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== References ==
== References ==

{{uncategorised|date=February 2020}}

Revision as of 01:08, 19 February 2020

"Your Best American Girl"
Single

"Your Best American Girl" is a song by Japanese-American singer Mitski, from her fourth studio album, Puberty 2 (2016). The song was released on March 1, 2016, as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Mitski, and produced by Patrick Hyland. "Your Best American Girl"'s instrumentation has been described as consisting of acoustic guitar strumming, dream pop synthesizers, and a grungy, distorted guitar. The song's lyrics are autobiographical, discussing Mitski's want for a relationship with someone, but accepting that her racial identity and upbringing obstruct her from this goal.

Background and release

"Your Best American Girl" was written by Mitski.[1] It was produced and mastered by Patrick Hyland.[1] The song was recorded in the now-defunct Acme Studios in Westchester, New York.[2] "Your Best American Girl" was released on March 1, 2016, to digital retailers and label Dead Oceans' SoundCloud, where it was able to be streamed for free.[3][4] It was also available as an instant gratification track for those who pre-ordered Puberty 2 on iTunes.[5]

Composition

"Your Best American Girl" is an indie rock and punk rock song that is three minutes and thirty-two seconds long.[4][6] Consequence of Sound has described the song as "start[ing] off as a sauntering acoustic indie number build[ing] until it breaks as a shining punk song"".[6] The song's lyrics are autobiographical,[7] discussing Mitski's want for a relationship with someone, but accepting that her racial identity and upbringing obstruct her from this goal. According to Pitchfork, the song "grows from an acoustic strum with some twinkling dream pop synths, to sharp bursts of feedback that would fit right in on Weezer’s Pinkerton."[8] Katie Rife of A.V. Club likened the "crashing waves of guitars" present in the song to Pixies.[9] Ciara Dolan of Consequence of Sound noted a possible continuation of Retired From Sad, New Career in Business's "Strawberry Blonde", calling "Your Best American Girl" "the [...] realization that [Mitski] can’t [...] change her own shape to fit into that of this all-American boy".[10]

Critical reception

"Your Best American Girl" was voted the fifth-best song of 2016 in The Village Voice's 44th annual Pazz & Jop critic's poll.[11] Reviewing the song, Jillian Mapes of Pitchfork praised the song's empowering theme, believing it to be realistic and universal. Mapes also gave the song the "Best New Track" award.[8] In a review of Puberty 2, Ciara Dolan of Consequence of Sound called the song one of the "Essential Tracks" from its parent album.[10] Katie Rife of A.V. Club lauded the track, stating that it was a "a powerful assertion of cultural identity and self-acceptance".[9] Writing for Stereogum, Tom Breihan called "Your Best American Girl" a "[moment] of great rock catharsis".[12] Ryan E.C. Hamm of Under the Radar complimented the song's lyricism, guitars, and feedback, stating that the recording "[harks] back to the very best of alternative rock of the early '90s".[13] Including the song on their "30 Best Songs of 2016 So Far" list, Rolling Stone stated that the song "tightrope [walked] the chasm between romantic ideals and cultural reality to make for breathtaking music".[14]

Several publications placed "Your Best American Girl" on their respective year-end singles lists. Ranking the song the second best of 2016, NPR wrote that the "song is brilliant for many reasons", but most notably because "[of] the way it forces us each to conjure up our 'all-American boy' and then take issue with the fact that coming up with a picture of him was so easy".[15] Also ranking the song the second best of 2016, Paste described the song as an "angst-ridden anthem about an identity crisis".[16] Rating the "Your Best American Girl" the sixteenth best song of the year, Pitchfork called the track was "universally resonant and personally specific".[17]

Track listings

  • Digital download[3]
  1. "Your Best American Girl" – 3:32

Release history

Country Date Format Label
Worldwide[3][4][5] March 1, 2016
Dead Oceans

References

  1. ^ a b Puberty 2 (booklet). Bloomington, Indiana: Dead Oceans. 2016.
  2. ^ Rettig, James (June 8, 2016). "Q&A: Mitski Goes Back To Her Roots On Puberty 2". Stereogum. Eldridge Industries. Retrieved May 28, 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  3. ^ a b c "Your Best American Girl". Amazon.com. Retrieved May 28, 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  4. ^ a b c "Mitski - Your Best American Girl". SoundCloud. Retrieved May 28, 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  5. ^ a b S, Andrew (March 1, 2016). "ALBUM ANNOUNCE // Mitski Announces 'Puberty 2' Out June 17th On Dead Oceans". Dead Oceans. Retrieved April 26, 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  6. ^ a b Kaye, Ben (March 2, 2016). "Mitski announces new album, Puberty 2, shares lead single "Your Best American Girl" — listen". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved May 29, 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  7. ^ Boilen, Bob (March 2, 2016). "Mitski Talks 'Your Best American Girl,' Identity And Her New Album". NPR.org. Retrieved June 26, 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  8. ^ a b Mapes, Jillian (March 1, 2016). ""Your Best American Girl" by Mitski Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 18, 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  9. ^ a b Rife, Katie (June 17, 2016). "Adulthood is such sweet sorrow on Mitski's powerful Puberty 2". A.V. Club. Retrieved June 19, 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  10. ^ a b Dolan, Ciara (June 14, 2016). "Mitski – Puberty 2". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved June 19, 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  11. ^ "Pazz & Jop Stats". Retrieved June 18, 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  12. ^ Breihan, Tom (June 14, 2016). "Album Of The Week: Mitski Puberty 2". Stereogum. Eldridge Industries. Retrieved June 19, 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  13. ^ Hamm, Ryan E.C. (July 6, 2016). "Mitski: Puberty 2 (Dead Oceans) Review". Under the Radar. Retrieved June 20, 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  14. ^ "30 Best Songs of 2016 So Far". Rolling Stone. June 22, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  15. ^ Gathright, Jenny. "Top 100 Songs of 2016". NPR. Retrieved April 27, 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  16. ^ Suchman, Kurt (December 2, 2016). "The 50 Best Songs of 2016". Paste. Retrieved April 27, 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  17. ^ Skolnik, Jes (December 12, 2016). "The 100 Best Songs of 2016". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 27, 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
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