Working for the Knife

Last updated
"Working for the Knife"
Working for the Knife (Mitski).png
Single by Mitski
from the album Laurel Hell
ReleasedOctober 5, 2021 (2021-10-05)
Genre
Length2:38
Label Dead Oceans
Songwriter(s) Mitski Miyawaki
Producer(s) Patrick Hyland
Mitski singles chronology
"The End"
(2021)		"Working for the Knife"
(2021)		"The Only Heartbreaker"
(2021)
Music video
"Working for the Knife" on YouTube

"Working for the Knife" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mitski. It was released on October 5, 2021, through Dead Oceans, making it her first major release since her hiatus following the release of her 2018 studio album Be the Cowboy , and her subsequent tour in 2019. [1] Written by Mitski and produced by her longtime collaborator Patrick Hyland, it is a dark, midtempo rock, and electro-industrial song led by synths and percussion. Lyrically, it revolves around "the knife", a metaphor for the expectations placed on Mitski to continue laboring over her music. [2]

Contents

Upon release, "Working for the Knife" received critical acclaim and peaked at number 27 on Billboard 's Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. The song's Zia Anger-directed music video shows Mitski dancing around in The Egg, a performing venue in Albany, New York, before eventually going on stage, where she dances and writhes around in silence to an empty crowd.

Background and release

"I sense that if I don't step away soon, my self-worth/identity will start depending too much on staying in the game, in the constant churn. I don't want to make art like that, especially when you're offering your valuable time and hearts and money to it."

— Mitski explaining her hiatus on Twitter. [1]

Following the release of her critically acclaimed fifth studio album Be the Cowboy in 2018, Mitski announced in September 2019 that her performance in Central Park (with opening act Lucy Dacus) would be her "last show indefinitely", but that she would not be quitting music. She subsequently took down all of her social media accounts. [3] [4] [5] [2] During her hiatus, she was featured on Allie X's song "Susie Save Your Love" from her 2020 album Cape God , contributed to the song "Cop Car" for the 2020 film The Turning , and released the soundtrack for the 2021 graphic novel This is Where We Fall. [6]

On October 4, 2021, her management posted teasers of a new song on social media, announcing that it would be released the following day. [7] It was released on October 5, 2021, through Dead Oceans. [8] Upon releasing the song, Mitski announced that she would be embarking on a 2022 tour throughout North America and Europe. [9]

Composition

"Working for the Knife" was written by Mitski and produced by Patrick Hyland, whom she has collaborated on every album since Bury Me at Makeout Creek . [8] At around two and a half minutes long, [10] it is a "bleary" and "dark" [8] midtempo rock, [9] [11] electro-industrial, [12] synth-pop, [13] glam rock, [14] and dream pop [15] song with elements of Americana, shoegaze, country, and folk. [16] [17] [18] Its "intricately textured" [3] production is led by synths [19] including a droning synth, [20] a syncopated beat, [2] and "clattering" [3] percussion. The instrumentation also includes piano, a distorted electric guitar riff, acoustic guitar, and horns. [9] [10] In the song, Mitski uses "the knife" as a metaphor for the unattainable expectations placed on her, the inescapable systems that control her life, and the culture of working non-stop cultivated by capitalism. She sings about her anxiety about living her life in the public eye, feeling unfulfilled due to only working for "the knife", struggling not to give up on her creative aspirations, and being worried that no one will relate to her music. [1] [21] [8] [10]

Tatiana Tenreyno of The A.V. Club wrote that "Working for the Knife" represented Mitski's "darker side". [12] Scott Russell of Paste compared the song to "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" by David Bowie. [9] Rolling Stone 's Angie Martoccio considered the song a spiritual successor to Mitski's song "Blue Light" from Be the Cowboy, in which she sings, "Out there I'm a sharp knife/Are you that blue light?" [4]

Critical reception

Marissa Lorusso of NPR called "Working for the Knife" a "powerful entry" into the canon of Mitski's "most compelling songs", and wrote that it was "impressive, but, frankly, unsurprising" that Mitski could "transform a song about feeling hollow and adrift...into something transfixing and staggeringly alive". [2] Clash 's Robin Murray called it a "fantastic return" for Mitski and "a work of supreme confidence". [18] The Fader 's Jordan Darville called the song "a welcome return for Mitski's brand of ennui, compact and literary like a good short story". [17] MTV News's Patrick Hosken wrote that "[Mitski's] power is on full display" in "Working for the Knife", and that she "sings with resolve" and that the lyrics were "extremely real, end-of-your-twenties kind of shit". [11] Abby Jones of Consequence wrote that the song was a "strikingly relevant" critique of "hustle culture" that "offers piercing anecdotes about Mitski's own perceived shortcomings" and has "sweeping, roaring instrumentals". [21]

