Be the Cowboy
Be the Cowboy | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 17, 2018 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 32:28 | |||
Label | Dead Oceans | |||
Producer | Patrick Hyland | |||
Mitski chronology | ||||
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Singles from Be the Cowboy | ||||
Be the Cowboy is the fifth studio album by American indie rock musician Mitski, released on August 17, 2018, through Dead Oceans. Produced by longtime collaborator Patrick Hyland, the album widens Mitski's palette with a return to the piano featured on her first two records alongside synthesizers, horns and the guitar that became her signature instrument.[1][2][3] Upon its release, Be the Cowboy received widespread acclaim from music critics, who later ranked it among the best albums of 2018. It was preceded by the singles "Geyser", "Nobody", and "Two Slow Dancers". Be the Cowboy was Mitski's first album to chart on the Billboard 200, and also entered the charts in Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
Writing and recording
[edit]In a statement, Mitski said she experimented in narrative and fiction for the album, and said she was inspired by "the image of someone alone on a stage, singing solo with a single spotlight trained on them in an otherwise dark room."[4] She recorded the album with longtime producer Patrick Hyland, and stated that "for most of the tracks, we didn't layer the vocals with doubles or harmonies, to achieve that campy 'person singing alone on stage' atmosphere."[5] She also said the album is about her reconnecting with her feelings: "I had been on the road for a long time, which is so isolating, and had to run my own business at the same time. A lot of this record was me not having any feelings, being completely spent but then trying to rally myself and wake up and get back to Mitski."[6]
Composition
[edit]Be The Cowboy has been characterized as a "genre-defying"[7] pop,[8] pop-punk,[9] indie rock,[10] art pop,[11] electrowave,[12] disco,[13] and alt-pop[14] record, with elements of rock, chamber pop, funk, synth-pop, punk, techno-surf, country rock, and Eurodisco.[9][15][16][17][18]
Release and promotion
[edit]The album was made available for pre-order on May 14, 2018, without prior announcement. "Geyser" was released as the lead single from the album on the same day along with a music video directed by Zia Anger, who also directed the music video for "Your Best American Girl" from Puberty 2 (2016).[19] The song was previously performed in 2014 on WNYU Radio and Hampshire College.[20][21] On June 26, Mitski released "Nobody" as the second single alongside a music video directed by Christopher Good which was shot over five days in Kansas City.[22] The third and final single to precede the album, "Two Slow Dancers", was released on August 9.[23]
In support of the album, Mitski embarked on a tour including North American and European legs called Be the Cowboy Tour.[24]
Critical reception
[edit]Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 8.3/10[25] |
Metacritic | 87/100[26] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The A.V. Club | A−[28] |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Mojo | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 8.8/10[32] |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Vice (Expert Witness) | A−[35] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, Be the Cowboy received an average score of 87, based on 30 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[26] Critics praised Mitski's ability to deftly move from the personal lyrics on her previous album Puberty 2 to more conceptual themes. AllMusic writer Marcy Donelson stated that "rather than being a disappointment, Be the Cowboy's point of view provides a brilliant twist, one that channels all the unease, unpredictability, and intuitiveness of Mitski's previous work—even for those who don't take in the lyrics."[27] Laura Snapes similarly commended the album in a review for The Guardian; "Mitski's songwriting trademarks are strong enough to transcend the stylistic revamp – arrangements that are rich without being precious (Pink in the Night), plus her terrifically mordant worldview."[29]
Pitchfork's Quinn Moreland called the album Mitski's greatest to date, stating that "she's never sounded so large, even in the record's quietest moments."[32] Rolling Stone's Will Hermes wrote, "There may be nothing explicitly political in the songs on Be the Cowboy. But there's plenty implicit, from the DIY American mythology of the title, to the way the songs validate voices that are shaky, hurting, irrational, and damaged, while also being smart, wry, powerful, and deserving of love."[18] The A.V. Club critic Katie Rife said, "Although Be The Cowboy sees Mitski fully transformed from her lo-fi beginnings in terms of production, her post-Pixies guitar-rock tendencies still come through strong, albeit now more lush and kaleidoscopic than buzzing and raucous."[28] Sarah Murphy from Exclaim! applauded the album, saying "The album is all the more impressive because her words and music are meticulously calculated, expertly arranged and still filled with feeling."[36]
Accolades
[edit]Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Billboard | 50 Best Albums of 2018 | 11 | [37] |
Consequence of Sound | The Top 50 Albums of 2018 | 1 | [38] |
Entertainment Weekly | 20 Best Albums of 2018 | 4 | [39] |
Flavorwire | The 25 Best Albums of 2018 | 12 | [40] |
Flood Magazine | The Best Albums of 2018 | 1 | [41] |
Fopp | 100 Best Albums of 2018 | 46 | [42] |
The Independent | The 40 Best Albums of 2018 | 24 | [43] |
The Line of Best Fit | The Best Albums of 2018 | 1 | [44] |
The New York Times | The 28 Best Albums of 2018 | 2 | [45] |
Noisey | The 100 Best Albums of 2018 | 34 | [46] |
Now | The 10 Best Albums of 2018 | 5 | [47] |
NPR | The 50 Best Albums of 2018 | 2 | [48] |
Paste | The 50 Best Albums of 2018 | 6 | [49] |
Pitchfork | The 50 Best Albums of 2018 | 1 | [50] |
The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s | 64 | [51] | |
Refinery29 | The 10 Best Albums of 2018 | 8 | [52] |
The Skinny | Top 50 Albums of 2018 | 3 | [53] |
Slant Magazine | The 25 Best Albums of 2018 | 7 | [54] |
Stereogum | The 50 Best Albums of 2018 | 10 | [55] |
Time | The 10 Best Albums of 2018 | 3 | [56] |
Uproxx | The 50 Best Albums of 2018 | 39 | [57] |
Vulture | The 15 Best Albums of 2018 | 1 | [58] |
The Village Voice | Pazz & Jop: The Top 100 Albums of 2018 | 3 | [59] |
The Guardian | The 50 best albums of 2018 | 5 | [60] |
Rolling Stone | 50 Best Albums of 2018 | 14 | [61] |
Year | Awards | Category | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Grammy Award | Best Recording Package | Nominated | [62] |
Libera Awards | Album of the Year | Nominated | [63] | |
Best Rock Album | Nominated | |||
Creative Packaging | Nominated |
Track listing
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Mitski_at_Paradise_Rock_Club_%28Boston%2C_MA%29_%28cropped%29.jpg/220px-Mitski_at_Paradise_Rock_Club_%28Boston%2C_MA%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
All tracks are written by Mitski Miyawaki
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Geyser" | 2:23 |
2. | "Why Didn't You Stop Me?" | 2:21 |
3. | "Old Friend" | 1:52 |
4. | "A Pearl" | 2:36 |
5. | "Lonesome Love" | 1:50 |
6. | "Remember My Name" | 2:15 |
7. | "Me and My Husband" | 2:17 |
8. | "Come into the Water" | 1:32 |
9. | "Nobody" | 3:13 |
10. | "Pink in the Night" | 2:16 |
11. | "A Horse Named Cold Air" | 2:03 |
12. | "Washing Machine Heart" | 2:08 |
13. | "Blue Light" | 1:43 |
14. | "Two Slow Dancers" | 3:59 |
Total length: | 32:28 |
Personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from the liner notes of Be the Cowboy.[64]
- Mitski – performance
- Patrick Hyland – performance, saxophone solo (on "Remember My Name")
- Philly Phatness – horns (except saxophone solo on "Remember My Name")
- Thor Espanez
- Ian Gray
- Vince Tampio
- Evan Marien – bass (on "Nobody")
- Ted Jensen – mastering
- Ryan Smith – lacquer cutting
- Mary Banas – album design
- Bao Ngo – photography
- Carl Knight – lighting
- Annika White – styling
- Marika Aoki – makeup
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
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Certifications
[edit]Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[78] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[79] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
[edit]Region | Date | Label | Format | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Various | August 16, 2018 | Dead Oceans | ||
August 17, 2018 | Digital download |
References
[edit]- ^ Cheal, David (August 17, 2018). "Mitski: Be the Cowboy — eruptions of melody and energy". Financial Times. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
