Note: This is my personal opinion, and I took all the photos included in this article :)
At the age of 15, I had yet to discover my own taste in music. Generally, I listened to whatever was on the radio or what my dad played from his speaker. Then, in the midst of the pandemic, while scrolling on Tiktok —as everyone did during that time — I heard a song called “Me and My Husband.” I had never heard a song that intrigued me as much as that song did. I understood the metaphors within it, and the sound moved me. From there, I listened to the whole album that the song is on, Be the Cowboy, and I haven’t been the same since.
I like to call Mitski my founding father because she set the tone for the rest of my music taste. She’s my all-time favorite artist and will always hold a special place in my heart. I saw Mitski in concert in March 2022, and it was an amazing experience. I saw her again in Boston in February. ! For this article, I went back and listened to her whole discography. It was fun rediscovering songs I forgot I loved so much, seeing the connections between songs from different albums, and listening to her progress through each album.
Now, onto a little background on Mitski. Mitski, known for her indie-rock genre music, was born Mitsuki Laycock in Japan on September 27, 1990. After taking her mother’s maiden name, She changed her name to Mitsuki Miyawaki. Mitski moved around a lot in her youth, living in over 13 different countries before settling in America to attend college. She eventually transferred to SUNY Purchase and released her first two albums independently before signing with a label. Her album Be the Cowboy put her on the charts. Now, let’s get into the album ranking!
7. Laurel Hell (2022)
Ranking: 6/10
Sorry Laurel Hell fans—although it has some bangers, lyrically and sound-wise, this is Mitski’s weakest album. It is missing something the rest of her albums have; it seems it was created to be more digestible for her newly found fans. For fans of her older work, Laurel Hell just does not compare. However, I’m not saying it doesn’t have some great songs (my personal favorite from the album is “That’s Our Lamp”). Other good songs include “Should’ve Been Me” and “Everyone.”
6. Lush (2012)
Ranking: 6.5/10
Mitski’s first album was Lush. This one would have been placed higher if it did not contain some weaker songs here and there, and it doesn’t show Mitski’s full range as an artist. That being said, Lush is a classic and shows Mitski at her rawest. This includes beautiful songs such as “Brand New City,” “Bag of Bones,” and “Liquid Smooth.”
5. The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We (2023)
Ranking: 7/10
Mitskis most recent album is a great album, but definitely not her best. This album shows just how far Mitski has come in her career. A lot of the songs on this album have to do with self-love, which is striking compared to her darker previous albums. My Favorite Songs are “Heaven,” “Star,” “I Don’t Like My Mind,” and “I Love Me After You.”
4. Retired from Sad, New Career in Business (2013)
Ranking: 7.5/10
This album tends to fade into the background of the rest of her works, but it is underrated in my opinion. While not her best album, it contains some of Mitski’s strongest vocals. It is also very piano-heavy. My favorite songs include “Square (Solo Piano Version),” “Goodbye, My Danish Sweetheart,” and “Because Dreaming Cost Money, My Dear.”
3. Bury Me at Makeout Creek (2014)
Ranking: 8/10
This album is my favorite. However, I can admit it’s not her best work. Lyrically, this album shines through the others. My favorite songs include “I Don’t Smoke,” “First Love/Late Spring,” “Francis Forever,” and “Jobless Monday.”
2. Be the Cowboy (2018)
Ranking: 9/10
Mitski’s most popular album. From songs like “A Horse Named Cold Air” that call back to her first album Lush, and her most popular songs like “Nobody” and “Washing Machine Heart,” Be The Cowboy is the best Mitski album to listen to if you want to get into her music. This is the album that made me fall in love with Mitski, and it was her first album that truly stood by itself as very different from the rest of her works. My favorite songs include “Come into the Water,” “Lonesome Love,” and “Why Didn’t You Stop Me.”
- Puberty 2 (2016)
Ranking: 10/10
And at number 1: Puberty 2. The production, lyrics, and sound of this album top the rest by a sweeping amount. Puberty 2 has just about all the range Mitski has to offer. It shows off her amazing vocals and her beautiful songwriting perfectly. My favorite songs are “I Bet on Losing Dogs” (my favorite Mitski song of all time), “A Burning Hill,” “Dan the Dancer,” and “Your Best American Girl.”
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