The Mitski Discography Rate | winner revealed

[DinahLee]

I hate it in here.
Thursday Girl was 11 contender. The way the song just builds an atmosphere, glitch and all (Geyser who?).... I can't even get it right. "Not Happy or Sad \ Just Up or Down \ And always bad" even rhyming Sad & Bad sounds good in here. The Hi-Hat\Drum Pattern that sounds like trying a defibrillation and morse code at same time. It's just out of this world.

For real, it's a song that just hits me on the right way. No joke that it has been one of my main inspirations for my last college project this year. It's the sort of song that makes you see things.

This is also iconic

 

[Coochi]

I'm still surprised that Between The Breaths only made it to #32... I've just been listening to it now and phew, it's honestly such a perfect pop rush! I wonder if it suffered because it's clearly quite different to most (all?) of her other work. To me, if you listen to it outside of the context of the rest of her music, it's a brilliant song. That frantic energy, the hooks, the lyrics, the vocals, the spoken interlude, the sense of building up to that epic last minute. I love it!

 

[fatyoshi]

what will be next?



























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#25 - Drunk Walk Home
8.319

High scores: 10 (@Phonetics Girl), 9.5 (@Cutlery), 9.25 (@aux)
Low scores: 6 (insolentire, @LE0Night), 7 (@ohnostalgia, @Trinu 3.0, @constantino)
fatyoshi's score: 9

Leaderboard trajectory:
5 voters - #26
10 voters - #25 (+1)
Final placement - #25 (=)

Returning to Bury Me at Makeout Creek (for now), our next track stumbles out of the proceedings at number 25. Goodbye to Drunk Walk Home and all of its chaotic glory.

Drunk Walk Home is a relatable one to me on many levels. Experiencing frustration when dealing with societal rule and obligations (capitalism as one example) all the while feeling trapped by it all, is the big one. There's sentiment of realizing/worrying that one may never be "free" of these things but detesting it all the same and more. I've found this as one of the handful of Mitski tracks that really zeroed in on what being a 20 something in the mid/late 2010s was like. Muffy sis, it is a fucking hellscape.

I gave this one a 9. It's not absolute favorite material (so I'm fine to see it go here) but it's a great moment, nonetheless. I love some of the more crunchy/noisy moments from her discography so I especially appreciate some of the live renditions that this saw before the intro got toned down a bit in the later tours. Sometimes you really just need to scream xx

This was one of the most steady songs in the rate in terms of leaderboard placement. It finished near the same spot it started out with (which isn't entirely uncommon for the results so far) but the lack of movement definitely sets it apart. All this did was move up a spot between five and ten voters to be where it left now. We love consistency.

As always, I'll finish up with the commentary. Cutlery gave this a 9.5 and said "An intense experience for sure. She didn’t hold back any note in here and hearing her sing what’s crossing her mind out loud while being left alone on the streets at 3 am yet again… how does she, and her mind, do it and keep doing it time and again?"

constantino gave it a 7 and said "The reliability of her guttural screaming into the abyss for the last 30 seconds of the song !"


​

 

[Cutlery]

Low scores: 6 (insolentire, @LE0Night)

@LE0Night was already on my watchlist, but insolentire, girl, once I find you on any social media IT'S ON SIGHT

 

[DinahLee]

The guy walking out from the back of the stage looking totally "WTF" fdfkfkjfkdsfndjdsvnk

Spoiler: Ain't you that "AAAAAAAAAAAA" bitch?

The way we're still in top25 and I've been suffering. Tryint to see what's left in here because it feels like most of my favs are just buried already dd.

At least this is the first rate my 11 didn't flop around.

 

[fatyoshi]

hmmmm

#24 - Brand New City
8.325

High scores: 10 (me, @Phonetics Girl, @Remorque, @finito)
Low scores: 5 (@Trinu 3.0), 5.5 (@Serg.)
fatyoshi's score: 10

Leaderboard trajectory:
5 voters - #13
10 voters - #19 (-6)
Final placement - #24 (-5)

Well, it's time. At number 24 we say goodbye to our final Lush track with Brand New City. This makes Lush the first album to be eliminated in full.

