At the start of the year, Mitski released two songs, “Where’s My Phone?” and “I’ll Change for You.” Those tracks served as the emotional lead singles for her eighth studio album “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me.” After weeks of anticipation, Mitski’s anxiety-inducing, deeply intimate and relatable body of work was finally released.
The atmosphere set by “Where’s My Phone?” and “I’ll Change for You” was just the sample listeners needed to prepare for “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me.” The album starts with “In a Lake,” which is almost folk-sounding, and it talks about never being able to live in a small town because of all the mistakes she has made in her life.
Opening “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me” in this manner immediately establishes its emotional tone. It gives an illusion of a happy song, yet is riddled with lyrics that will make you question your choices and think deeply about where you are in life.
The following three songs, “Cats,” “If I Leave” and “Dead Women” on the album are the most devastating. “Cats” and “If I Leave” follow the same theme of wanting independence, but not being able to leave someone for the fear that no one will ever understand you like that person.
“If I Leave” stands out from the three, largely because of its restraint. The minimal instrumentation allows Mitski’s voice to carry the full emotional weight of the song.
Track five, “Dead Women,” is about women not having the power over their own bodies and stories. After death, the narrative of her life is left to others, and she is no longer able to defend herself.
At the album’s halfway mark, “Instead of Here” brings listeners to new emotional heights. The song follows someone who basks in their own misery, calling these emotions the inevitable and leaning into them rather than trying to fight them off.
Although the lyricism in the song is incredible, it fell flat in terms of production. The production remains steady throughout, never quite building or shifting, which makes it feel reminiscent of her earlier work, “Me and My Husband,” without adding anything fresh.
“I’ll Change for You” follows “Instead of Here.” After hearing it during the album’s pre-release promotional run, it wasn’t my favorite. Same as before, the song remains one-dimensional instrumentally throughout, when a song as relatable as it was could have been more.
The next song on the record is “Rules.” It follows the theme one of her most popular songs from a previous album, “Me and My Husband.” With that said, the older track was better. With a jazzy upbeat backing, its lyrics are contradictory of its sound. This song is the shortest on the album and is repetitive in its lyrics.
Nearing the end of the album, at track number nine, “That White Cat,” falls in the middle ground. It’s both loud and quiet at the same time, with not many other lyrics besides “ya-ya.”
Although there isn’t much to comment on lyrically due to the lack thereof, instrumentally, this track provides enjoyment through its composition. Mitski’s vocals on this track were some of my favorites on the album; the power in her voice was strong.
“Charon’s Obol” pays homage to the Greek deity of Charon, who was said to have ferried souls across the river Styx to the underworld. Obols are ancient coins offered as payment/tribute to Charon for getting their loved ones home to the underworld. It is the longest song, coming in at four minutes.
This track has a melancholy feel, but doesn’t really hit a spot in my favorite songs list. It’s undeniably beautiful, but not one I find myself returning to.
The last track on the album, “Lightning,” ends things with a punch. “Lightning” masterfully mixes all of the emotions of the album into a song. The song was packed with emotion from Mitski and included powerful instrumentals. With the past few songs falling flat for me, this was the ending that was needed to bring it back.
Overall, “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me” is exactly what Mitski has always delivered: songs that sound like poetry with background noise, in the best way possible. Mitski gave an album that started strong in the beginning, left me wanting more in the middle and delivered a strong finish.
Every song had its place on this album and managed to fit many relatable themes into an 11-track album. Although it may not be the best of her releases, “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me” is an album I see people returning to.
