If you’ve been on the internet the past few years, you might’ve heard about the eccentric alternative indie artist Mitski Miyawaki, most well known for her hit songs “Nobody,” “Washing Machine Heart” and “Strawberry Blonde.”
Even if she’s managed to escape your radar on social media, you might’ve heard her song “Francis Forever,” as it was featured on the popular cartoon “Adventure Time,” or her song “My love Mine All Mine,” which managed to reach the Billboard top 100.
On Feb. 27, she released her newest project, Nothing’s About to Happen to Me, a conceptual album that reflected the style of her older songs. With the early release of “Where’s My Phone” and “I’ll Change For You,” fans were raving over the sonic similarities that reminded them of their previous favorite tracks. Mitski has been well known for her artistic vision and relatability.
Her audience has always had a deep love for the vulnerability present in her lyrics. In an interview with Mitski’s creative director, Mary Banas, she mentioned the album revolving around a reclusive woman living inside of a fictional mansion called the Tansy house. Tansy is meant to be in reference to the tansy flower, an insect repellent and plant that is often brewed into tea that causes infertility. The teacups seen in the photoshoots Mitski is posed in are stacked up around her in a chaotic fashion, implying the use of this infertility charm and her loss of sanity.
In Pitchfork’s review of the album, it highlighted the complex themes of loneliness and isolation within the house in which the album takes place. Viewers gave a solid rating of 8.2, while Pitchfork critics gave a 7.7, making it one of her lower-ranking albums next to Laurel Hell, even though they are both ranked relatively high.
So far, “I’ll Change For You” and “If I Leave” have been some of the fan favorites upon release due to the elegance of her words and the graceful instrumentals. This album utilizes plenty of woodwinds and strings, making the sound much lighter than her previous albums, which were most focused on bass and vocals.
Overall, the fans seemed to strongly enjoy the new range of songs within the album, and critics found it to be enjoyable, although weaker than her past music. With her cult following, it’s no wonder the general audience found immediate comfort in her lyrics and sound.
