THE MELANCHOLIC SOUND OF SUCCESS

After publishing a best-selling memoir and receiving two Grammy nominations for her album Jubilee, Michelle Zauner (also known as Japanese Breakfast) still felt sad—so she decided to write about it.

SADIE BELL

In 2024, Michelle Zauner decided she needed a break and went to Korea. Over the year, the musician and author became a regular at classic Seoul eateries; studied Korean at Sogang University—and spent a lot of time allowing herself to be sad. Though Zauner had been an indie pop star since her debut under the moniker Japanese Breakfast in 2016, it wasn’t until 2022 that she accomplished several other ambitions she’d long dreamed of: She released Crying in H Mart, a memoir about her mother’s death, to critical and award-winning acclaim. And her third album, Jubilee, earned her a mainstream fan base, plus two Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album. Yet, she felt lost and unfulfilled. She began grappling with her success. At the time,…

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Marie Claire (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 8 2025

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