It’s been a minute since we’ve been graced with quintessential sad girl music. Phoebe Bridgers hasn’t released a solo album since 2020 and Lucy Dacus’ 2025 album “Forever Is A Feeling” was more joyful than her typical dreary style. Luckily, Mitski has returned with her latest album just in time to drag any melancholy listener considering converting to happier territory right back down.
Released Friday, the indie artist filled “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me” with classic gut-wrenching lyricism. The album vulnerably explores isolation and the slow death of a relationship, narrated from the perspective of a partner desperately hanging on to the last thread of hope. But, while the lyrics certainly soar, the album is sonically lackluster. With an album far too reminiscent of many previous works, especially her 2023 album “The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We,” Mitski shows a resistance to change that unfortunately dampens its impact. Yet, with writing as strong as hers, listeners looking for their fix of doom and gloom are right where they belong.
In “If I Leave,” the lyrics pierce through her signature low bass and slow tempo. She hauntingly sings “If I leave, somebody else will find you / But nobody else could see me / Quite as clearly as you.” She tunes listeners into an unbalanced relationship, with the narrator feeling disposable in a relationship she’s been completely emotionally exposed in. This emotionality is enough to send a listener into a spiral, even without lush instrumentals accompanying it.
But, a few songs simply fail to stand out in any respect. “Instead of Here” again features a snail-paced tempo and eerie vocals, and the lyrics unfortunately repeat the same need for numbness as the lead single, “Where’s My Phone?” Similarly, “Dead Women” falls in the background with frankly forgettable strings and uninspired themes of possession and femininity.
Not every song is a sonic snooze fest, with the record’s second single “I’ll Change For You” adding a refreshing twist to the artist’s usual work. While exploring similar sentiments as “If I Leave” — “How do I let our love die / When you’re the only other keeper / Of my most precious memories?” — she introduces a fun bossa nova groove. Also, sounds of everyday life such as glasses clinking and a woman laughing are interwoven throughout the track, creating a delightful juxtaposition between the soft but danceable vibe and heartbreaking lyrics.
The album reaches its peak on “That White Cat,” which also inspired its cover. At this point in the record, the central relationship has finally reached its end, and this track perfectly encapsulates the subsequent chaos. Soaring over a suspenseful drumline and layered vocals, Mitski allows herself to belt for the first time on the record. While earlier in the album, specifically on “Cats,” her two pets were a source of comfort for the singer, here the animal takes on a different representation: “The white neighbourhood cat marking my house / It’s supposed to be my house / But I guess, according to cats, now it’s his house.” Although her lyricism veers slightly more abstract, the white cat she referenced reflects the artist’s loss of romantic control. While there’s still two more songs after this one on the tracklist, “That White Cat” feels like an exciting and earned culmination of the entire album.
It’s undeniable that “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me” suffers from Mitski’s failure to move outside her comfort zone. After hearing the same dragging beat over and over again, staying awake may prove challenging. However, if you take the album at face value, Mitski’s messaging is as sharp as ever. She definitely knows how to write a harrowing line, and that skill carries her through for now.
Contact Skylar Boilard at [email protected].