Heathens (song)

"Heathens"
Single by Twenty One Pilots
from the album Suicide Squad
Released	June 16, 2016
Format	Digital download
Recorded	2016
Genre	Rap rock[1]
Length	3:15
Label	Atlantic, Warner Bros.
Writer(s)	Tyler Joseph
Producer(s)	Mike Elizondo, Tyler Joseph
Twenty One Pilots singles chronology
"Ride" (2015) "Heathens" (2016) "Cancer" (2016)
Suicide Squad track listing "Sucker for Pain" (2) "Heathens" (3) "Standing in the Rain" (4) Music video "Heathens" on YouTube

"Heathens" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots, released as the lead single for the motion picture soundtrack for the film Suicide Squad (2016) on June 16, 2016, through Atlantic Records and Warner Bros. Records.^[2][3] The song was written by Tyler Joseph and produced by him along with Mike Elizondo. "Heathens" peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, tying with "Stressed Out" for the duo's highest ranking single to date.

Background

On June 15, 2016, Twenty One Pilots tweeted a message in Morse code which read "takeitslow", a lyric taken from the song "Heathens".^[4] On the same day, the song leaked onto the Internet. The following day, June 16, it was revealed that the song would be featured on the motion picture soundtrack for the 2016 American superhero film based on the DC Comics antihero team Suicide Squad. The soundtrack was released on August 5, 2016.^[5]

As I was writing the song I was like, I want this song to be a Twenty One Pilots song first. And I want it to resonate with our fans and make sense at our show. Even though the themes in the movie inspired the beginning of it, as the lyrics came together, and as the song came together, I realized, like, this was our song.

— Tyler Joseph speaking about the song.^[6]

Commercial performance

The song peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100,^[7] behind The Chainsmokers' "Closer", becoming the duo's second top 5 single on the Hot 100. It is the band's highest peaking single, tied with "Stressed Out".

With "Ride" charting at number five and "Heathens" at four in the same week, Twenty One Pilots became the third rock act with simultaneous top five Hot 100 singles in the chart's 58-year history, following only The Beatles and Elvis Presley, as well as the first act in 47 years.^[8][9] It has reached number one on the Hot Rock Songs and the Alternative Songs charts.

The song reached number five on the UK Singles Chart. "Heathens" also made it into the top 10 in more than 15 countries, including Australia, Belgium, Canada and Switzerland.

Seven days after the song's release, it was used to accompany television advertisements for the American TV show Chicago P.D. on RTÉ2, and was used to accompany the first half of a Problem Gambling documentary created by Davy Glennon, aired on Claire Byrne Live on 22 November 2016.^[10][11]

Music video

On June 21, 2016, the official music video, directed by Andrew Donoho, was uploaded to the Fueled by Ramen YouTube channel.^[12] It shows Joseph singing the song in Belle Reve, a fictional prison in the DC Universe, with Dun appearing while playing drums in the course of the video. Joseph makes his way to a small stage in the middle of a room, where Dun is already on the stage playing the drums. Joseph then picks up a floating bass guitar and begins playing it while the prisoners leave their cells and watch the duo perform the remainder of the song. At the end of the video, Joseph is sitting in the room alone as the prison security guards surround him. Throughout the music video, various clips of Suicide Squad are played. The video has over 460 million views as of December 2016.

The clip won an award for Best Rock Video at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards.^[13]

Live performances

The band performed "Heathens" for the first time in concert at The Uptown Amphitheatre at the Music Factory in Charlotte, North Carolina on June 28, 2016 as part of their Emotional Roadshow World Tour.^[14] The song was later performed as part of the band's appearance on episode two of Saturday Night Live's forty-second season.^[15]

Personnel

• Tyler Joseph – vocals, piano, bass guitar, synthesizer, programming
• Josh Dun – drums, percussion

