Mitski
Nobody
Dead Oceans
Ever the queen of clear, straightforward indie pop, Mitski has provided another shining example of what she does best on her latest single Nobody, off upcoming fifth album Be The Cowboy (out August 17).
Nobody is a self-deprecating three-minute track of lament and woe. Mitski proclaims her loneliness amongst a backdrop of dancey piano which builds in intensity as the song progresses. The emotion in her words follows suit, with the titular word repeated in strains of desperation by the song’s conclusion.
Mitski has talked about the song’s genesis in a Kuala Lumpur apartment as she mulled over her solitude. The song is almost melodramatic in its composure, to the point where it wouldn’t be crazy to wonder if it’s a parody of sorts. In the video, however, she confirms the legitimacy of her emotions. It is not an embarrassing song, it is real, in the sense that it feels written on a whim; in the depths of despair with lashes of real melancholy dashed throughout. There is nothing fake or overwritten about Nobody; it is genuine.
Lyrics such as “I’ve been big and small… and still nobody wants me” hit home in that she has changed both physically and emotionally, with no apparent changes to her desirability. The track keeps the listener engaged with its intriguing juxtaposition between sound and words from the moment it begins to its ending.
Mitski’s enduring hype over the past few years has been well-deserved, and it appears it will not wane for the her most anticipated album to date, Be The Cowboy.
ELOISE PARKS
