Mitski at the Royal Albert Hall

Following the release of her eighth studio album Nothing’s About to Happen to Me in February, American singer-songwriter Mitski hits the road with an array of prestigious venues on her list, from Sydney Opera House to tonight’s Royal Albert Hall. She has, by her own admission, “never been in a room like this before”. It’s a stunning backdrop to showcase a critically acclaimed album, with the evening capturing much of the raw melancholy of the record whilst managing to celebrate it simultaneously.

Perhaps differently to past signature performances, such as headlining All Points East festival in 2024, this is notably less flashy in the choreography department, including several tracks performed in an almost stoic manner. Mitski roams nonchalantly around the stage, which features a house-inspired set (complete with a sofa to slump onto) as grainy 1960s-70s retro footage plays on the screen behind the five-piece band with no shortage of flashing lights. The atmosphere is noticeably rockier too, starting with the album’s opener In a Lake and almost covering the record in entirety (albeit in a different order alongside old favourites) with intentionally heavier renditions. There’s very little stage talk, only addressing the audience once halfway through the set, but it’s certainly counterbalanced by the screams for nearly every musical intro. Here is an artist who has amassed a dedicated following and captured the imagination of a new generation.

Fans are taken on a journey of a whopping 25 songs, material flowing directly, sometimes even abruptly. There are new favourites, Rules (the countdown-inspired lyrics featuring a jubilant “67” from the crowd and carefree dancing from the singer), rocky, slightly comical, and deprecating Where’s My Phone? and even more chaotic penultimate song, That White Cat, as well as older catalogue versatility: borderline operatic When Memories Snow and haunting vocals in I Want You. Some of the loudest cheers go to Washing Machine Heart and viral My Love Mine All Mine, both popular tracks boasting over a billion streams online. Perhaps the most impressive vocal highlights can be heard in the wistful, stiller Two Slow Dancers, I’ll Change for You and Heaven, which starts an impromptu flashlight moment.

Deliberately enigmatic, the Mitski experience offers a balance of distortion mixed with the ethereal voice of an old soul. Although the hard-hitting lyrics are sometimes lost behind the amped-up instrument mix and the earlier songs occasionally lack AV clarity, the artist truly hits her stride several tracks in to cover a rare amount of ground throughout the evening. The charm is in the less conventional, her decision to deviate from usual theatrics with a “less is more” approach and to end the evening on Pearl Diver, the final track of her debut in 2012. The introspective, existential heart of the latest album is translated cathartically onto the stage, and as the classic “That’s All Folks!” comes onto screen, the credit is due to an artist who knows exactly who she is and wastes no time sharing it with all. There’s a lot happening to Mitski, after all.