- ^ Pollard, Alexandra (August 23, 2018). "Indie-rock star Mitski: 'I'm waiting for everyone to decide to hate me'". The Guardian. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
- ^ Jenkins, Craig (August 22, 2018). "Mitski's Be the Cowboy Is Devastatingly Good". Vulture. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
- ^ a b Dresden, Hilton (May 14, 2018). "Mitski Releases New 'Geyser' Video, Announces New Album". Out. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
- ^ Reed, Ryan (May 14, 2018). "Mitski Previews New LP 'Be the Cowboy' With 'Geyser' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
- ^ Rossignol, Derrick (May 14, 2018). "Mitski Announces An Intimate New Album With The Epic Single 'Geyser'". Uproxx. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
- ^ Macdonald, Sarah (August 17, 2018). "Review: Mitski's Be The Cowboy is a bold exploration of loneliness". Now. Archived from the original on 2018-08-18. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (August 22, 2018). "Pop Gives Mitski A Larger Canvas On 'Be The Cowboy' - The New York Times". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2018-08-23. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
- ^ a b Itowsky, Liz (September 8, 2018). "Mitski Crafts a Stirring Soliloquy on Heartache and Loneliness with 'Be the Cowboy' Album Review". Albumism. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
- ^ St. Asaph, Katherine (August 28, 2018). "Mitski's Gleaming Be The Cowboy Is as Complicated as Longing Itself". Spin. Archived from the original on 2018-08-28. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
- ^ "Mitski + Lucy Dacus". Time Out. August 30, 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-02-27. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
- ^ Amour, Cheri (August 14, 2018). "Mitski – Be the Cowboy". The Skinny. Archived from the original on 2018-08-14. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
- ^ Hunt, El (February 2, 2022). "Mitski – 'Laurel Hell' review: meta musings set to her grandest music yet". NME. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
- ^ Cleary, Andrea (January 28, 2022). "Mitski: Laurel Hell – Lingering brilliance drifts into the gothic". The Irish Times. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
- ^ Soman, Shaun (August 19, 2018). "MITSKI 'BE THE COWBOY'". Gigsoup. Archived from the original on August 31, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ^ Kinsella, Paddy (August 16, 2018). "Mitski embraces her inner outlaw on the brilliant Be The Cowboy". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ^ Hurst, John (August 20, 2018). "Mitski, "Be the Cowboy"". Flood. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ^ a b c Hermes, Will (August 17, 2018). "Review: Mitski's 'Be the Cowboy' Makes Feelings of Powerlessness Loom Large". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
- ^ Boilen, Bob (May 14, 2018). "Mitski Shares And Talks About New Song And Album". NPR. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
- ^ "The Sound Between". WNYU Radio. October 28, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
- ^ "Mitski - Posts". Facebook. November 28, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
- ^ "Mitski Presents New Single, "Nobody", and Accompanying Video". Dead Oceans. June 26, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- ^ Daramola, Israel (August 9, 2018). "Mitski – "Two Slow Dancers"". Spin. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
- ^ Wicks, Amanda (June 4, 2018). "Mitski Announces Tour". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- ^ "Be The Cowboy by Mitski reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
- ^ a b "Be the Cowboy by Mitski Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
- ^ a b Donelson, Marcy. "Be the Cowboy – Mitski". AllMusic. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
- ^ a b Rife, Katie (August 16, 2018). "Mitski is alone in the middle of the dance floor on the playful Be The Cowboy". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
- ^ a b Snapes, Laura (August 17, 2018). "Mitski: Be the Cowboy review – thrillingly dark bait-and-switch pop". The Guardian. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
- ^ Nelson, Chris (September 2018). "Mitski: Be the Cowboy". Mojo (298): 92.