Our rate continues to have interesting elimination sequencing as I once again see something of a connection between this and Drunk Walk Home. Both songs see frustration with one's current situation and feature abrasive elements (whether it's the vocals or instruments) in the sound. Whereas Drunk Walk Home seems to find catharsis (even if only temporary) in the mess, Brand New City finds itself leaning into pessimism. The line "I should move to a brand new city and teach myself how to die" makes me think of getting a fresh start and attempting to reinvent yourself when moving somewhere else. Granted it isn't that simple in execution but it's easy to say/plan things. Maybe there's some truth to this as Mitski moved around a lot as a child/teen. Or not, it can be interpreted however one wishes and this is just our host filling an elimination post xx

Brand New City is definitely a solid top track for Lush for me. I'd probably rank it below Pearl Diver and Door personally but I know the latter was polarizing (it didn't even grow on me until after I had scored it much lower than I would now) and I may be alone in that sentiment. It seems that on average voters were less here for some of the more noisy/chaotic/abrasive moments compared to the softer ones throughout her discography. This placed pretty high still but it might have been a bit soon, at least for me.

This one got a ton of commentary compared to what we've been working with up until now so I'll finish with that.

Crisp X gave it a 6 and said "The arrangement might leave me cold but damn if "If I gave up on being pretty I wouldn't know how to be alive I should move to a brand new city and teach myself how to die" aren’t gut wrenching lyrics…"

Cutlery with a 9 said "It’s so unquestionably out of place with the rest of the album, even more, it feels unique in her discography? Like there are hints of where she would go in the third album but the bursts of ANGST and existential dread feel unique. Rough around the edges and a bit scrappy, perhaps unintentionally so given the possible limitations at the time the record was made in, but that demo-ish charm hasn't worn off after all the music she's done and explored since then. It's special."

Constantino scored it a 8.5 and said "ENDED Nickleback! A standout from her early discography for sure."

(i'm not sure i can place this comparison?)

and lastly, Remorque handed out a 10 and said "This is such a fucking jam. And the subject matter's something that... kinda hits close to home. I've tried to change my life for the better (still trying dddd), but emotional baggage is something you just can't get rid of."

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I'll share our LUSH recap/stats post in a bit.​

 

[Cutlery]

Oh no, it could've squeezed into the top 20 especially because I don't like Class of 2013, I know I'm alone in this though

 

[fatyoshi]

Lush
7.415

#24 - Brand New City - 8.325
#27 - Liquid Smooth - 8.15
#38 - Pearl Diver - 7.833
#49 - Abbey - 7.333
#50 - Bag of Bones - 7.319
#55 - Wife - 7.225
#57 - Real Men - 7.161
#59 - Eric - 6.875
#61 - Door - 6.517

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High scorers:

@Phonetics Girl - 9.222
@pop3blow2 - 8.478
@ohnostalgia 8.333

Low scorers:

@LE0Night - 5.167
@Euphoria - 6.111
@Cutlery - 6.639

Individual averages:

Spoiler

@Phonetics Girl - 9.222
@pop3blow2 - 8.478
@ohnostalgia - 8.333
@aux - 8.25
@DinahLee - 8.111
@Doenjang - 8.056
@fatyoshi - 7.889
@Remorque - 7.778
@Trinu 3.0 - 7.667
@constantino - 7.222
@Crisp X - 7.167
@Serg. - 7.056
@finito - 7
insolentire - 6.667
@Coochi - 6.667
@Cutlery - 6.639
@Euphoria - 6.111
@LE0Night - 5.167

 

[fatyoshi]

okay, last one for the week. will this be from Puberty 2, Be the Cowboy, or the extras?



















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#23 - A Burning Hill
8.358

High scores: 10 (@Cutlery, @DinahLee, @Doenjang, @LE0Night)
Low scores: 6 (@finito)
fatyoshi's score: 9

Leaderboard trajectory:
5 voters - #22
10 voters - #21 (+1)
Final placement - #23 (-2)

Puberty 2 loses another track at number 23 with A Burning Hill. This leaves Two Slow Dancers and Class of 2013 as the two remaining closing tracks still in the running. I can agree with that.

