Mitski

A singer and songwriter known for both candid lyrics and a catchy yet volatile version of indie rock, Mitski is short for Mitski Miyawaki. A onetime music major, her first two records were school projects in 2012 and 2013. Her label debut, the more emotionally charged Bury Me at Makeout Creek, saw her picking up a guitar for the first time in 2014. Mitski's itinerant childhood and themes of identity and belonging factored into that album and songs such as "Your Best American Girl," a streaming hit from her 2016 LP, Puberty 2. The latter marked her Top 20 debuts on Billboard's independent and alternative charts.