Mitski’s career began while she was a student at SUNY Purchase’s Conservatory of Music, where she self-released her first two piano-based albums, Lush (2012) and Retired from Sad, New Career in Business (2013).
Born in Japan in 1990 to an American father and a Japanese mother, Mitski experienced a nomadic upbringing, living in over 13 countries—including Turkey, China, Malaysia, and the Czech Republic—before settling in New York. This constant movement heavily influenced her art, as she often writes from the perspective of an outsider seeking a sense of belonging. As an Asian-American woman in a predominantly white indie-rock scene, she has frequently spoken about the pressure of representing her community while maintaining her own artistic identity. Mitski
Mitski is frequently associated with "sad girl" music due to her unflinching depictions of anxiety and heartbreak. However, she has often pushed back against being reduced to a meme, emphasizing that her music is a professional craft rather than a mere diary entry. Mitski’s career began while she was a student
She continued to evolve with Puberty 2 (2016) and Be the Cowboy (2018), the latter of which was named Album of the Year by several publications for its cinematic storytelling and exploration of persona. As an Asian-American woman in a predominantly white
Today, Mitski is revered not only for her extraordinary melodies but also for her lyrical precision. Her songs like "My Love Mine All Mine" and "First Love / Late Spring" have found immense popularity on platforms like TikTok, connecting a new generation of listeners to her themes of radical peace and emotional honesty. on something old: a 2020 favorites list, part 2
In 2019, Mitski announced an indefinite hiatus, citing the toll that the music industry and social media had taken on her self-image and mental health. She eventually returned with Laurel Hell (2022) and The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We (2023), continuing to refine her sound while maintaining a strictly private personal life.