If we thought Mitski’s “Working for the Knife” video provided a dramatic return for the songwriter, who took a brief hiatus following the release of 2018’s overwhelmingly acclaimed LP Be the Cowboy, nothing could have really prepared us for the level of drama compressed into the three-and-a-half minute visual for the follow-up single “The Only Heartbreaker.” In addition to arriving with the news of a new LP called Laurel Hell that’s slated for release in early 2022, and to introducing a heavy new wave vibe to the release, the “Heartbreaker” visual sees Mitski continuing to interpretive dance to her new music as the fantasy planet she inhabits—Laurel Hell?—goes up in flames.
According to Mitski, the song addresses “the person always messing up in the relationship, the designated Bad Guy who gets the blame. It could simply be about that, but I also wanted to depict something sadder beneath the surface, that maybe the reason you’re always the one making mistakes is because you’re the only one trying.”
“The worst pain I’ve experienced is when I’ve fully understood the pain I’ve caused another,” adds Maegan Houang, who co-directed the visual with Jeff Desom. “It’s one of the hardest parts of being human, that no matter our intentions, we’ll inevitably do something hurtful to our fellow man, if not someone we love. In this case, the harm Mitski enacts in the video is to the world. It’s unstoppable and destructive, but worst of all, she doesn’t even want it to happen. She’s a stand-in for humanity as we collectively do so little to save ourselves and our planet.”
Watch the clip below, and anticipate Laurel Hell out February 4 via Dead Oceans.
