Music gaining traction in the time of the internet and social media is wildly different from past decades. It doesn’t matter how long ago the track premiered or by what band; once the internet latches on, the song will be given a new life in a new context. Popular alternative pop band Twenty One Pilots is no stranger to viral hits. Since their debut in 2009, the music duo has seen global success within mainstream pop culture, with multiple tracks used in official soundtracks for multiple films and television projects.
That said, recent years have seen their popularity decline amongst the younger crowd and old fans as their music changed. Luckily, the duo would see a resurgence in popularity, but from a relatively elusive track that hardly anyone knew about.
Drag Path is a track from Twenty One Pilots’ limited edition version of their eighth studio album, Breach: Digital Remains. Released in September 2025, the song was only sold for a week before it was pulled. This scarcity left the song relatively unknown to most of the fanbase aside from those who had managed to buy it in time. Regardless, word of the song slowly spread until parts of it eventually ended up on social media sites like TikTok, where it began to be used in edits.
These edits, specifically an edit by TikTok user am_.03_, helped the song go viral and created a popular and tragic trend interpreting the songs relating to the physical marks leading up to loss of all kinds. While there has been a level of pushback towards the song’s rising popularity, its success done far more good than harm. It has created a space for creative works that bring more people in to appreciate the band’s work and other subjects that are enhanced by the use of this song.
While Drag Path wasn’t released with the intention of being a mainstream success, the unintentional aid of the internet has led to the single being one of Twenty One Pilots’ highest-rated songs.
