Mitski is Back and Expressive as Ever
Mitski is the kind of artist that completely throws themselves into their work. It’s evident in her clever and heartbreaking lyrics. Also in her unconfined, interpretive dancing. And it’s especially evident as she wails wistful lyrics about her mom, dangling her guitar inches from her face. Mitski carries on pursuing her dedication to uninhibited self-expression on her latest track, “Working for the Knife”.
In the Summer of 2019, fresh off her Be The Cowboy tour, Mitski sent fans into a panic when she tweeted the date for her “last show indefinitely.” In a series of since-deleted tweets, she promises fans she isn’t quitting music, but acknowledges her complicated relationship with her craft. She writes, “I sense that if I don’t step away soon, my self-worth/identity will start depending too much on staying in the game.” Now, Mitski is back with a new song, exploring these themes of ambition and desire. But she isn’t singing about her dreams coming true. Rather the painstaking journey to achieving our warped versions of success.
New Sounds, Same Poignant Lyrics
On “Working for the Knife,” Mitski wonders where she went wrong in becoming an adult. She wonders, at what point did the path that has led her to her evolving definition of success leave her feeling so empty? Mitski herself says the song is about, “being confronted with a world that doesn’t seem to recognize your humanity, and seeing no way out of it.” The lush production swells and sinks, with a dark, warm synthesizer, rattling percussion, and a warbling guitar riff. The track’s electro-industrial style differs from her other material, but she instantly makes this sound her own.
There hasn’t been an album announcement just yet, but it seems that we’re getting a sneak peek into the new era of Mitski. In addition to the new single, Mitski announced a 2022 tour. She’ll kick off the tour at the Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina on February 17th and finish with a European leg in May. Watch the video for “Working for the Knife” and check out her tour dates here.