Charts

Chart (2016)	Peak position
Argentina (Monitor Latino)[16]	7
Australia (ARIA)[17]	3
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[18]	4
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[19]	10
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[20]	20
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[21]	3
Canada CHR/Top 40 (Billboard)[22]	38
Canada Hot AC (Billboard)[23]	48
Canada Rock (Billboard)[24]	9
Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100)[25]	3
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[26]	1
Denmark (Tracklisten)[27]	11
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[28]	6
France (SNEP)[29]	4
Germany (Official German Charts)[30]	9
Hungary (Single Top 40)[31]	7
Hungary (Stream Top 40)[32]	2
Ireland (IRMA)[33]	4
Italy (FIMI)[34]	11
Latvia (Latvijas Top 40)[35]	1
Lebanon (Lebanese Top 20)[36]	9
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[37]	10
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[38]	12
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[39]	2
Norway (VG-lista)[40]	4
Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[41]	28
Portugal (AFP)[42]	4
Russia Airplay (Tophit)[43]	12
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[44]	5
Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[45]	37
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[46]	1
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[47]	28
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[48]	6
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[49]	3
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[50]	5
US Billboard Hot 100[51]	2
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[52]	2
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[53]	16
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[54]	1
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[55]	20
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[56]	2
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[57]	33

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[58]	2× Platinum	140,000^^
Canada (Music Canada)[59]	2× Platinum	160,000^^
Italy (FIMI)[60]	Platinum	50,000
New Zealand (RMNZ)[61]	Platinum	30,000^*
United Kingdom (BPI)[62]	Platinum	600,000
United States (RIAA)[63]	Platinum	1,000,000
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label
Worldwide	June 16, 2016	Digital download stream	Atlantic Warner Bros.
United States[3]	June 20, 2016	Contemporary hit radio

References

1. "Atlantic Subpoenas Reddit To Identify Twenty One Pilots Leaker". August 3, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
2. "Hear Twenty One Pilots' new song, 'Heathens'". Alternative Press. June 16, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
3. Payne, Chris (June 17, 2016). "Twenty One Pilots' 'Suicide Squad' Song 'Heathens': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
4. Wilson-Taylor, James (June 16, 2016). "LISTEN: Twenty One Pilots' New Song Just Dropped And The Clique Have Exploded". PopBuzz. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
5. "Twenty One Pilots, Panic! At The Disco, others featured on 'Suicide Squad' soundtrack". Alternative Press. June 16, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
6. "Heathens Quote". September 2, 2016.
7. Trust, Gary (September 12, 2016). "The Chainsmokers & Halsey Lead Hot 100 as Charlie Puth & Selena Gomez Hit Top 10". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
8. "The Chainsmokers Hold Atop Hot 100, Shawn Mendes Hits Top 10". Billboard. August 29, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
9. McIntyre, Hugh. "Twenty One Pilots Match A Charting Feat That Only The Beatles And Elvis Have Managed". Retrieved November 5, 2016.
10. Claire Byrne Live Extras: Problem Gambling
11. Galway Hurler Davy Glennon Tells Powerful Story Of Gambling Addiction On RTÉ
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13. "Here Are the 2016 MTV Video Music Award Nominations". Time. July 26, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
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33. "Chart Track: Week 33, 2016". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
34. "Top Digital - Classifica settimanale WK 38". Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
35. "Latvijas Top 40". Latvijas Radio. August 28, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
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41. "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
42. "Portuguesecharts.com – Twenty One Pilots – Heathens". AFP Top 100 Singles.
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53. "Twenty One Pilots – Chart history" Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs for Twenty One Pilots. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
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55. "Twenty One Pilots – Chart history" Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs for Twenty One Pilots. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
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58. "ARIA Australian Top 50 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. December 5, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
59. "Canadian single certifications – Twenty One Pilots – Heathens". Music Canada. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
60. "Italian single certifications – Twenty One Pilots – Heathens" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved September 26, 2016. Select Online in the field Sezione. Enter Twenty One Pilots in the field Filtra. Select 2016 in the field Anno. The certification will load automatically
61. "New Zealand single certifications – Twenty One Pilots – Heathens". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
62. "British single certifications – Twenty One Pilots – Heathens". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 25, 2016. Enter Heathens in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
63. "American single certifications – Twenty One Pilots – Heathens". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 26, 2016. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH