The Only Heartbreaker

"The Only Heartbreaker" is a song by American singer Mitski, released on November 9, 2021[1] as the second single from her sixth studio album, Laurel Hell. The song was written by Mitski and Dan Wilson. The single became Mitski's first to reach number 1 on the charts, reaching that spot on the US AAA chart.[2][3][4]

"The Only Heartbreaker"
Single by Mitski
from the album Laurel Hell
ReleasedNovember 9, 2021 (2021-11-09)
GenreSynth-pop
Length3:04
LabelDead Oceans
Songwriter(s)Mitski, Dan Wilson
Producer(s)Patrick Hyland
Mitski singles chronology
"Working for the Knife"
(2021)		 "The Only Heartbreaker"
(2021)		 "Heat Lightning"
(2021)
Music video
"The Only Heartbreaker" on YouTube

Background

Mitski said that "The Only Heartbreaker" is about "the person always messing up in the relationship, the designated Bad Guy who gets the blame. It could simply be about that, but I also wanted to depict something sadder beneath the surface, that maybe the reason you're always the one making mistakes is because you're the only one trying."[5]

About writing the song with Dan Wilson, she said:

This is the first song in my entire discography of however many albums I've made where I have a co-writer, and it's because this song was this puzzle that I couldn't solve. And I was just sitting on it forever. I have so many iterations of it. Nothing felt right. And right when I was stewing over it, I was actually in LA, doing co-write sessions for other artists. And we had this one day, or I had this one day with Dan Wilson. I had every intention to write for somebody else, but then I just sat down at his piano, and I was like, he's one of the best, smartest songwriters in the world. Maybe he can help me with this song. And so I brought the song to him, and it turned out he's really good. He helped me solve so many of the problems and kind of lead me out of the labyrinth of it. And yeah, I'm really glad that I took that chance with him.[6]


Sue Park of Pitchfork wrote that the song "veers away from subdued indie rock and into full-fledged frenzy, recalling the exuberant synth-pop of the 1980s as Mitski implicates herself in the inevitable unraveling of a toxic relationship".[7]

Music video

A music video for "The Only Heartbreaker" was released on the same day as the single, directed by Maegan Houang and Jeff Desom.[8] According to Uproxx, the video shows Mitski dancing through a forest and reeling in despair as she realizes that she's unintentionally killing everything she comes into contact with.[9]

Reception

AllMusic critic Marcy Donelson considered the song to be a highlight on Laurel Hell.[10]

Former US president Barack Obama included "The Only Heartbreaker" in his list of top songs of 2021, a list he tweets out every year.[11][12][13][14]

Charts
Chart performance for "The Only Heartbreaker"
Chart (2021–2022) Peak
position
Iceland (RÚV)[15] 4
Mexico Ingles Airplay (Billboard)[16] 25
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[17] 34
US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[18] 20

References
  1. "Mitski announces new single "The Only Heartbreaker"". The Line of Best Fit.
  2. Rutherford, Kevin (March 9, 2022). "Mitski Lands First Billboard Songs Chart No. 1 With 'The Only Heartbreaker'". Billboard.
  3. "Mitski Gets First No. 1 on a Billboard Songs Chart With "The Only Heartbreaker"". Pitchfork. March 9, 2022.
  4. Group, SONO Music (March 10, 2022). "Mitski Gets First No. 1 on a Billboard Songs Chart With "The Only Heartbreaker"".
  5. Martoccio, Angie (November 9, 2021). "Mitski Destroys Everything She Touches in 'The Only Heartbreaker,' Previews New Album". Rolling Stone.
  6. "Mitski - "The Only Heartbreaker"". November 9, 2021.
  7. "Mitski: "The Only Heartbreaker"". pitchfork.com.
  8. "Mitski 'The Only Heartbreaker' by Maegan Houang & Jeff Desom | Videos". Promonewstv.
  9. "Mitski Heralds Her 'Laurel Hell' LP With 'The Only Heartbreaker' Video". November 9, 2021.
  10. "Mitski - Laurel Hell Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  11. "Barack Obama's Top Songs of 2021: Mitski, Mdou Moctar, Ms. Lauryn Hill, the War on Drugs, and More". Pitchfork. December 17, 2021.
  12. "Obama Picks Mitski '13". www.purchase.edu. December 20, 2021.
  13. Curto, Justin (December 17, 2021). "Barack Obama('s Gen-Z Intern) Is Excited for New Mitski, Too". Vulture.
  14. Kreps, Daniel (December 17, 2021). "Lil Nas X, Mitski, Lizzo and More: Barack Obama's 2021 Songs of the Year Are Very On-Trend". Rolling Stone.
  15. "Vinsældalisti Rásar 2 - RÚV". RÚV. Archived from the original on December 18, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  16. "Mitski Chart History (Mexico Ingles Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  17. "Mitski Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  18. "Mitski Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
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