Album review: Mitski - 'Nothing's About to Happen to Me'

Words by Owen Cosgrove

If you’ve been seeing an abnormal number of scarved, solemn-faced people around recently, it may not be due to the weather, but to the newest release from indie darling Mitski. February saw the artist release her highly anticipated eighth studio album Nothing’s About to Happen to Me. Fans who lingered until the end credits of her 2025 concert movie Mitski: The Land caught the first teaser of the upcoming album, which melds the rock sound of her earlier work with the model storytelling of her 2023 folk album The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We.

After the commercial success of her love song 'My Love Mine All Mine', which peaked at number 26 on Billboard’s Hot 100, many expected her to continue to write more potential wedding music. However, Nothing’s About to Happen to Me turns on its heels and commits to being a devastating breakup album. Reunited with producer Patrick Hyland, Mitski creates a swingier, narrative-driven rock album; a feat of creativity lacking in the current musical climate. Hyland and Mitski pair a staple rock structure with scatting, and an orchestra arranged and conducted by Drew Erickson. Erickson, best known for his production and songwriting on Lana Del Rey’s 2023 album Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, creates a dynamic soundscape that adds punctuation and emphasis to an already dramatic album.

Each song continues the story of a woman sent into a depressive spiral after a breakup: she only leaves her house to drown her sorrows with alcohol or numb the pain with casual hookups, which she details in the more experimental song 'Rules'. Mitski employs similar emblematic themes from her past work, such as lakes, stars, and her love shining down on the world like the moon's light. Cats, however, are a new addition to the list of symbolism, as featured on the album artwork created by Marc Burckhardt. Our feline friends are most prominently featured on the album's third track, which is aptly titled 'Cats' and sees Mitski compare letting someone leave you to bonding with a cat: the more you want them to pay attention to you, the more they want to escape.

The strongest songs on the album are the two songs released as singles, 'Where’s My Phone?' and 'I’ll Change for You'. Contenders for songs that should be released as the album’s next single are 'If I Leave' or 'That White Cat': the former has that classic Mitski structure of a slow build to a cacophony and screaming, similar to 'Drunk Walk Home' or 'I Will' from her album Bury Me at Makeout Creek. This time around, though, Nothing’s About to Happen to Me comes as a warning from Mitski to herself, to not worry about her emotional state and the naivete of someone about to be left in a relationship. It’s the perfect album for people just getting into Mitski’s music to sink their teeth into.