There are many negative ways one could sum up 2021 but one shining bright positive title we can give it is The Year of Michelle Zauner. The Oregon-born artist is probably best known as Japanese Breakfast and released the stellar album Jubilee this June but is also now an acclaimed author with the release of the New York Times bestseller Crying in H Mart in April.

For this episode of Live on KEXP we share a clip of Zauner’s conversation with Cheryl Waters about how writing the book exorcised the pain and trauma so that she could portray the joy felt on Jubilee. Zauner then plays four tracks from Jubilee plus one from her side project with Crying’s Ryan Galloway, BUMPER.

Recorded June 21, 2021.

1. Kokomo, IN

2. Tactics

3. Be Sweet

4. Savage Good Boy

5. Ballad O

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