- ^ Krol, Charlotte (August 14, 2018). "Mitski – 'Be The Cowboy' review". NME. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- ^ a b Moreland, Quinn (August 17, 2018). "Mitski: Be the Cowboy". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
- ^ Monroe, Jazz (September 2018). "True Confessions". Q (389): 115.
- ^ Hodgkinson, Will (August 17, 2018). "Pop review: Mitski: Be The Cowboy". The Times. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (January 5, 2019). "Robert Christgau Takes on Mitski's Disquieting Angst". Vice. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
- ^ Murphy, Sarah. "Mitski, 'Be the Cowboy' album review". Exclaim!. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
- ^ Werthman, Christine. "50 Best Albums of 2018: Staff Picks". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
- ^ "The Top 50 Albums of 2018". Consequence of Sound. December 3, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
- ^ Suskind, Alex. "The 20 best albums of 2018". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
- ^ Barnes, Shane (December 7, 2018). "The 25 Best Albums of 2018". Flavorwire. Archived from the original on December 10, 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
- ^ Swhear, Alex. "The Best Albums of 2018". Flood. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
- ^ "best albums of 2018". Fopp. November 22, 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
- ^ Pollard, Alexandra (December 3, 2018). "The 40 best albums of 2018". The Independent. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
- ^ "The Best Albums of 2018". The Line of Best Fit. December 3, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
- ^ Pareles, Jon; Caramanica, Jon (December 6, 2018). "The 28 Best Albums of 2018". The New York Times. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
- ^ O'Neill, Lauren (5 December 2018). "The 100 Best Albums of 2018". Noisey. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
- ^ Edwards, Samantha (December 10, 2018). "The 10 best albums of 2018". NOW Magazine. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2018". NPR. December 4, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
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- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2018". Pitchfork. December 11, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
- ^ Pitchfork (8 October 2019). "The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2020-01-04.
- ^ Smith, Courtney E. "The 10 Best Albums Of 2018 All Have One Thing In Common: They're Made By Women". Refinery 29. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
- ^ "The Skinny's Top 50 Albums of 2018". The Skinny. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
- ^ Winograd, Jeremy (11 December 2018). "The 25 Best Albums of 2018". Slant Magazine. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2018". Stereogum. December 4, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
- ^ Bruner, Raisa (November 16, 2018). "The 10 Best Albums of 2018". Time. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- ^ Lu, Leah (December 3, 2018). "The 50 Best Albums Of 2018". UPROXX. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
- ^ Jenkins, Craig (December 3, 2018). "The 15 Best Albums of 2018". Vulture. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
- ^ "Pazz & Jop: The Top 100 Albums of 2018". villagevoice.com. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
- ^ "The 50 best albums of 2018". theguardian.com. 17 December 2018. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- ^ "50 Best Albums of 2018". rollingstone.com. 13 December 2018. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- ^ "61st Annual GRAMMY Awards". GRAMMY.com. December 6, 2018.
- ^ BWW News Desk (March 28, 2019). "A2IM Announces 2019 Libera Award Nominees". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
- ^ Be the Cowboy (PDF) (digital booklet). Mitski. Dead Oceans. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "ARIA Report: Issue 1487" (PDF). ARIA. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 5, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Mitski – Be the Cowboy" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
- ^ "Mitski Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ^ "Irish Albums Chart: 24 August 2018". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
- ^ "2021 20-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. May 21, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
- ^ "Mitski Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ^ "Mitski Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ^ "Mitski Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ^ "Mitski Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ^ "2022 metų klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
- ^ "British album certifications – Mitski – Be The Cowboy". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
- ^ "American single certifications – Mitski – Be the Cowboy". Recording Industry Association of America. June 2, 2023.
- ^ "Be the Cowboy | Mitski". Bandcamp. Retrieved May 14, 2018.