Japanese Breakfast | photo by Morgan Smith | phobymo.com | courtesy of the artist
Japanese Breakfast flips the script on pain in the new “In Heaven” video
With the release of Psychopomp this spring, songwriter / guitarist / singer Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast has received a heaping of well-deserved critical acclaim. Which is no surprise; we’ve been fans since she lived in Philly and fronted the badass rock four-piece Little Big League. This record, though, is truly some next-level stuff.
Majestic, impeccably orchestrated songs with a stunning emotional center channeling Zauner’s grief in the wake of her mother’s passing…and incredibly catchy, uplifting pop songs at that. There’s a hazy, dream-like lacquer to them, but the music itself trades in the inspiring melodies Zauner has honed over a decade and change of songwriting.
That feeling translates to visuals as well, as seen in the new video for “In Heaven” premiered at NPR Music today. On the one hand, it’s playful – Zauner goofing with friends as she grabs take-out dumplings and sings karaoke in Queens. On the other hand, as NPR’s Marissa Lorusso points out, the video’s other sequence is less candid and more direct, with Zauner (backed by model-dudes) alternating between a bold poker face and an infectious smile.
“I told [director Adam Kolodny] I wanted to wear an all-white suit while handsome, half-naked men decorated the background,” Zauner says in an email to NPR. And that’s exactly what they did: Zauner seduces the camera while the bearded studs lounge. The result is a video that’s overwhelmingly colorful and joyous; while her words betray grief and frustration, she turns the pain into power.
Watch “In Heaven” below, and catch Japanese Breakfast’s next Philly gigs during Mitski’s two-night stand: at Boot and Saddle on June 23rd and at PhilaMOCA on June 24th. Tickets and more information on both shows can be found at the XPN Concert Calendar.