It fits that A Burning Hill falls out just under ten places after Last Words of a Shooting Star as they can be viewed as something of sibling songs. Beyond the similar instrumentation, we also have some similar songwriting focus. Both songs feature the narrator reflecting on their life or situation at large and the future. In contrast with Shooting Stars' gloomy outlook, I've always seen a still depressing but quiet resignation in A Burning Hill. Self awareness and acknowledgement are a great first step in wanting to make changes but aren't enough by themselves. Sometimes I wonder if the subject of the song followed through on "loving some littler things" among the other things mentioned in the song or not.

23 doesn't seem like too bad of a spot for this one to go out for me. I like the song but it's my least favorite of her album closers which is no great insult really as they're pretty much straight perfect scores (and that's if my 11 isn't lingering in the remaining ones). Mitski closing most of her shows (at least the main set) with a mixture of this, Last Words of a Shooting Star, and/or My Body's Made of Crushed Little Stars was always a moment most pleasing to me.

Cutlery provided our only commentary for this one with a 10.

"Practically a poem, and every line punches just as hard. The white-collar life charged with repressed feelings, dead ends across all aspects of life, rage at some points and our narrator is finally over it, over the expectations, over wanting more, over going out anytime soon, so let’s find comfort in the little things. Perfect closing track to her best album, I believe."





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See y'all next week for another set xx


Oh also... You may have noticed that nobody's lost their top score so far in the entire rate. That's about to change. Better start praying for our 11s.​

 

[Cutlery]

A quotable song if there was any. Fearing for Pink in the Night now!

 

[Phonetics Girl]

Seeing how all my faves are exiting in a row, Pig Wagon must be next in line ":/".

 

[fatyoshi]

":("





















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#22 - Once More to See You
8.406

High scores: 10 (me, @aux, @Euphoria)
Low scores: 5 (@Coochi)
fatyoshi's score: 10

Leaderboard trajectory:
5 voters - #17
10 voters - #24 (-7)
Final placement - #22 (+2)

At number 22 we lose another Puberty 2 track, one which happens to be our hosts joint favorite (the other one is still kicking for now, let me celebrate that) track on the album. Goodbye to Once More to See You.

This one covers a lot of the same ground the rest of Puberty 2 (especially A Loving Feeling) does thematically. What is one to do when their relationship leaves them feeling less fulfilled or more lonely than when they were alone? Once More to See You tackles things in a more subtle way than A Loving Feeling and at times even approaches being sensual? It's definitely the most horny Mitski song if I were to really think about it dddddd.

As previously mentioned, this is tied with a as of yet secret track for my favorite on Puberty 2 so it really burns to see this out now. The placement is respectable and we're at the point where things have to leave and it's gonna suck for almost every elimination but it doesn't make it feel any better. Once More to See You has my second highest playcount out of any Mitski tracks behind only my actual 11. If I didn't choose what I did for my 11 this would've been in the running for sure.

Cutlery sent us some commentary to go with a score of an 8.

"Sappy, but as it hosts beautiful poetic lines such as “If you would let me give you pinky promise kisses / Then I wouldn’t have to scream your name atop of every roof in the city of my heart”, cramming twenty syllables gracefully in this longing for a significant other, I can’t not like it quite a bit. I’ll admit that it’s one of the “safer” (in some ways, like the lowkey production) songs on Puberty but it’s still an 8 given the caliber of the material at hand."





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Looks like our 11s were safe for another day. What about tomorrow?​

 

[Cutlery]

Nn sorry for not loving your fave more!

 

[DinahLee]

Ffs I cannot believe I didn’t give this a 10 while it was under consideration to be my 11. Fuck.

Once More To See You was the official first Mitski song I’ve ever heard I think. It was this or my actual 11, can’t remember. But, still, it was so.. otherworldly? Dreamy? The way it’s just this lonely lullaby, full of longing and reminiscing. The slow drum hit with Organ music... she’s a musician girls.

I probably ended up giving it a 9 because after going full dive, there’s some other songs that are just full 10 and this one got a little worn out, but it will always be a pearl for me. To scream your name atop of every roof in the city of my heart.

just beautiful.

 

[fatyoshi]

":(" again




























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#21 - Old Friend
8.417

High scores: 11 (@pop3blow2), 10 (me, @DinahLee, @aux)
Low scores: 7 (insolentire, @Phonetics Girl, @Cutlery, @Coochi, @Serg., @ohnostalgia)
fatyoshi's score: 10

Leaderboard trajectory:
5 voters - #31
10 voters - #20 (+11)
Final placement - #21 (-1)

The hits keep coming. Next we say goodbye to another Be the Cowboy track and our first 11 in the whole rate. Old Friend is out at number 21.

