By: Hayley Strahs

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On Sept. 15, singer-songwriter Mitski released her seventh album, The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We. Mitski initially gained popularity for her hit album Be The Cowboy, specifically for the songs “Nobody” and “Washing Machine Heart.” In 2019, during her show in Central Park, Mitski told her fans that she was going on an indefinite hiatus, which she later broke in 2022 with the release of her album Laurel Hell. However, Mitski faced many difficulties while recording and releasing Laurel Hell. She told BBC News that recording the album was “terrible. Absolutely terrible. It’s like, ‘Oh Jesus, here we go again.’ I thought I was having fun and now it’s no fun anymore.” However, much to the surprise of her fans, Mitski is back, and more than ready to re-enter the music world.

On Jul. 23, 2023, Mitski wiped all of her social media and sent out a voice memo announcing The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, as well as its first single, “Bug Like an Angel.” The next day, she posted a video announcement to Instagram (@mitskileaks), that garnered 744,000 likes. Fan reactions to “Bug Like an Angel,” as well as “Star” and “Heaven,” the album’s other two singles, have been generally positive, in contrast to initial reactions to Laurel Hell.

Unlike Mitski’s other recent works, The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We utilizes acoustic guitar, choral background vocals, organ, and piano for a warm, intimate feel. Since her debut album’s release, Mitski has followed a pattern in which every two albums she releases have different styles. Between her first two albums’ dissonant and odd vocals, her second era’s garage-style electric guitar, and Be the Cowboy and Laurel Hell’s characteristic upbeat synth, The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We marks the start of a new, acoustic-filled era of Mitski’s music.

Since the album’s release, the song “My Love Mine All Mine” has become a fan favorite on Tik Tok, with thousands of users featuring the song in their videos. Instrument-wise, the song is very simple, featuring basic, slow chords on the electric guitar and piano and a steady drum beat. Vocally, Mitski shines with unique background vocals and lyrics that detail the narrator’s letter to the moon, stating “nothing in the world belongs to me / But my love, mine, all mine, all mine.” 

Following the release of the album, Mitski announced a short tour of North America and Europe consisting of ten shows in total. Rather than a concert, Mitski is advertising the tour as a series of “intimate, acoustic performances” and performing in smaller venues than her previous headline tours. The singer is only performing four shows in North America, where most of her fans reside, leading many fans to predict a larger, more widespread tour across the Americas and parts of Asia that could be in the works for 2024.

(Sources: BBC, NME, Stereogum, Genius)