Laurel Hell

Laurel Hell
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 4, 2022 (2022-02-04)
Recorded2017–2021
Genre
Length32:25
LabelDead Oceans
ProducerPatrick Hyland
Mitski chronology
Be the Cowboy
(2018)
Laurel Hell
(2022)
The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
(2023)
Singles from Laurel Hell
  1. "Working for the Knife"
    Released: October 5, 2021
  2. "The Only Heartbreaker"
    Released: November 9, 2021
  3. "Heat Lightning"
    Released: December 7, 2021
  4. "Love Me More"
    Released: January 12, 2022
  5. "Should've Been Me"
    Released: September 26, 2022[1]

Laurel Hell is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mitski, released on February 4, 2022, through Dead Oceans.[2] Patrick Hyland produced the album, which has been characterized as a record blending synth-pop, indie pop and electronic rock styles. According to Mitski, the album title is a folk term for being trapped in thickets of laurel that grow in the southern Appalachian Mountains.[2]

The album was preceded by the lead single "Working for the Knife" on October 5, 2021,[3] and the second single "The Only Heartbreaker" on November 9, 2021.[2] They were followed by two more singles: "Heat Lightning" and "Love Me More". Mitski promoted the album with the Laurel Hell Tour covering North America and Europe and running from February to November 2022.[4]

Upon release, Laurel Hell received acclaim from music critics, who praised its lyrics and production. Commercially, the album peaked inside the top ten in territories such as Australia, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, marking Mitski's highest charting record in all of them. It was also the best-selling album in the US during the week of its release, and the first Billboard 200 top-ten album for Dead Oceans.[5] Laurel Hell also became her first album to top the US Top Alternative and Rock Albums charts.

  1. ^ "Triple A Future Releases". All Access. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Minsker, Evan (November 9, 2021). "Mitski Announces New Album Laurel Hell, Shares New Song "The Only Heartbreaker": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  3. ^ Martoccio, Angie (October 5, 2021). "Mitski Cuts Sharp and Sure With 'Working for the Knife'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  4. ^ Martoccio, Angie (November 9, 2021). "Mitski Destroys Everything She Touches in 'The Only Heartbreaker,' Previews New Album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  5. ^ Caulfield, Keith (February 13, 2022). "'Encanto' No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart for Fifth Week, Most for a Soundtrack Since 'Frozen'". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2022.