Mitski, ‘The Only Heartbreaker’

[Merlin] Secretly Distribution and Dead Oceans on YouTube

It's been said that self-awareness is the first step toward personal growth, but no one mentions how undertaking said step invites unshakeable pain, a type you can't move past. Mitski, however, revels in being a guilty party. Her latest single "The Only Heartbreaker," co-written with Semisonic's Dan Wilson and released today alongside an announcement of her forthcoming sixth studio album, Laurel Hell, enlists an '80s sound in classic "Take On Me"-style that emphasizes the histrionics of intentionally sabotaging something or someone. Simple in its attempt to process the dreadful stomach-pit feeling of being the only passionate one in a relationship — even if it means knowingly invoking pain — "The Only Heartbreaker" succeeds in its sing(or scream at the top of your lungs)-along potential and aching honesty.

◈ Stream "The Only Heartbreaker" by Mitski

▶ Watch Mitski's Tiny Desk concert

◈ Read an essay on why NPR considers Mitski this century's poet laureate of young adulthood

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