© 2026

For assistance accessing the Online Public File for KAXE or KBXE, please contact: Steve Neu, IT Engineer, at 800-662-5799.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Mitski, 'The Only Heartbreaker'

It's been said that self-awareness is the first step toward personal growth, but no one mentions how undertaking said step invites unshakeable pain, a type you can't move past. Mitski, however, revels in being a guilty party. Her latest single "The Only Heartbreaker," co-written with Semisonic's Dan Wilson and released today alongside an announcement of her forthcoming sixth studio album, Laurel Hell, enlists an '80s sound in classic "Take On Me"-style that emphasizes the histrionics of intentionally sabotaging something or someone. Simple in its attempt to process the dreadful stomach-pit feeling of being the only passionate one in a relationship — even if it means knowingly invoking pain — "The Only Heartbreaker" succeeds in its sing(or scream at the top of your lungs)-along potential and aching honesty.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Tags
Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis
Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis is a production assistant on the NPR Music team.
Creative Commons License
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics.