Mitski shares new single ‘Bug Like an Angel’
Earlier this week, Mitski announced her new album The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We and she’s now released the lead single for the record, ‘Bug Like an Angel’.
‘Bug Like an Angel’ begins with soft, simplistic acoustic guitar strums as Mitski sings, “There’s a bug like an angel stuck to the bottom of my glass with a little bit left”. In true Mitski style, the track moves from mundane imagery to contemplate much deeper themes.
She goes on to speak of loneliness and comfort, singing, “As I got older, I learned I’m a drinker, sometimes a drink feels like family”. Layered vocals repeat the word “family”, and the guitar is joined by soft synths. It’s an emotional track, only enhanced by gorgeous harmonies and minimal instrumentation.
The track is accompanied by a music video directed by Noel Paul, which follows a dimly lit drunk woman stumbling down a road. A choir, including Mitski herself, sing beside her and help her up when she falls.
The album release date has also now been announced, with The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We due to land on Friday, September 15th. Recorded between the Bomb Shelter in Nashville and Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles, it features a full orchestra and choir and takes influence from the likes of Ennio Morricone and Arthur Russell.
On the album, Mitski shared, “This is my most American album”. She continued, “The best thing I ever did in my life was to love people, I wish I could leave behind all the love I have, after I die, so that I can shine all this goodness, all this good love that I’ve created onto other people.” With the record, she hopes to make this mark through her music.
The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We will mark Mitski’s seventh studio album, following on from the success of Laurel Hell last year, which became her biggest-selling album in America.
Watch the video for Mitski’s new single, ‘Bug Like an Angel’, below.
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