relyear=2015|certyear=2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Norway|type=single|artist=Twenty One Pilots|title=Stressed Out|award=Platinum|number=3|relyear=2016|access-date=February 25, 2017}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Poland|artist=Twenty One Pilots|title=Stressed Out|award=Diamond|number=2|type=single|relyear=2015|certyear=2020|access-date=October 7, 2020}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Portugal|artist=Twenty One Pilots|title=Stressed Out|award=Platinum|number=4|type=single|relyear=2015|certyear=2023|id=file_2023-12-05-14-26-25.pdf|access-date=February 17, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|artist=Twenty One Pilots|title=Stressed Out|award=Platinum|number=3|type=single|relyear=2015|certyear=2024|id=twenty-one-pilots-stressed-out|access-date=February 17, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Sweden|certyear=2016|certweek=41|relyear=2015|artist=Twenty One Pilots|title=Stressed Out|award=Platinum|number=4|type=single|position=98|access-date=October 12, 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Switzerland|certyear=2017|relyear=2015|artist=Twenty One Pilots|title=Stressed Out|award=Platinum|number=2|type=single}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Twenty One Pilots|title=Stressed Out|type=single|award=Platinum|number=3|relyear=2015|certyear=2022|id=13656-4148-1|access-date=August 19, 2022}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Twenty One Pilots|title=Stressed Out|award=Platinum|number=13|relyear=2015|certyear=2024|type=single|access-date=May 22, 2024|refname="UScert"}}

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

• List of best-selling singles in the United States
• List of Hot Rock & Alternative Songs number ones
• List of Billboard Mainstream Top 40 number-one songs of 2016
• List of most-streamed songs on Spotify

{{Reflist}}

• {{YouTube|pXRviuL6vMY|"Stressed Out" music video}}

{{Twenty One Pilots}}

{{Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2015 songs

Category:2015 singles

Category:Monitor Latino Top General number-one singles

Category:Number-one singles in Poland

Category:Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Category:Fueled by Ramen singles

Category:Song recordings produced by Mike Elizondo

Category:Songs written by Tyler Joseph

Category:Twenty One Pilots songs

Category:Alternative hip-hop songs

Category:Rap rock songs

Category:Psychedelic pop songs

Category:Trying to prevent adulthood in popular culture

Category:Songs about nostalgia

Category:Songs about childhood

Category:Songs about fictional characters