From the first moments I heard the album “Bury Me At Makeout Creek” a few weeks ago, I was completely entranced by the Japanese-American artist known as Mitski. Although the music quickly turned from something sad and comfortable into something much more angry and aggressive, somewhat out of my comfort zone, the pure energy and skill in the music drew me in.
There is so much to be impressed by when it comes to Mitski: her exceptionally clear and controlled voice, her relatable and straightforward lyrics that hold impressive depth, and the feminist message in both her music and her interviews. As a Japanese-American woman producing Indie-Rock music, a genre that tends to have a large percentage of male artists, Mitski has a lot of room to make a statement. Her song “Your Best American Girl” from her most recent album, “Puberty 2,” discusses race issues, while also being filled with the same stark musicianship as the rest of her music.
The main reason I love Mitski is because her lyrics are never apologetic. She lives her life and knows she makes mistakes and sometimes ends up hurt, but she is aware that she is only human.
In the song, “First Love / Late Spring,” Mitski expresses the fear of being vulnerable enough to fall in love. Her lyrics, “one word from you and I would jump off of this ledge I’m on baby / tell me ‘don’t,’ so I can crawl back in,” paint the image of being so close to admitting how much someone means to you, but wanting desperately to in order to return to safety. With incredible skill and precision Mitski is able to describe a complicated and universal emotional experience. She continues with the lyrics, “and I was so young when I behaved twenty five / yet now I find I’ve grown into a tall child,” sharing how the vulnerability of love resembles the vulnerability of youth.
While Mitski gives a strong feminist message in her lyrics/attitude and at the same time expresses her experience as a Japanese-American, she said in an interview that she hated being viewed as a role-model simply because of being a public figure. In an interview with The Creative Independent, Mitski shared, “I’m not trained in politics. I don’t always know the right thing to do. Sometimes I say the wrong thing. I don’t want to be a role model, because I might do the wrong thing.” At the same time, this doesn’t stop her from tweeting about political stances on her twitter. It appears the spotlight does little to lessen her passion.
As a young female artist, Mitski does a lot to share her emotions expertly. And although Mitski’s music isn’t mainstream, she has a message many can relate to. Her rawness will draw you in, but just a warning: it might not let go.