Japanese Breakfast – ‘Be Sweet’ Track Review

By Neive McCarthy

Michelle Zauner, also known as Japanese Breakfast, might have just released the most delicious track of the year thus far. ‘Be Sweet’, the first release from her upcoming third album Jubilee, is fittingly full of joy.

It’s a sparkling exercise in making the perfect slice of synth-heavy pop and a swift departure from her earlier, more mellow lo-fi releases. After a four year hiatus from making music under the Japanese Breakfast moniker, ‘Be Sweet’ marks her long-awaited return and a refreshing new note for the artist. Overflowing with an array of 80s influences, the track is completely euphoric. As Zauner implores a lover to make things up with her, she mixes an irresistible guitar line with stunning vocals to produce a track that is dizzyingly exhilarating.

Welcoming in increasingly breezy harmonies as the track swirls further into the newfound world of Japanese Breakfast, Zauner has captured a fresh, radiant sound. By far her most upbeat release yet, she has masterfully crafted a perfect pop track to usher in the warmer days. It’s a vision of lemon-yellow and all the optimism you could imagine. If the rest of the album is as blissfully energised, then there is a major treat in store come June 4th.