Drag Path

"Drag Path"
Single by Twenty One Pilots
from the album Breach (Digital Remains)
ReleasedFebruary 17, 2026 (2026-02-17)
Length
  • 5:04 (original)
  • 3:44 (single)
Label
SongwriterTyler Joseph
Producers
Twenty One Pilots singles chronology
"City Walls"
(2025) 		"Drag Path"
(2026)
Music video
"Drag Path" on YouTube

"Drag Path" is a song by the American music duo Twenty One Pilots. It was written by frontman Tyler Joseph, who produced it with Paul Meany.[1] First released on September 12, 2025 as part of a limited-time issue of the duo's eighth studio album, Breach (2025), the song was issued as a single on February 17, 2026, via Fueled by Ramen and Atlantic Records.[2] "Drag Path" peaked at number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the duo's third-highest-charting single in the UK, peaking at number 23.

Release and promotion

"Drag Path" initially appeared as a bonus track on Breach (Digital Remains), a limited-time issue of the duo's eighth studio album, Breach (2025).[3] The edition was available for the first week of Breach's release, with a purchase being required to obtain the track, before being delisted.[2][4] Despite this, the song went viral on TikTok, garnering over 1.5 billion views and 75,000 recreations on the platform, compelling the duo to officially release it as a single.[5][6] Upon release, the song was accompanied by an animated music video, directed by Tobias Gundorff Boesen. The duo altered the single version of the song slightly from the original version in an attempt to "save something special for those who purchased it originally."[7][8]

Composition

Lyrics

By definition, a "drag path" is a trail left behind by an object being dragged on the ground. In this song specifically, the term was used to metaphorically refer to a remnant of past trauma or other loss.[9] The song's lyrics are thematically about "the human struggle with mental health, internal demons, and the desire to be seen in one's darkest moments". While there is no direct reference to religion, the song has been described as relating to mental health and Christian faith.[10]

Style

Writing for The Case Western Reserve Observer, Penelope Cloonan noted that the song "packs an emotional punch", containing "raw vocals and grand instrumentation". In comparison between the original and single releases of the song, the single version is shorter and lacks the entire first verse and outro. It also features an additional pre-chorus and additional minor arrangement and production changes.[11] NME has praised the track as "emotional and epic".[12] The single release received mixed reception from audiences: some listeners enjoyed the song, regardless of the edit, while others believed that the original track was "too important" to be left exclusively to those who purchased it originally.[13] It has been observed that "Drag Path" demonstrates atmospheric styles and industrial synthesizers. The song contains a downbeat sound with fluid rhythms. The production style has been noted for its dramatic contrast, beginning tensely and later evolving to become more expansive and layered.[10]

Music video

The music video for "Drag Path" was directed by Tobias Gundorff Boesen and was released alongside the single release of the song on February 17, 2026. The video depicts animated stop-motion characters of clay-constructed animals. It is based on and contains clips from Out of a Forest, a short film by Boesen which was released in 2010.[14]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[1][a]

Twenty One Pilots

  • Tyler Joseph – lead vocals, guitar, bass, piano, keyboards, songwriter, producer
  • Josh Dun – drums, backing vocals

Additional personnel

Charts

Chart performance for "Drag Path"
Chart (2025–2026) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[15] 59
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[16] 44
Canada Hot 100 (Billboard)[17] 42
Czech Republic Singles Digital (ČNS IFPI)[18] 46
Germany (GfK)[19] 80
Global 200 (Billboard)[20] 57
Ireland (IRMA)[21] 25
Lithuania (AGATA)[22] 64
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[23] 84
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[24] 31
Norway (IFPI Norge)[25] 70
Slovakia Singles Digital (ČNS IFPI)[26] 63
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[27] 3
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[28] 62
UK Singles (OCC)[29] 23
US Billboard Hot 100[30] 57
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[31] 20
US Rock & Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[32] 21

Release history

Release history and formats for "Drag Path"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Various September 12, 2025 Digital download Fueled by Ramen [3]
February 17, 2026
Atlantic Records [1]

Notes

  1. ^ Vocals are credited to "twenty one pilots" on streaming services, Joseph and Dun's vocal contributions are according to various news sources.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Drag Path / Twenty One Pilots / Credits". Fueled by Ramen. February 17, 2026. Retrieved February 21, 2026 – via Tidal Music.
  2. ^ a b Vigil, Dom (January 17, 2026). "Twenty One Pilots Release "Drag Path"". Prelude Press. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  3. ^ a b "Breach: Digital Remains". Twenty One Pilots. Archived from the original on September 12, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  4. ^ Johnson, Josh (February 18, 2026). "Twenty One Pilots officially release 'Drag Path' song". ABC Audio. Retrieved February 23, 2026 – via Yahoo! Entertainment.
  5. ^ Stickler, Jon (February 18, 2026). "Twenty One Pilots Release Exclusive Bonus Track Drag Path". Stereoboard. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  6. ^ Garner, Emily (February 17, 2026). "twenty one pilots release exclusive bonus track, Drag Path". Kerrang!. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  7. ^ Avila, Daniela (February 19, 2026). "Twenty One Pilots release fan-favorite 'Drag Path' — with one edit". People. Retrieved February 21, 2026 – via MSN.
  8. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Officially Release Fan Favorite 'Drag Path'". RTT News. February 22, 2026. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
  9. ^ Dwyer, Julia (January 27, 2026). "What Is A Drag Path? The TikTok Trend, Explained". Her Campus. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  10. ^ a b "Meaning of "Drag Path" by Twenty One Pilots". Song Sense. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  11. ^ Cloonan, Penelope (February 20, 2026). "Etched in digital history: Twenty One Pilots releases 'Drag Path' on streaming". The Case Western Reserve Observer. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  12. ^ Skinner, Tony (February 18, 2026). "Twenty One Pilots release cult fan favourite 'Drag Path' as a single". NME. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
  13. ^ Declan, Liz (February 18, 2026). "Twenty One Pilots' Viral Song 'Drag Path; Is Officially Available To Stream, With A Catch". Parade. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  14. ^ Rogers, Jack (February 18, 2026). "Twenty One Pilots Share Poignant Video For New Version Of 'Drag Path'". Rock Sound. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  15. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 2 March 2026". The ARIA Report. No. 1878. Australian Recording Industry Association. March 2, 2026. p. 4.
  16. ^ "Twenty One Pilots – Drag Path" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
  17. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  18. ^ "ČNS IFPI – CZ Singles Digital – Top 100 – 9. týden 2026" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  19. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
  20. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  21. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart on 27/2/2026 – Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
  22. ^ "2026 9-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. February 27, 2026. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
  23. ^ "Twenty One Pilots – Drag Path" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
  24. ^ "Official Top 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. February 27, 2026. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  25. ^ "Singel 2026 uke 09". VG-lista. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
  26. ^ "ČNS IFPI – SK Singles Digital – Top 100 – 9. týden 2026" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  27. ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 9, 2026". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
  28. ^ "Twenty One Pilots – Drag Path". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  29. ^ "Official Singles Chart on 27/2/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
  30. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  31. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  32. ^ "Twenty One Pilots Chart History (Rock & Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2026.
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