Everyone

Album: Laurel Hell (2022)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In this minimal synth track, Mitski recalls the sacrifices she had to make during her rise to fame and the naysayers who tried to dissuade her from pursuing her dream. But the song is really about making a connection.

    "It's basically my one shot at truly connecting with the listener and expressing myself to this person who hopefully will connect," the singer told Pitchfork. "And I'm trying to give everything I have, so that I can get my feeling to that person."
  • Mitski took sonic inspiration from Beak, an electronic group from the UK co-founded by Geoff Barrow of Portishead. "I drew inspiration from how a lot of their production is very minimal, but it still feels significant and emotional, and it works," she explained.

    "I wrote this song when I didn't have an instrument around, so it was just me singing to myself. And so I wrote the words in the vocal melody. I think I got too used to not having any accompaniment 'cause when I tried to add chords to it or I tried to add accompaniment to it, nothing was satisfying. And so I finally just decided that I should allow it to be this minimal thing with just a simple beat and a few notes on synthesizer, and call it a day."
  • After the strain of touring and popping out albums became too much for her, Mitski nearly called it quits on her music career, with her 2019 show in Central Park being her purported last performance. Shortly after, she regretted the decision and got to work on her sixth album, Laurel Hell.

    She described the synth-heavy collection as "a soundtrack for transformation, a map to the place where vulnerability and resilience, sorrow and delight, error and transcendence can all sit within our humanity, can all be seen as worthy of acknowledgment, and ultimately, love."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jon Foreman of Switchfoot

Jon Foreman of SwitchfootSongwriter Interviews

Switchfoot's frontman and main songwriter on what inspires the songs and how he got the freedom to say exactly what he means.

Bands Named After Real People (Who Aren't In The Band)

Bands Named After Real People (Who Aren't In The Band)Song Writing

How a gym teacher, a janitor, and a junkie became part of some very famous band names.

Tony Joe White

Tony Joe WhiteSongwriter Interviews

The writer of "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "Polk Salad Annie" explains how he cooks up his Louisiana swamp rock.

Cheerleaders In Music Videos

Cheerleaders In Music VideosSong Writing

It started with a bouncy MTV classic. Nirvana and MCR made them scary, then Gwen, Avril and Madonna put on the pom poms.

Spooner Oldham

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."

Into The Great Wide Open: Made-up Musicians

Into The Great Wide Open: Made-up MusiciansSong Writing

Eddie (played by Johnny Depp in the video) found fame fleeting, but Chuck Berry's made-up musician fared better.