On Feb. 27, Indie singer-songwriter Mitski dropped her highly anticipated album “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me” making it her eighth studio album. The lead single for her album, “Where’s my Phone?” has accumulated over 10 million streams since its release, with 2 million streams in just the first few days. Mitski’s soft, feminine voice has a chilling similarity to Hope Sandoval from the band, Mazzy Star, with soft-spoken, almost whispered vocals and an atmosphere that feels weightless and dreamy. “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me” blends melancholic rock with dreamy bedroom pop that Mitski fans, new or old, will always appreciate.
Lyrically, “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me” explores topics that Mitski fans are bound to recognize: loneliness, identity, longing and the feeling of not wanting to grow up. Instead of heartbreak or a dramatic confession, many songs focus on numbness and anticipation, like her track “Cats” which explores the idea of being left alone without any connection to a person or group of people, looking instead to the comfort of animals. The first track, “In a Lake,” reflects the consequences of being trapped as the person you used to be. Mitski uses a small town as a metaphor for the feeling of never escaping one’s identity. Most of the album explores the emotional troubles that come with ending a relationship, with songs like “If I leave,” “Dead Women,” and “Rules” all revolving around tragedy striking a relationship. These themes are parralell to Mitski’s other music, like her songs “Washing Machine Heart,” “First Love/Late Spring” and “Liquid Smooth” from previous albums. But this album also feels rich with new ideas and creativity.
“Mitski’s new album is amazing! I’ve been a die hard fan since 2018 and I’m really glad she brought back some of the instrumental elements she had throughout her past albums,” Lila Smittle, a sophomore at HBHS said. “She’s such an inspiration to me as an artist and I love picking apart the details of each song. My favorite is definitely ‘Dead Women’ since I’m especially drawn to the melancholic ghostly lyrics she uses.”
“Nothing’s About to Happen to Me” is a deep-cut personal album, often times leaving listeners feeling deeply and emotionally moved. Its lyrics feel more like diary entries rather than songs off of a record.
Many fans have found her storytelling to be relatable, especially considering Mitski’s background as a woman of color.
“Her way of telling the stories of minorities is really refreshing,” Hope Angulo, a senior at Marina high school said. “Especially mixed with her experience as a woman. I feel like you never see real discussions on non-white women’s struggles in mainstream music and her being in that category is such a huge step for women like myself.”
This isn’t necessarily new for Mitski fans who have been around since “Lush.” Mitski is an artist that has been consistently writing songs from her point of view as a Japanese-American woman.
“I think her music is so genuinely beautiful, and there’s nothing like it that you just can’t feel with your soul, you know?” Smittle continues. “ I was so excited about this album and I’m glad it turned out how it did.”
The album’s closing song “Lightning” is a gut-punching song about moving on and the narrator’s wish for a peaceful afterlife after her death. It’s a quiet ending to an even quieter album that speaks more words than those written in the songs. Though it’s a short ending to the album, it isn’t to be taken lightly.
From her indie sound of her first album “Lush” to her internet-famous “Be the Cowboy,” Mitski delivers a refreshing and gut-wrenchingly beautiful new perspective that any music enjoyer is sure to love.
