A Love Letter to Michelle Zauner
Japanese Breakfast. CREDIT: Peter Ash Lee
The second I heard the news, my plans for December 1, 2021, were excitedly set in stone. Michelle Zauner—not just the genius singer-songwriter behind Japanese Breakfast but also a distinguished author—would be at her alma mater, Bryn Mawr College, to discuss her memoir Crying in H Mart. My ticket to the Bryn Mawr Reading Series event was reserved without hesitation.
Crying in H Mart is her debut book, a work that is touching and heartbreaking and absolutely masterful. The piece was published in April of last year, and it explores food, family, and grief with unflinching sincerity. I find it to be largely about identity and love as well.
It was upon completing the rough draft of her memoir that she began working on her third studio album: Jubilee. The eye-catching Japanese Breakfast album cover presents Zauner surrounded by persimmons, which she described as the fruit that “begins hard and bitter and transforms into something sweet and palatable” in an interview with Dan DeLuca of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “It fit my narrative as an artist who’s been known for work rooted in grief and tragedy trying to present something more joyful,” she said.
2016’s Psychopomp and 2017’s Soft Sounds from Another Planet are Japanese Breakfast albums that distinctly tackle her anguish. They are shaped by the death of Zauner’s mother from cancer, similar to the way Crying in H Mart is.
And Jubilee does take a turn from these previous two albums. It’s overall much brighter, and you can practically feel her exploration of joy. This is especially evident in Zauner’s choice of her two leading tracks: “Paprika” and “Be Sweet,” which are particularly upbeat, fantastical, and addictively fun.
It has to be acknowledged that Zauner is so reliably skilled in her writing— her enchanting way with words is sensed amongst readers and listeners alike. From Psychopomp and Soft Sounds to Crying in H Mart and Jubilee, this persists. Jubilee may be different from past albums, but Zauner remains purposeful with her words and the powerful emotions they evoke.
Jubilee isn’t a shallow collection of mindless “happy” songs thrown together, nor is it about some happy-go-lucky search to be constantly carefree. It’s about the many, different ways we interact with joy in our lives. And perhaps the album goes to show that joy has its own complexities and layers like grief does. In an NPR interview, Zauner explained, “‘Paprika’ is about reminding myself what a joy it is to have the career that I do, and to not feel like I have to experience so much anguish and turmoil in order to create great art. ‘Slide Tackle’ is about sort of battling with your brain, and trying to tackle it into submitting to experiencing joy and happiness.”
One of the coolest things about the album is its lyricism. “Tactics,” the ninth track of Jubilee, takes on a darker tone and sadder story. Full of gorgeous strings and percussion, Zauner revealed in a Rolling Stone interview the ballad is about the things we do that are necessary to protect our joy. She sings, “So say, say what you want / Dose up on fiction, disfigure the truth / While I walk, life beating on / Aching for others with love that stops short.” The writing is tender and thoughtful, reflecting the sensations of being the one to walk away or the feeling of making the hard, but right, choice. It’s a song that feels fragile and gentle but strong at the same time.
“Kokomo, IN” is another favorite of mine with great lines. It’s so earnestly youthful and precious. Zauner takes the perspective of a character she made up—a teenage boy in Kokomo, Indiana saying goodbye to his departing high school sweetheart. I think it’s addicting how she declares, “I’ll wait, passing time just popping wheelies / And kicking round this flyover state / Watching you show off to the world the parts I fell so hard for.” Against the steady, rhythmic instrumentals, Zauner sings these lyrics almost leisurely, resulting in an effect that is wholly mesmerizing. The song is endlessly sweet and wholesome, and it totally works.
My final spotlighted track is “Posing in Bondage.” The ballad centers on that deep longing for connection. It’s a bit dreamy, feels borderline hypnotic (cue the repetition of “Closeness / Proximity / I needed / Bondage”), and has flawless instrumentals. Zauner’s standout lyrics from this song are probably the following: “When the world divides into two people / Those who have felt pain / And those who have yet to.” The way she sings these lines is so transcendent; it’s brimming with emotion, just on the brink of overflowing. Overall, what’s perhaps most interesting to me is how the song, through its gradual sonic build-up, feels surprisingly freeing by the time you reach its end.
Now, what more is there to say but to recommend, if you haven’t already, giving Jubilee a listen, checking out Psychopomp and Soft Sounds, and experiencing Crying in H Mart for yourself.
My Other Favorites from Japanese Breakfast:
“Diving Woman” - Soft Sounds from Another Planet
I view this track as a bit of a homage to the diving women, or haenyeo, of Jeju-do in my dear homeland of South Korea. I couldn’t not have this on my list. The haenyeo gather seafood for a living without the help of oxygen masks or equipment—able to free dive 10 meters deep for minutes. It’s a practice that has lasted hundreds of years.
“In Heaven” - Psychopomp
It’s raw, evocative, and ridiculously good. “In Heaven” is one of those achingly sad songs that you can cathartically scream and dance to. It was one of the first songs Zauner wrote specifically for Psychopomp, and it holds a very rightful place as the first track on the album. Zauner also does a really good job of telling a story within a song here, a feat worthy of immense appreciation.
“Boyish” - Soft Sounds from Another Planet
As far as I know, this is essentially the gateway drug song to Japanese Breakfast. “Boyish” is a classic that speaks for itself, so that’s decidedly all I’m going to say about it.
“Psychopomp” - Psychopomp
This one is a major personal favorite. The track is a bit over a minute long, and it actually lacks any lyrics or words until the very end. There, you hear a phone recording of Zauner’s mother after her cancer diagnosis, saying “it’s okay” in Korean and being generally reassuring. I hold both the recording and song close to my heart in a way words can’t quite encompass. “Psychopomp” just makes you feel something.
“Lindsey” - Recorded At Electric Lady Studios
“Lindsey” is a beautiful product of the partnership between Spotify and New York’s Electric Lady Studios. Japanese Breakfast is one of the artists featured in Spotify’s Live at Electric Lady series, and this is a cover of a song from Little Big League, which was the band Zauner initially started in. Compared to the original, this one is much slower and sadder, more wistful and yearning. I adore it.
“Say It Ain’t So” - Recorded At Electric Lady Studios
This is yet another gem from Spotify’s Live at Electric Lady series. It’s just so catchy, artful, and well-executed. I can’t say I listen to that many Weezer covers, but this has to be one of the best out there. That’s all.