Up until last spring, if you were a fan of Michelle Zauner and her experimental-pop band, Japanese Breakfast, you could luxuriate in a respectable amount of self-congratulation for dialing in early to the indie darling’s discography, particularly her critically acclaimed studio albums Soft Sounds From Another Planet (2017) and Psychopomp (2016). As the JBrekkie lore goes, Zauner first recorded the latter from her childhood home in rural Oregon following the death of her mother, then broached the experience in essay form first for Glamour in 2016, and then for The New Yorker in 2018.
But when Zauner published her full-length memoir, Crying in H Mart, last April, the now 33-year-old’s gutting portrayal of grief and loss rocketed to the number two spot on the New York Times best-seller list (and got picked up for a feature film adaptation). Later that summer, Zauner released Japanese Breakfast’s third album, Jubilee, and embarked on an international tour that has since included stops on The Late Late Show, Ellen, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, not a few magazine covers, and as of a couple weeks ago, SXSW. The mainstream, it appears, has finally wised up to Zauner’s shimmering soundscapes and interdisciplinary knack for lyricism—this weekend at the 2022 Grammy Awards, Japanese Breakfast is in the running for both best alternative music album and best new artist (the latter category exemplifying its notoriously squishy definition of “new”; more on that below).
Ahead of the music’s biggest night, Vanity Fair spoke with Zauner over the phone about the past year’s highlights, and what she’s working on next.
Vanity Fair: This will be your first time going to the Grammys, right? How are you feeling?
Michelle Zauner: Yes! I’m getting really excited. Right now, I’m just stressed about figuring out what I’m going to wear, so it hasn’t really dawned on me that it’s happening so soon.
What kind of look are you thinking of going for? You’ve been rocking some excellent confection-y dresses on tour.
I would love to wear something that’s yellow or at least pretty colorful. The palette for Jubilee is very warm, and I want to represent that era especially because it’s at its closure at this point. I’d love to find something that’s simultaneously fun and chic but also kind of weird. I tend to like structurally odd things, which is why I really like people like Simone Rocha and ThreeAsFour because they do different types of architectural clothing.
Anyone you’re excited to see for the big night?
BTS is performing! My mission for the night is to try to snap a picture with them and send it to my Korean aunt.
Well, now I have to ask: Do you have a favorite member?
I wouldn’t say I’m not Army, but I’m not necessarily Army. But Namjoon is the one that speaks English fluently, so I have a slight bias towards him.
So in the space of two months, you put out both a New York Times best seller and an album that’s now up for two Grammys.
It’s such a crazy thing to have happened in the same year. I feel like those are titles that you’re buried with.
Do you remember where you were when you found out about Crying in H Mart making the best-seller list and Jubilee receiving the Grammy nominations?