Transcription / Drum chart / Drum Sheet Music of Your Best American Girl by Mitski.
Difficulty level (1-10): 3
You can download the PDF with the score for free further down in the post.
Mitski: A unique talent in indie music
Mitski Miyawaki, known artistically as Mitski, is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has gained a significant place in the indie scene. She was born in Japan on September 27, 1990, to an American father and a Japanese mother, and her life was marked by constant moving due to her father’s career in the diplomatic field. This multicultural background gave her a unique worldview that is clearly reflected in her music.
After moving around several countries, Mitski finally settled in the United States, where she studied at the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music. During her college years, she began to experiment with music and released her first albums, Lush (2012) and Retired from Sad, New Career in Business (2013), as student projects. However, it was with her third album, Bury Me at Makeout Creek (2014), that she began to gain critical attention, thanks to its fusion of indie rock and deeply personal lyrics.
Mitski has always been acclaimed for her ability to combine harsh sounds with delicate and emotive melodies, which has allowed her to stand out in a saturated scene. Her style mixes influences from punk, alternative rock and pop, creating a sound of her own that, although it may seem simple at first glance, has many layers of emotional and technical complexity.
Puberty 2: An album of existential crisis and personal search
Mitski’s fourth album, Puberty 2 (2016), marked a pivotal moment in her career. The title suggests a second puberty, a period of confusion and identity that comes with adulthood. The record explores themes such as alienation, self-acceptance, love, and the search for one’s own identity. Mitski’s voice sounds melancholic but with an underlying strength, and distorted guitars, combined with synths and precise percussion, create a sonic environment charged with tension.
What stands out about Puberty 2 is its ability to capture contradictory emotions. Throughout the album, Mitski navigates between sadness, rage, loneliness, and hope, reflecting the emotional tumult that often accompanies the passage into adulthood. It is an album about the expectations we place on ourselves and how we deal with the fact that we often fail to meet them.
“Your Best American Girl”: An anthem of identity and heartbreak
Within Puberty 2, one of the most iconic songs is Your Best American Girl. This song has become one of Mitski’s most recognizable and is a perfect example of her ability to translate personal experiences into something universal.
The song is about a failed relationship, but it goes beyond a simple heartbreak. Mitski tells the story of a girl who falls in love with someone who embodies the stereotype of what it means to be “American,” while she, as the daughter of immigrants, feels like she can never quite fit into that mold. The line “Your Best American Girl” is ironic, as Mitski knows that, no matter how hard she tries, she will never be that perfect girl that her partner’s environment expects.
This song is not only about heartbreak in romantic terms, but also about cultural heartbreak. Mitski is facing the idea that, no matter how hard she tries, she cannot live up to the expectations of what she is supposed to be. The “ideal American girl” is a symbol of a life Mitski knows she will never be able to fully access, due to her heritage and upbringing outside of the United States.
What’s powerful about “Your Best American Girl” is that, although it deals with a very personal experience, it resonates with anyone who has ever felt like they didn’t fit in or weren’t enough for someone else. The combination of lyrical vulnerability and instrumental strength makes the song feel like a cry of frustration, but also of empowerment.
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