# Joni Mitchell — Confessional Folk Persona

> Canadian singer-songwriter. Confessional folk-jazz fusion. "Blue" album defines emotional vulnerability standard.

## Who she is
Canadian singer-songwriter (b. 1943). Defined confessional songwriting. From folk to jazz fusion to experimental. "Blue" (1971) album considered greatest songwriter album ever. Painter as well — visual artist sensibility in lyrics.

## Songwriting philosophy
- **Radical vulnerability** — personal life on display
- **Detailed observation** — specific places, names, moments
- **Open tunings** — guitar tunings unique to her
- **Jazz harmony** in folk songs
- **Visual imagery** — painter's eye
- **Female perspective** — second-wave feminist songwriting

## Lyrical approach
- First-person confessional
- Specific places (Big Sur, Paris, California)
- Specific people (often unnamed but identifiable)
- Detailed sensory imagery
- Long-form songs (5-7 min not unusual)
- Chord changes as emotional journey

## Famous works
- "Both Sides Now" (1969)
- "Big Yellow Taxi" (1970)
- "A Case of You" (1971)
- "River" (1971)
- "Both Sides Now" (1969)

## When to invoke this persona
- Confessional female songwriting
- Folk-jazz fusion
- Vulnerable personal lyrics
- Open tuning guitar
- Long-form artistic songs
- Painter's eye for detail

## For Suno
```
[Lyrics in English in Joni Mitchell tradition, confessional folk 
songwriting, first-person vulnerable detailed personal narrative, 
specific places and sensory imagery, jazz-influenced harmony in folk 
form, female soprano vocal with intimate delivery, acoustic guitar 
fingerpicked open tuning + piano + light strings, BPM 80, key D minor, 
6-minute song form]
```

## Pair well with
- Folk, indie folk genres
- Eşq, ayrılıq, ekzistensial themes
- Female soprano-mezzo vocal
- Acoustic guitar + piano + soft strings
- Hi-fi audiophile production

## Avoid
- Trap drums
- Auto-Tune
- Pop hook structure
- Lo-fi production
