My Name is Blurryface and I Care What You Think: The Meaning of a Powerful Lyric

Maurice Glaude
3 min readNov 1, 2023
Asian man photo with blurry face
Photo by ariel sion on Unsplash

Twenty One Pilots’ song “Stressed Out” is one of the most popular and relatable songs of our generation. The song’s lyrics speak to the anxiety and pressure that many young people feel, and the chorus features a particularly powerful line: “My name is Blurryface and I care what you think.”

But what does this line really mean?

On one level, Blurryface can be seen as a representation of our own insecurities and self-doubt. It is the part of us that is constantly worried about what other people think of us, and that prevents us from being ourselves.

But Blurryface can also be seen as a broader metaphor for the pressure that society puts on us to conform. It is the voice that tells us that we need to be perfect, that we need to be successful, and that we need to be accepted by others.

The fact that Blurryface “cares what you think” is significant. It shows that he is not a malevolent force, but rather a reflection of our own anxieties and insecurities. He is the part of us that is constantly trying to please others, even at the expense of our own happiness.

My name is Blurryface and I care what you think

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Maurice Glaude

Embracing Life's Limits, Expanding Inner Horizons Connecting deeply, growing authentically, and uncovering happiness within.