Photo courtesy of sophomore Erika Spargo

  Japanese American singer Mitski released her latest single, titled “Working for the Knife”, on October 5.

  Fans were especially excited for this, because she announced in summer 2019 that she would be taking a break from performing and producing music. Now, she is back, and possibly better than ever. Students at San Luis Obispo High School are happy about her comeback. 

  “I’m really glad that Mitski is back to making songs, and I know that many other fans have been waiting a long time for more content,” said junior Holly Latuska.

  “Working for the Knife” describes Mitski’s experiences of trying to create pure content, but that idea being crushed by the harsh reality of society. 

  Her common metaphorical device throughout the song is the knife, which symbolizes everything that traps her– her own standards, the expectations of others, and societal norms. The knife can be cruel when it wants to, but it can also be the reason for her to live. Either way, twisting it doesn’t make it hurt any less. 

  The song has a catchy guitar riff layered over twinkling piano notes, making it the perfect listen.

  Mitski’s lyrics are by far the most powerful aspect of the song. They are extremely relatable and tell the story of wanting to explore your passions but not having the ability to, and feeling envious of those who have the means to pursue their aspirations.

  Another aspect of the song that many fans have noticed is the lyric in the fourth verse that says, “Now at twenty-nine.” Some speculate that since Mitski is currently thirty one years old, she could be hinting at the release of a new album because many believe that she wrote the song, along with possibly many others, during early 2020. 

  Whether this is true or not, “Working for the Knife” is a worthy listen.