After her successful seventh album “The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We”, singer-songwriter Mitski would follow up with her eighth album “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me” and it is everything but “Nothing”. Not only did she live up to public excitement after her seventh album hit gold, she created a deeply meaningful story of isolation and true freedom from the eyes of a social outcast living in her cluttered home.
Going into the album, you’re immediately greeted with a melancholic track “In a Lake”. Riddled with metaphors of self-resentment, Mitski explores the idea of living in a lake to escape her past mistakes. It’s deeply relatable, focusing on how some mistakes may haunt you throughout your life by seeing constant reminders in your hometown. Whether it’s mutual friends, past lovers, or even nosey acquaintances, you can feel consistent pressure from your peers.
The second track “Where’s My Phone?” is one of my personal favorites, maintaining a catchy chorus while struggling with self-perception. Using the metaphor of losing your phone, Mitski describes the never-ending need to conform, even at the cost of her own identity.
As she loses grip of herself, this only throws her mental health into a deep spiral. A constant battle within her, the track progressively gets stronger instrumentally and more distorted when she speaks, as she slowly accepts her identity being stripped. In this, you really feel the desperation of trying to fit into a seemingly unaccepting world.
Skipping ahead to track four, my favorite track of the album is “If I Leave”. Following a mentally ill woman and her lover, Mitski weighs her options of either killing herself or staying alive in order to still be loved by her lover. The writing present is hauntingly beautiful, showing how depression may plague your own self-perception even when you feel loved. These are the very few things she gets to hold on to, knowing that someone still cares for her despite the self-hatred she feels.
In tow, she also feels guilty for keeping someone as seemingly wonderful as her partner in this cycle of watching her crumble. The lingering guilt that you feel when going through mental health issues can be a very oppressive, grim reality. This song spoke to me because she emphasizes the need to love while being unable to love yourself.
Immediately following track five “Dead Women”, the tone is slightly different. It’s slower, more dreamlike as Mitski sings about losing her autonomy even in death because of her womanhood, making her demise more palatable for male audiences. She describes how exes will try to control her because they feel entitled to her as former lovers, emphasizing how a gruesome murder could occur and she’d be seen as just a sacrifice.
However it’s not just the meaning that stands out, with the track being melodically interesting. Mitski had this song use violins and organs, and paired it with steel guitars and electric pianos. It’s dreamlike, yet powerful enough to help convey the message of losing yourself to an oppressive society.
My final favorite track “That White Cat” takes a different tone. Rebellious, Mitski describes her frustration with constantly being used while being unable to speak up for herself, being backed by strong drumming and even stronger guitars. She’s in a battle with a white cat, who has claimed her house as his because he doesn’t care that it’s her property. Despite being used, she doesn’t stand up for herself. While fun, it shows the frustrating life of a people pleaser and how far you’re willing to go to avoid conflict.
Mitski’s new album is a thrill ride, depicting these very real subjects of isolation while mixing in the amazing vocal skills of Mitski. She, as per usual, lives up to the expectations of producing a great album that will make you laugh and cry.
You really feel for the protagonist of this album, witnessing her desperately try to be herself while feeling the need to truly be alone because no one seemingly understands her. Even the metaphor of cats taking over her life can apply to so many circumstances the average person may face.
