Mitski

Honestly, in the music business, it's all about being cool or being the newest thing or being the 'It' person, and I've tried really hard to be what is expected of me or what would be advantageous to my career, and I just reached the point where I said, 'No, I'm an emotional loser. I can't pretend to not care.'

Being an outsider at all times is both unhealthy and useful, because you become much more objective about things.

In my first few years of being in New York, I had a major identity crisis because I'd never stayed in one place for so long.

I think it's very dangerous as an artist to be comfortable.

I was one of those girls people called 'intense.'

When you're an adult, things mellow out. I think when you're a teenager and you are sad and the world is ending, everything is about that one sadness.

I think your ego gets in the way of making something good because it kind of blinds you from the actual art.

I think my whole identity is formed around not knowing where I'm from. It might even be that I find comfort in that confusion.

I don't think 'bleak' is a bad thing.

I have this thing about being acknowledged and accepted by institutions.

There's this myth that women are supposed to compete with each other or something, or we're supposed to hate each other, and that's totally not productive.

I don't want to be a musician's musician. I want to be an everyone's musician.