Way back in 2017, Japanese Breakfast released a song called "Jimmy Fallon Big!" on their album Soft Sounds From Another Planet. At the time, bandleader Michelle Zauner explained that her bass player left to join another band, since that band had a chance to become "Jimmy Fallon big." The bassist eventually returned, and Japanese Breakfast played "Jimmy Fallon Big!" on The Tonight Show in 2021. A year later, Zauner was a guest on The Tonight Show, and she explained the whole tale to the actual Jimmy Fallon. Last night, Japanese Breakfast were back on the show, and nobody brought up the "Jimmy Fallon Big!" story this time. I guess Japanese Breakfast are now big enough that Jimmy Fallon appearances can be taken for granted.
Last week, we learned that the movie adaptation of Michelle Zauner's memoir Crying In H Mart is on hold for now. That's a shame, but even the possibility of a Japanese Breakfast motion picture is a huge step for a band that was playing DIY venues not that long ago. At the top of this year, Japanese Breakfast announced the impending release of their new album For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women), which arrives next month. They also shared "Orlando In Love," the new single that gave the album its title. On last night's Tonight Show, they performed that song live for the first time.
For the performance, Michelle Zauner had an entire string section up onstage, as well as the rest of her usual band. They played on a stage covered with candles, which added some comfortably eerie MTV Unplugged vibes. Zauner wore a cloth cap, like a Puritan woman. The song sounded pretty. Watch it below.
For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) is out 3/21 on Dead Oceans.
