After her last release three years ago, Mitski began teasing her latest album on Instagram through cryptic messages. Amongst speculation, she would later announce her eighth studio album, “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me,” with the release of the first single of the album. The full album would then be released Feb. 27.
The album is something similar to her sound when she first started. While she originally went for a rock sound, she ultimately stripped it down to make it more Americana. Additionally, for this album, Mitski created a world to highlight themes of isolation and wanting to be free. She created a universe as if she were living alone, wanting nothing to do with the rest of society.
For many students at Mizzou, moving to a large university was a huge step in their lives. The song “In a Lake” illustrates how Mitski wants to live in a big city so she can restart, which can be seen as a parallel to college being the start of a new chapter for many. The song starts calmer, almost as if she is in a small town. Later, you get to hear the sounds of a bustling city, where she finally escaped the small town to start over.
Within “Instead of Here”, Mitski dreams of going to a place where she can be by herself and not be judged. In college, there are times when students find themselves wanting to hide from society so they can have time to themselves. For many, college is socially taxing. Students may feel like it’s necessary to detach themselves from society and recharge their social batteries, so the societal pressures that Mitski touches on throughout this song can truly resonate with many college students.
These songs, however, are juxtaposed with “If I Leave” and “Rules,” as she begins to crave validation from someone other than herself, going so far as to change herself to please them. At times, people try to change themselves to fit in with their surroundings.
The album also explores mortality, specifically for women. In “Dead Women,” the lyrics discuss how women will be portrayed after their death. Mitski looks on to see if someone will twist the narrative on her life and make her into what society wants a woman to be. Even in death, she has to face societal pressures.
As the album transitions into the closing track, “Lightning,” the character Mitski created has passed on and is looking to be reborn as the rain. While the album name suggests nothing will happen to her, she knows that death is coming. She wants to return to the world to see it again from the eyes of another life form.
Overall, “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me” dives deeply into meaning, going from the main subject of loneliness to growing into the desire to please someone and the concept of mortality. The character Mitski created reflects on her life and her desire to be free from society’s expectations. The instrumentals and Mitski’s vocal and writing talent created an album that is an essential listening experience.