Diverging from some of her other material Old Friend sees the aftermath of a relationship where things weren't completely mangled and bridges weren't burnt for once. The image of meeting up with an almost lover or ex to catch up while not experiencing sour feelings but having otherwise moved on is definitely affecting. When I listen to this I always think about Chiron meeting with Kevin as an adult after not having seen him since they were teens in Moonlight. Factoring in that and the line "every time I drive through the city where you're from, I squeeze a little" knocking me on my ass every time I hear it makes for one of the standout moments on Be the Cowboy. It's my third favorite behind two of the remaining tracks.

It's a shame to see this out but it had to go sometime. I'm relieved to see that our lowest scores were a set of 7s and nobody gave it a 4 or something. Then there would've been problems. Thankful for our later voters who came in after our earliest ones and gave this the bump it deserves <3.

We got two pieces of commentary for this one.

Cutlery with a 7 said "Very pretty, albeit nothing-y, and y’all should note that the lullaby-ish bells remind me of this alt pop masterpiece."

You didn't link/embed a song so I'm not sure what alt pop masterpiece you were talking about. Please let us know.

Constantino with a 9 said " ‘I wish this song was longer’, part 30. Mitski loves an amuse bouche, doesn’t she?".

Our 11 giver (@pop3blow2) didn't supply any comments but if you have anything to say feel free if you want.

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​

 

[DinahLee]

Everything hurts and I can't keep up so I'll just play Be The Cowbow and cry over here x.

 

[fatyoshi]

Here's our top 20.

Class of 2013

Townie
First Love / Late Spring
Francis Forever
I Will
Carry Me Out

Happy
Fireworks
Your Best American Girl
I Bet on Losing Dogs
My Body's Made of Crushed Little Stars

Geyser
Why Didn't You Stop Me?
A Pearl
Nobody
Pink in the Night
Washing Machine Heart
Two Slow Dancers

Susie Save Your Love (with Allie X)

Cop Car

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How have the results fared for you so far?
What do you want out next?
Anything you wish was still here?
How are you feeling about your 11? (sorry @pop3blow2)​

 

[Cutlery]

Of course my dumb ass would forget to make sure the song linked in the PM. I'm listening to it right now actually. Those bell-like, lullaby worthy, fantasy melodies! Hmmmmmmmm yes.



Love that while 'Old Friend' has this small ascending bit that's a moment in itself, 'n' is all about that descending life. Relatable.

 

[Cutlery]

11 (x1)
10 (x9)
9.5 (x3)
9 (x4)
8.75 (x1)
8.5 (x1)
6 (x1)

Still going strong! I've lost only one 10 ('A Burning Hill') and one 9.5 ('Drunk Walk Home'). I'm confident about my 11, so things are looking really great for me Now watch me lose 5 10's in a row next

 

[pop3blow2]

How are you feeling about your 11? (sorry @pop3blow2)

Oh no. (also I need to get caught up here)

Anyways, I wasn’t completely sure what would get my 11 in this rate. ‘Old Friend’ was a contender, for sure. Ultimately, it’s one of those songs just does a lot of little things well whilst also tapping into a very specific nostalgic feeling.... a feeling that is comforting, but brimmed with sadness & hopes of an emotional ephemeral high that is maybe not for the best in longrun.

The production is perfect. There is almost a cold, dead roller-rink sadness to it. The length is perfect, as the song is almost a fleeting, but repeating thought of the character. It’s certainly a song I could hit repeat on, as it creates its own little world.

And about that world.

I think this might be an odd reference, but two shows I really enjoy are Gilmore Girls & Twin Peaks. On a surface level, they seem pretty far apart, but in many ways they share some quirky dna, Anyways, the first time I heard ‘Old Friend’ my immediate reaction was this sweeping feeling that it’s almost like last little self-contained story on on one those show. Blue Diner just makes me think & feel like I’m in the diner from one those shows. As such, it’s a song I could really hear on a soundtrack for either of those shows. That just highlights how unique and special it is. Sort of a thumbnail sketch, that is actually a masterpiece.