"Singer Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun paid tribute to fellow duo Meg White and Jack White, who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year. Unfortunately, it seems no one told Joseph that the iconic "Seven Nation Army" riff isn't a bass line, but a guitar part channeled through the sort of technical wizardry that White is famous for."
"With their shredded curtain face masks and that awkward-as-hell top-down camera angle on the final verse, the performance felt more like watching a "cover" than a "tribute" - and there is a difference. It might work fine during Twenty One Pilots' live shows, where they frequently incorporate part of the track, but the energy felt a bit self-indulgent for the occasion."
"Still, "Seven Nation Army" is an iconic song for a reason; its status as a unifying and stadium-rocking anthem was pushed into the Middle Eastern political arena last month when a street performance of "Seven Nation Army" in Tehran, Iran, went viral, even catching the attention of Jack White himself. Earlier this year, The White Stripes' 2003 live performance of the tune on Late Night with Conan O'Brien was converted to HD and posted on O'Brien's official YouTube channel."
Twenty One Pilots performed The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" at the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony as a tribute to Meg and Jack White. The rendition emphasized the riff on fewer strings in a way that downplayed the guitar-driven, effect-heavy source, prompting criticism that the approach felt lazy. Visual choices like shredded curtain face masks and a top-down camera angle contributed to a cover-like presentation that some found self-indulgent for the occasion. "Seven Nation Army" retains iconic stadium-anthem status, recently resurfacing in a viral Tehran street performance that drew Jack White's attention. The White Stripes broke up in 2011; Jack White pursued a solo career while Meg White largely withdrew from public life.
Read at Consequence
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