Photo: Ebru Yildiz

Mitski crackles on the nocturnal rumination “Heat Lightning”

One month on from unleashing “The Only Heartbreaker” and announcing her new album Laurel Hell, Mitski is giving us another seasonal offering with a new single called “Heat Lightning”.

Shifting gears once again, “Heat Lightning” is a slow and sensual track (a little reminiscent of “Venus in Furs” at the start?) that finds Mitski deep in cyclical thought, late at night, realising just how powerless she is against all the physical and mental powers in the world. Even though she accepts “there’s nothing I can do / nothing I can change”, there is power in her voice, especially as the song swells to a wave of beats and strings – then calms back down again, just when you think it might explode. She’s the queen of tantalisation, and “Heat Lightning” turns that ability into stately art-pop.

Watch the animated video for “Heat Lightning” below or listen to it on streaming platforms.

Mitski’s new album Laurel Hell comes out on February 4 through Dead Oceans (pre-order/save). You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.