Writing for the New Statesman , Ellen Peirson-Hagger called it "a powerful, taut ballad that examines how it feels to live in a world that sucks the humanity out of you at every turn", and described her voice on the song as "rich" and "mesmerising". [10] Writing for Slate , Shasha Léonard described the song as "understated", calling its "relative subtlety" "purposeful and powerful" and "emblematic of what continues to lead some listeners to revisit and fall in love with tracks of hers they may have initially dismissed". [22] Vogue 's Emma Specter stated that the song "definitely capture[s] some of the surreality and loneliness that so many of us have felt" during the pandemic, also writing that it "combines [Mitski's] signature mix of lyrical alienation and hope". [19] For Gigwise , Jessie Atkinson called it "grand and spectacularly produced", describing Mitski's vocals as "gorgeous" and her songwriting as "sad but smart". [23] Tatiana Tenreyno of The A.V. Club remarked that, while the song's lyrics were simpler than her "lyrical gut-punches from throughout the years", they "tell so much", and called the song "terrific". [12] Tom Breihan of Stereogum wrote that it "works as oblique glam-rock" and "gives cinematic grandeur" to her anxiety, while Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrote that the song's production "expands into ever-wider spaces. [8] [24] Rolling Stone's Angie Martoccio wrote that Mitski was "sharper and wiser than ever" on the song, adding that it "arrives with the kind of energy that tosses you back in your scarlet theater seat and keeps you nervously eating popcorn". [4]

Rankings

Critical rankings for "Working for the Knife"
PublicationAccoladeRankRef.
Pitchfork The 100 Best Songs of 20217 [25]
NPR Music The 100 Best Songs of 202117 [26]

Music video

The five-minute-long music video for "Working for the Knife" was directed by Zia Anger, with Ashley Connor as its director of photography. It was filmed in The Egg in Albany, New York. [27]

Synopsis

The video begins with a dark, shaky camera shot of Mitski and the sound of heels on concrete. She then enters The Egg on an elevator, wearing a black leather trench coat and a cowboy hat, before taking the hat and trench coat off, underneath which she is wearing a blue silk outfit. She then wanders around the venue alone and does a modern dance routine, which includes her licking a staircase and making exaggerated facial expressions. [10] [8] [9] [4] [17] At the end of the video, after the song ends, Mitski goes on stage and collapses, then thrashes and dances around on stage to an empty crowd in a routine inspired by butoh, at first set to simulated applause and then to silence. [22] [3]

Reception

Pitchfork 's Eric Torres named "Working for the Knife" the best music video of October 2021, writing that her "forcefulness" was "cathartic" and "reveals the intense loneliness that comes with putting your whole self out in front of an audience that’s all too eager to consume every moment". [28] The Fader's Jordan Darville compared the video to that of Fatboy Slim's song "Weapon of Choice", but writing that it had "more emotional depth". [17] Slate 's Shasha Léonard described the video as "haunting, disconcerting, and 100 percent [Mitski]". [22] NPR's Marissa Lorusso wrote that, in the video, Mitski's presence "is both startling and magnetic – particularly in the video's final minute". [2] Rolling Stone's Angie Martoccio referred to the video as "a strangely compelling short film starring a reluctant performer returning to the spotlight". [4] Variety 's Ellise Shafer wrote that "tell[s] the story of an artist exploiting her deepest emotions for the entertainment of others". [29] Kate Brayden of Hot Press described the video as "gritty and beautifully intense", and wrote that Mitski's "dedication to both sonic and physical presentation is on full display". [30] Under the Radar 's Mark Redfern called the video "dramatic". [31]

Charts

Chart performance for "Working for the Knife"
Chart (2021)Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) [32] 21
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [33] 27

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitski</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1990)

Mitsuki Miyawaki, known professionally by her stage name Mitski, is an American singer and songwriter. She self-released her first two albums, Lush (2012), and Retired from Sad, New Career in Business (2013), while studying studio composition at Purchase College's Conservatory of Music. The albums were originally made as her senior project. Her third studio album, Bury Me at Makeout Creek, was released in 2014 on the label Double Double Whammy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phoebe Bridgers</span> American musician (born 1994)

Phoebe Lucille Bridgers is an American singer-songwriter. Her indie folk music typically centers around acoustic guitar and electronic production, with melancholic lyrical themes. She has received four Grammy Awards from eleven nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weyes Blood</span> American musician (born 1988)

Natalie Laura Mering, known professionally as Weyes Blood, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She was primarily raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. She has been performing her own material under variations of the name Weyes Blood since 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese Breakfast</span> American indie pop band

Japanese Breakfast is an American indie pop band headed by musician Michelle Zauner. Zauner started the band as a side project in 2013, when she was leading the Philadelphia-based emo group Little Big League. She has said that she named the band after seeing a GIF of Japanese breakfast and deciding that the term would be considered "exotic" to Americans; she also thought it would make others wonder what a Japanese breakfast consists of.

"Your Best American Girl" is a song by American singer Mitski, from her fourth studio album, Puberty 2 (2016). The song was released on March 1, 2016, as the lead single from the album. It was written by Mitski and produced by Patrick Hyland.

<i>Bury Me at Makeout Creek</i> 2014 studio album by Mitski

Bury Me at Makeout Creek is the third studio album by American indie rock musician Mitski, released through Double Double Whammy on November 11, 2014. The album was written entirely by Mitski, with production handled by Patrick Hyland, who also produced her previous record, Retired from Sad, New Career in Business (2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soccer Mommy</span> American musician (born 1997)

Sophia Regina Allison, better known by her stage name Soccer Mommy, is an American singer-songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clairo</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1998)

Claire Elizabeth Cottrill, known professionally as Clairo, is an American singer-songwriter. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Carlisle, Massachusetts, she began posting music on the internet at age 13.

<i>Be the Cowboy</i> 2018 studio album by Mitski

Be the Cowboy is the fifth studio album by American indie rock musician Mitski, released on August 17, 2018, through Dead Oceans. Produced by longtime collaborator Patrick Hyland, the album widens Mitski's palette with a return to the piano featured on her first two records alongside synthesizers, horns and the guitar that became her signature instrument. Upon its release, Be the Cowboy received widespread acclaim from music critics, who later ranked it among the best albums of 2018. It was preceded by the singles "Geyser", "Nobody", and "Two Slow Dancers". Be the Cowboy was Mitski's first album to chart on the Billboard 200, and also entered the charts in Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geyser (song)</span> 2018 song by Mitski

"Geyser" is a song by American singer Mitski, released on May 14, 2018, as the lead single from her fifth studio album, Be the Cowboy. She performed the song on The Daily Show in September 2018.

Johanna Warren is an American musician, actor and filmmaker. To date she has released seven solo albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nobody (Mitski song)</span> 2018 song by Mitski

"Nobody" is a song by American singer Mitski, released in 2018 as the second single from her fifth studio album, Be the Cowboy. The song was lauded upon its release, with praise going toward's Mitski's lyricism and vocal performance, as well as the production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adrianne Lenker</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1991)

Adrianne Elizabeth Lenker is an American musician. She is the lead vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter of the band Big Thief, as well as an established solo artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Half Waif</span> American singer

Half Waif is the stage name of American musician Nandi Rose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garden Song (Phoebe Bridgers song)</span> 2020 single by Phoebe Bridgers

"Garden Song" is a song by American singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers. It was released through Dead Oceans on February 26, 2020, as the lead single from Bridgers' second studio album, Punisher (2020).

<i>Songs</i> and <i>Instrumentals</i> 2020 studio albums by Adrianne Lenker

Songs and Instrumentals are two studio albums by Adrianne Lenker, both released by 4AD on October 23, 2020. They are her fourth and fifth solo albums, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitski discography</span>

American recording artist Mitski has released seven studio albums, three extended plays, and 23 singles. Mitski's sixth studio album, Laurel Hell, proved to be her most successful album to date, peaking at number 5 on the US Billboard 200. She would follow up with her seventh studio album, The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, which included her most commercially successful single, "My Love Mine All Mine".

<i>Home Video</i> (album) 2021 studio album by Lucy Dacus

Home Video is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus. It was released on June 25, 2021, via Matador. It was promoted by the singles "Thumbs", "Hot & Heavy", "VBS", "Brando", and "Going Going Gone". The album received critical acclaim and placed on many critics' year-end lists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Only Heartbreaker</span> 2021 song by Mitski

"The Only Heartbreaker" is a song by American singer Mitski, released on November 9, 2021 as the second single from her sixth studio album, Laurel Hell. The song was written by Mitski and Dan Wilson. The single became Mitski's first to reach number 1 on the charts, reaching that spot on the US AAA chart.

