The Outside

About this song

The song is presented as a statement of Tyler Joseph's criticism of the music industry and his concern that mainstream trends will push twenty one pilots aside. The text links it to his earlier outspoken songs, such as "Holding On To You" and "Lane Boy".

What it's about

Using metaphors like a Megalodon and Megatron, the song reflects on the band's past chart success during the Blurryface era and the inevitability of the industry moving on to the next artist. It expresses Tyler's bitterness toward an industry that favors non-challenging music, and his acceptance that the band may have to keep making music from the outside.

Summary written with AI, based on the song's page on Genius.

Fun facts

• Covered 2 times, including “The Outside by Roland Bingaman”.
• Written and produced by Tyler Joseph.