We, The Cowboy: Our First Taste Of Mitski’s New Graphic Novel Soundtrack
Indie-pop sensation Mitski recently released ‘The Baddy Man’ from the soundtrack for Chris Miskiewicz’s upcoming graphic novel This Is Where We Fall. Ever genre-bending, the new release has shocked fans with it’s southern twang, and raised more excitement for the album, releasing May 6.
This Is Where We Fall plays with themes of theology and death, so to be partnered with the existential and profound lyrics of Mitski makes for an intense experience, to say the least.
Mitski’s ‘Be The Cowboy’ was released in 2018, containing themes of love and insecurity all under the flashy sound of glam-pop/rock. When asked the significance of the title by Trevor Noah, Mitski explained her fascination with western cowboys. She found that it took so much self-importance to barge into a town, mess things up, and walk out the hero- and thus she coined the personal motto “Be the cowboy you wish to see in the world.”
Though there wasn’t a hint of country to be found in ‘Be The Cowboy’, we can already see Mitski’s perspective begin to resemble the cowboy she spoke of in ‘The Baddy Man’. The song's sinister lyrics speak on the underlying exploitative nature of “dead men.”
“Oh yeah, what those dead men say that they do
Will never be the absolute truth
'Cause the baddy man was creepin' through the alleys of your mind
Without the novel's context, this lyric implores the listener to question the sanctity of history books, and question their own underlying morals by creating a caricature of evil, the baddy man. Notably, Mitski refers exclusively to men in this song, using patterns reminiscent of her 2012 track ‘Real Men’ Which plays with the fragility and perceived strength of what a “Real Man” is.
“The Baddy Man” is a promising beginning to the newest Mitski project, leaving the listener with promise for recurring themes from past albums, soon to be paired with an immersive art experience.