The Meaning Behind Paprika by Japanese Breakfast

Japanese Breakfast earned a Grammy nomination for Jubilee, which featured “Paprika” as the opening track. Here’s what Michelle Zauner said about the “joy” she was trying to emulate in her original song.

Japanese Breakfast’s ‘Paprika’ is the first song of the album ‘Jubilee’

First debuting on the music scene with 2016’s Psychopomp, Japanese Breakfast introduced listeners through the unique alternative-pop sound curated by Zauner. In 2021, the group debuted their full-length album Jubilee, featuring songs “Be Sweet” and “Slide Tackle.” 

The first track included on this record was “Paprika,” somewhat inspired by a mushroom trip in the Poconos. The title itself was inspired by another song by a Japanese composer. 

“It just felt like the perfect beginning of the album because I knew I wanted it to be this big in-your-face record with larger arrangements,” Zauner said during a 2021 interview with Stereogum.

“I called it ‘Paprika’ because it reminded me of this Susumu Hirasawa song called ‘Parade’ that’s in the movie Paprika,” she continued. “There’s a big marching band, and it’s this really psychotic parade dream sequence, and so that’s why I called it ‘Paprika.’”

Since its release, “Paprika” earned over 7 million Spotify streams, making it one of the most popular on the album. It’s also the song that Japanese Breakfast performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

‘Paprika’ by Japanese Breakfast’s meaning comes from Michelle Zauner finding ‘joy’ in her career

As Jubilee’s opening track, “Paprika” commented on some of the joys that Zauner feels as an artist. During an interview with NPR, Zauner explained that each song “interacts” with joy “in a different way.”

“’Paprika’ is about reminding myself what a joy it is to have the career that I do,” the songwriter said, “and to not feel like I have to experience so much anguish and turmoil in order to create great art.”

Several fans took to Genius to decipher the “Paprika” lyrics, noting the imagery surrounding water and unraveling a braid of hair. The “height of your powers” mentioned in the chorus is a theme explored in “Jimmy Fallon Big.” There, Zauner reflected on her success as an artist, as well as fame’s relationship with her joy. 

The “projеcting your visions to strangers, who feel it, who listen to linger on еvery word” references Japanese Breakfast fans who analyze Zauner’s lyrics. As a response to that feeling, Zauner sings, “oh, it’s a rush.”

Japanese Breakfast earned a Grammy nomination for their 2021 release ‘Jubilee’

Japanese Breakfast earned two nominations for the 2022 Grammy Award ceremony. One of those was in the Best Alternative Music Album category, thanks to Jubilee. Additionally, Japanese Breakfast earned the Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, with the ceremony broadcasting on April 3. 

Other artists and bands nominated for the Best Alternative Music Album include Shore by Fleet Foxes, Halsey’s If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, Collapsed In Sunbeams by Arlo Parks, and St. Vincent’s Daddy’s Home.

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