In an exclusive interview for US Weekly magazine, when asked to describe For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women), Japanese Breakfast frontwoman and lead vocalist Michelle Zauner described the album as being tonally darker compared to the band’s previous 2021 album, Jubilee.
While Jubilee is about allowing yourself to experience joy amidst a difficult time, For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) is about letting the sadness engulf you like a black cloak draping over you, like a dark stormy cloud raining over you. The cloud is raining too and soaks your cloak, and you’re left standing there, drenched and vulnerable, feeling the weight of the storm and your emotions.
The lead single, “Orlando in Love,” is a moody track with strong orchestral instrumentals about unchecked ambition and its pitfalls. Zauner has a complicated relationship with ambition as she felt an immense amount of pressure and stress amidst touring for Jubilee. She later had to step back and reevaluate her goals so she wouldn’t burn out.
My favorite track is “Honey Water.” It reminds me of the first song I ever listened to by Japanese Breakfast—“Boyish” from their 2017 album, Soft Sounds from Another Planet. I first discovered them in seventh grade when Spotify introduced me to their music through a Discover Weekly playlist. I would twist my janky wired headphones to hear guitarist Craig Hendrix’s solo from my iPhone SE.
Like “Boyish,” the lyrics are utterly heartbreaking and cover similar subject matter. In a way, “Honey Water” is an older sister to “Boyish.” “Boyish” captures Zauner desperately clinging to her partner, craving reassurance she’ll never get, trying to dig her nails in so they won’t let go. In “Honey Water,” Zauner accepts that her partner won’t be faithful to her and they’re leaving her. She doesn’t mind, as that’s how life goes.
There’s a certain maturity that comes with growing up and being acquainted with yourself and the music industry that Zauner brought to For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women).
In another track, “Men in Bars,” which is a duet between Zauner and actor Jeff Bridges. It flips the cheating narrative, portraying Zauner as the cheater and putting Bridges in a similar position. It paints cheaters in a sympathetic light but still acknowledges what they did to their partners is wrong. Bridges’ deep baritone contrasts nicely with Zauner’s bright mezzo-soprano. It feels like they’re staring at each other mid-sip from a dimly lit dive bar, having an “I see you” connection.
With that being said, I’m aware the whole point of For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) is to be melancholic, as it’s literally in its name—it’s supposed to be gloomy. I’m not even sure if it really counts as criticism, but I would love for Japanese Breakfast to have angry music on this album. Something you can rage at while crying in your car, pressing your head on the steering wheel, and your car horn screams at you back in self-pitying agony. It would be an interesting departure from their usual sound for their next album, which I appropriately titled For Seething Brunettes (& Unhinged Women).
Ultimately, For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) is a masterclass in creating sorrow for their listeners. It weaves together lush instrumentals accompanied by deeply introspective lyrics that resonate with the heartache of growing pains, ambition, loss, and the occasional existential crisis. Japanese Breakfast’s ability to craft such a vivid emotional landscape solidifies their place as one of the most evocative bands of the modern indie scene. I’m excited to see (technically hear) whatever the band creates in the future.
