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I created this ‘ideal America.’ Finally I came to the U.S. and realised, ‘Oh, I don’t belong here, either.’

Mitski

I wanted to take up guitar because playing piano is a little harder. Carrying a keyboard around is harder, and finding a real piano is much harder, and I wanted to play live more, so I figured a guitar would be easier to carry around.
MITSKI

Around Carry Figure Find Guitar Harder Keyboard Litle Music Piano Real Take Want
With solo shows, you have complete control over the set list. If you feel like you want to do something different or do a new song, you can just work it in. You can talk to the audience or not talk to the audience. There’s nothing that’s set.
MITSKI

Completer Control List Over Set Show Solo
People started calling me that, and I started being treated in a specific way.
MITSKI

Being Call People Specific Start Treat Way
I was a film major because, for some reason, I thought that that was a creative job that had more job opportunities. I don’t know what logic I was following, but that was my impression at the time.
MITSKI

Creative Film Job Major More Opportunity Reason Some Thought
It would actually feel forced or unnatural to try to do a different singing style or to try to change my sound completely.
MITSKI

Actually Change Compeletely Different Feel Force Sing Sound Style Unnatural
I’ve been asked whether I have a hobby, and have felt strangely offended that anyone would assume I have the time.
MITSKI

Anyone Ask Assume Been Hobby Offend Strangely Time Whether
I don’t want to be elitist.
MITSKI

Be Elitist Want To
I’ve stopped wanting a home, I think, because I’ve been on tour all my life, basically.
MITSKI

Basically Been Home Life Stop Think Tour Want
What I have a problem with is when it becomes another form of tokenization, of shrinking me into a symbol instead of a multilayered, female Asian artist.
MITSKI

Another Female Mukttilayer Problem Sgrink Symbol Token
Oftentimes, the most important decisions I make are the ones I don’t put much thought into.
MITSKI

Decision Important Into Make Most Much Often One Put Times
If I ever found a place where I belonged, that in itself would be an identity crisis to me.
MITSKI

Belong Crisis Even Found Identity Itself Place
In my first few years of being in New York, I had a major identity crisis because I’d never stayed in one place for so long.
MITSKI

Being Country Crisis First Few Identity Long Major never One Place Stay Year
When you are a minority, it’s your job to bend, and when you love someone, you really want to make it work.
MITSKI

Bend Job Love Make Minority Really Someone Want Work
I think it’s our responsibility as artists to not only fight for our art but fight for the communities that are the reason we’re able to continue making art, especially since, in Brooklyn’s case, we as artists somehow made it ‘cool’ enough for the bigger money-making industries to start taking over.
MITSKI

Able Artist Communities Fight Our Reason Responsibility Think
Being an outsider at all times is both unhealthy and useful, because you become much more objective about things.
MITSKI

All Become Being Bought More Objective Outsider Thing Time Unhealthy Useful
I can’t read in a car, because I’ll get sick. It’s almost instant.
MITSKI

Almost Can Car Get Infant Read Sick
Then you start to realise, ‘Oh, I’m bending a lot,’ and they’re just standing there existing, and I’m bending around them. But you can’t blame them: they don’t realise it; that’s just how they already existed. It’s hard.
MITSKI

Already Balme Bend Around Exist Hard Lot Realise Start
I’ve been very careful to always make clear that I am a real person. That’s why I’m on social media a lot.
MITSKI

Been Careful Clear Lit Make Media Person Real Social Very
I think your ego gets in the way of making something good because it kind of blinds you from the actual art.
MITSKI

Actual Art Blind Ego Get Kind Make Something Think Way
There’s this myth that women are supposed to compete with each other or something, or we’re supposed to hate each other, and that’s totally not productive.
MITSKI

Completer Each Other Hate Myth Owen Something Suppose
Things seem to take so much longer for me to do. I have to say things 10 times instead of once. I have to knock on 10 different doors instead of two. For everything.
MITSKI

Everything Haven Ten Instead Knock Once Seem Thing Time
It’s nice to know there’s a big world with many perspectives. I tend to get so stuck in my own small world easily, and going out into the world reminds me that I’m not the center of the world – in a good way.
MITSKI

Any Big Easily Get Go Know Nice Own Perspective Small Stuck Tend To World
Often I’ve had problems automatically bending to a lover’s will, becoming what I know they want me to be. Immediately, I learn all the music they love, listen to it, study it, instead of being like, ‘This is what I love!’
MITSKI

Automatical Become Bend Immediately Lover Often Problem Want
I think growing up the way I did has made me a lot more objective, and that’s important in the process of writing and trying to look at subjective matter that way.
MITSKI

Grow Important Made Matter More Objective Process Subjective Think Try Way
I think music is supposed to be shared.
MITSKI

Music Share Suppose Think
I didn’t fit in anywhere when I grew up, but I was always American, so to survive,
MITSKI

Always Anywhere Country Fit Grew Survive Up
I have my privileges, but I do feel like at every turn there is such resistance.
MITSKI

Every Feel Privilege Resistance Such Turn

I created this ‘ideal America.’ Finally I came to the U.S. and realised, ‘Oh, I don’t belong here, either.’

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I created this ‘ideal America.’ Finally I came to the U.S. and realised, ‘Oh, I don’t belong here, either.’

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Popular Authors

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