<i>Laurel Hell</i> 2022 studio album by Mitski

Laurel Hell is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mitski, released on February 4, 2022, through Dead Oceans. Patrick Hyland produced the album, which has been characterized as a record blending synth-pop, indie pop and electronic rock styles. According to Mitski, the album title is a folk term for being trapped in thickets of laurel that grow in the southern Appalachian Mountains.

References

  1. 1 2 3 ""Working For the Knife" by Mitski". Pitchfork. October 5, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Lorusso, Marissa (October 5, 2021). "Mitski, 'Working for the Knife'". NPR . Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Curto, Justin (October 5, 2021). "Mitski Is Still the Cowboy in 'Working for the Knife'". Vulture . Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Martoccio, Angie (October 5, 2021). "Mitski Cuts Sharp and Sure With 'Working for the Knife'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Mitski returns with new track 'Working For The Knife' and announces UK and European tour". NME . October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  6. ↑ Fu, Eddie (October 5, 2021). "Mitski shares new song "Working For the Knife," announces 2022 tour dates". Consequence . Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  7. ↑ Hatfield, Amanda (October 4, 2021). "Mitski teasing a new song". BrooklynVegan . Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rettig, James (October 5, 2021). "Mitski - "Working For The Knife"". Stereogum . Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Russell, Scott (October 4, 2021). "Mitski Shares "Working for the Knife" Video, Announces 2022 Tour". Paste . Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Peirson-Hagger, Ellen (October 5, 2021). "Mitski's "Working For the Knife" is a powerful ballad about the exhaustion of modern life". New Statesman . Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  11. 1 2 Hosken, Patrick (October 5, 2021). "Mitski Makes A Powerful Return (In A Cowboy Hat) In 'Working For The Knife'". MTV News . Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  12. 1 2 3 Tenreyro, Tatiana (October 5, 2021). "A terrific new single welcomes you to Mitski's goth cowboy era". The A.V. Club . Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  13. ↑ Early, JT (February 4, 2022). "Album Review: Mitski – Laurel Hell". Beats Per Minute . Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Magdalena Bay, Mitski, & The Week's Best Songs: Listen". Stereogum . October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  15. ↑ Foulkes, Tilly (February 1, 2022). "Album Review: Mitski - Laurel Hell". Gigwise . Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  16. ↑ Bell, Kaelen (October 5, 2021). "Mitski Returns with New Single "Working for the Knife," Announces Tour". Exclaim! . Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Darville, Jordan (October 5, 2021). "Mitski shares new single "Working for the Knife," announces 2022 tour". The Fader . Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  18. 1 2 Murray, Robin (October 5, 2021). "Mitski's 'Working For The Knife' Is Truly Excellent". Clash . Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  19. 1 2 Specter, Emma (October 5, 2021). "Mitski Just Dropped Her First Music Video in Two Years, and It's Unsurprisingly Perfect". Vogue . Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  20. ↑ Garcia, Thania (October 6, 2021). "Mitski Returns From Hiatus With New Single 'Working for the Knife' & 2022 Tour". Billboard . Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  21. 1 2 Jones, Abby (October 8, 2021). "Song of the Week: Mitski Cuts to the Bone with "Working for the Knife"". Consequence . Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  22. 1 2 3 Léonard, Shasha (October 12, 2021). "Stop Asking Mitski if She's OK". Slate . Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  23. ↑ Atkinson, Jessie (October 5, 2021). "Mitski is back with a bang on 'Working For The Knife'". Gigwise . Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  24. ↑ Pareles, Jon; Caramanica, Jon; Herrera, Isabelia; Russonello, Giovanni (October 8, 2021). "Mitski's Sharp Take on a Creative Life, and 12 More New Songs". The New York Times . Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  25. ↑ Patel, Puja (December 6, 2021). "The 100 Best Songs of 2021". Pitchfork . Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  26. ↑ "NPR Music's 100 Best Songs of 2021, Ranked". NPR . December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  27. ↑ Minsker, Evan (October 5, 2021). "Mitski Announces 2022 Tour, Returns With Video for New Song "Working for the Knife"". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  28. ↑ Torres, Eric (October 29, 2021). "The 6 Best Music Videos of October 2021". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  29. ↑ Shafer, Ellise (October 5, 2021). "Mitski Returns With New Single and North American, European Tour Dates". Variety . Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  30. ↑ Brayden, Kate (October 5, 2021). "Mitski returns with 'Working for the Knife', announces Vicar Street show". Hot Press . Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  31. ↑ Redfern, Mark (October 5, 2021). "Mitski Shares Dramatic Video for New Song "Working for the Knife" and Announces New Tour Dates". Under the Radar . Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  32. ↑ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. October 11, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  33. ↑ "2021-10-16". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.