You are formidable to me
'Cause you seem to know it, where you wanna go
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll follow you
But you should know I might be cynical towards you
But I just can't believe that I'm for you
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I can die with you
Just let me know
(Yeah, yeah)
[Verse 1]
And I know that we just met
But could you take me everywhere you've ever been?
I wanna see it all, no surprises
Yeah
[Chorus]
You are formidable to me
'Cause you seem to know it, where you wanna go
Yeah, yeah, yеah, I'll follow you
But you should know I might be clinical, don't you tell
I won't break your hеart if you can break my spell
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I can die with you
Just let me know
[Verse 2]
Fast-forward thirteen years now
Don't know what it was, but somehow, we played it out in reverse
I'm afraid of you now, more than I was at first
And I know you just left
But can I take you everywhere we've ever been?
I wanna see it all, no surprises, yeah
You are formidable to me
'Cause you seem to know it, where you wanna go
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll follow you
But you should know I might be cynical towards you
I'm just worried my loyalty will bore you
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I can die with you
Just let me know
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I can die with you
Just let me know
About
“Formidable” is a humbling, heartfelt letter from Tyler to his wife Jenna. As her favorite song from Scaled And Icy, “Formidable” captures Tyler’s reverence for and intimacy with Jenna, and the emotional depths of their marital relationship. Previously, “Tear in My Heart” focused on the intensity of Jenna’s support for Tyler in his battle against Blurryface, or depression, and he reciprocated her fervor in “Smithereens.” Both these songs, in addition to “Level of Concern,” deal with the actions each other take for each other out of love while “Formidable” hones in specifically on the emotional attachment that has strengthened over time since they first met. The heartfelt message is paired with a progressive rhythm, almost isolating the vocals and drums during the verses, to capitalize on the pair’s relationship.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
After months of speculation, Tyler revealed his wife Jenna as the person the song is about.
I’m actually talking about my wife Jenna. (Smile) It’s her favorite from the album. I composed it with my acoustic guitar while thinking of it. I had never written a love song about someone I care so much I imagined hugging them, someone I care so much that she could destroy me at any moment if she wanted it. It’s funny that you ask if it’s about my daughter or my wife because I think she could very well correspond to both, ultimately, to what each represents to me. They are two essential figures in my life.
—Tyler via a translated interview with Charts in France
Additionally, in an interview for MTV Music UK, Tyler chose “Formidable” as the song he’s most proud of “because it’s so different than anything [they]’ve ever done.”
On May 13, 2021, twenty one pilots held a Q&A session called Open Control for ticketholders for their Twenty One Pilots Livestream Experience on May 21. As part of the Q&A, Tyler played a snippet of the song on the ukulele.
He also said he originally wrote “Formidable” on the ukulele but later changed it to the acoustic guitar for the studio recording.
- 1.Good Day
- 2.Choker
- 3.Shy Away
- 4.The Outside
- 5.Saturday
- 8.Formidable
- 9.Bounce Man
- 10.No Chances
- 11.Redecorate
