Mitski, one of the most prolific Asian American artists in the scene today, had been MIA since her 2018 album “Be The Cowboy.” Working on some soundtracks and small projects during her social media break, some fans thought she might never come back. 

Her surprise single, “Working for the Knife,” showcases her brilliant songwriting, with influences from XIU XIU which reminds me of when she made “Between the Breaths” with them for the “How to Talk to Girls at Parties” soundtrack. Mitski is more popular than ever, with her song “Nobody” blowing up on TikTok, a sad reminder of how good art is appropriated for cheap jokes. 

Almost all of her tour dates have sold out. From seeing Mitski twice, once on her “Be the Cowboy” tour, and a year prior when she opened for Lorde with “Run the Jewels,” I can wholeheartedly say that seeing Mitski live is worth the tears you will shed when she does songs from “Puberty 2.”

Lana del Rey’s long-awaited delayed album, “Blue Banisters,” came out on the 22nd of October. After criticism on original album art, multiple delays, ultimately ending in Lana deleting her social media, this album snuck up on everyone. They say artists usually make only one good record, and this is not her best work. It is too sentimental and strays too far from what fans expect of her. 

Big Thief’s new EP, “Change,” is a perfect example of Adrianne Lenker’s hold on the folk-rock genre. With four songs, “Change” is the perfect thing to put on during your commute. It is an autumn essential. 

Phoebe Bridgers’ cover of  Bo Burnham’s “That Funny Feeling”  came out on October 4 and has left me wondering if she will ever be able to make something that isn’t slightly depressing. If I wanted to be depressed, I would at least listen to Lucy Dacus’s sad girl essential “Historian.” Bridgers’ single is fine but sounds like everything else she has made since “Motion Sickness.” As someone who used to like Bridgers before “Punisher,” I would recommend anyone stuck on her music to move on to her side projects like Boy Genius or Better Oblivion Community Center. Her strengths come out when working with others, and make her solo work seem like a TikTok trend that is months old, which it really is. The best part of the song is the ending, and I don’t mean this in a critical way. If the entire song was like the end, it might earn a spot on my playlist. The horns at the end are nice, and remind me a bit of “Kyoto,” but with the strings from “Graceland Too”, one of the best songs on “Punisher.”