Michelle Zauner’s writing is like an intimate conversation.
Japanese Breakfast’s fourth album For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women), which came out on March 21, marks lead singer and songwriter, Michelle Zauner’s return to the public sphere after the success of her memoir, Crying in H Mart, and Japanese Breakfast’s third album, Jubilee (2021).
For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) is classic Japanese Breakfast with its ethereal, dreamy tone, but it’s also classic Zauner. The lyrics capture her typical introspective style and her nuanced understanding of sadness and grief as an integral part of being human.
The return of Japanese Breakfast is a triumph for sad women everywhere.
Zauner began writing the album in 2022 while on tour. True to her author facets, Zauner threw herself into gothic literature and books she considered to be a part of the incel—subculture of misogynistic men who blame women for their celibacy—canon to capture the “eerie” vibes of the album.
It would be moot to discuss Zauner’s songwriting without prefacing her memoir, Crying in H Mart, which solidified her as an esteemed writer.
The novel tells the story of Zauner grappling with her own grief after the death of her mother in 2014. Zauner’s complex examination of her relationship to her mother and her confessions of struggles to realize her own identity as a mixed-race Korean American are a testament to the unflinching honesty of Zauner’s writing style. She used food and culture to tell her story.
After recording the new album at the end of 2023, Zauner moved to Seoul, South Korea for a year. Living there, she wanted to connect with her Korean language, and her late mother, while also working on a second novel about her experience.
In For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women), Zauner explores external characters rather than keeping the spotlight on herself. In “Leda,” and “Little Girl,” she seems to be writing from the perspective of her father, but in “Orlando in Love,” Zauner becomes a Renaissance poet who falls in love with a siren, offering the album a mythical and fantastical tone.
Then, in “Mega Circuit,” Zauner remains rooted in her contemporary surroundings, critiquing modern masculinity through mention of incel culture and a vivid description of young men who are “pissed off and jaded” at the world.
Despite the variety of perspectives, Zauner continues to acknowledge sadness as the ever-present character of the human experience. In a similar honest fashion to her memoir, For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) greets sadness as if it’s a comforting old friend, rather than something to push away or be ashamed of.
In “Little Girl,” Zauner captures the oddly delicate feeling of being a daughter. It seems to be from her father’s perspective. She’s been open about their conflicts in grief and estrangement since her mother’s death.
With simple language, Zauner manages to capture a feeling of hopelessness caused by a daunting void between family singing, “Dreaming of a daughter who won’t speak to me / Running for her daughter coming home / All I need is understanding / Little girl never calls.”
The theme of the lyricism shifts in the song “Honey Water” as Zauner explores faithfulness, dependencies, and the back-and-forth of romantic relationships. The song captures the indie rock vibe that’s all the rage right now, but beyond being a bop, it’s characterized by Zauner’s poeticism glimmering in lines like “The lure of honey water draws you from my arms so needy.”
Zauner discusses romantic relationships once again with “Men in Bars”—the hazy and enchanting lyrics remind me of a siren’s song. The song is a duet between Zauner and American actor, Jeff Bridges. The heart of it is a man and woman justifying their love for one another because of all they’ve been through, reminiscing over their beginning. Ah yes, there it is again—the painful stab of nostalgia.
An understanding for the sadnesses of life is ever present in Zauner’s writing, but rather than rage against it, her understanding of pain and complexities has led to a melancholic acceptance.
The album was released at the perfect time—as we shift into spring, the air is tinged with the smell of nostalgia, and it’s the intersection of the past and the future.
Everything is being born again, and the hazy lyricism of For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) is a comforting companion.
Tags
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s) in Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be ed, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to [email protected].