Before the album’s release, Mitski shared singles ‘Geyser,’ ‘Nobody’ and album closer, ‘Two Slow Dancers.’ The success of these singles made Be the Cowboy one of the most highly anticipated albums of the year.

Mitski told The Outline: “The album title kind of came from the fact that I would always kind of jokingly say to myself, “Be the cowboy you wish to see the world,” whenever I was in a situation where maybe I was acting too much like my identity, which is wanting everyone to be happy, not thinking I’m worthy, being submissive, and not asking for more.”

She goes on to explain that the album has a protagonist. “This protagonist is a person who’s in me. It’s just I’m not this person all the time. It’s this woman who feels powerless and overcompensates by exercising extreme control on herself and on her environment, and just trying to be powerful within her own the limits of her body and who she is, but kind of just unraveling a little bit because the amount of control she's exercising on to herself maybe isn’t healthy or isn’t natural.”

Mitski plays Tivoli Theatre on September 22nd.

Be the Cowboy is available to stream on Spotify now. Check out the lyrics video for the final track on the album, 'Two Slow Dancers,' below.