Jannabi (Korean: 잔나비; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean indie rock band that was formed in 2012 and debuted in 2014 under the independent record label Peponi Music, whose core membership consisted of vocalist Choi Jung-hoon and guitarist Kim Do-hyung. Originally a quintet, the duo has expanded to include session musicians at present.[1][2][3] They are recognized for their live performances and self-produced songs infused with Koreanlyricism.[4][5] Though their sound has diversified throughout their career, their music is characterized by a fusion of pop, classical music elements, and nostalgic overtones.[6] Their songwriting, often inspired by personal experiences and literature, mostly focuses on themes of youth and coming of age.[7][8]
Jannabi achieved critical and commercial success in 2019 with their album Legend, which, along with its lead single "For Lovers Who Hesitate," reached number one on the Circle Digital Chart, received platinum certifications for both streaming and download, and won two Korean Music Awards.[9][10] Praised for breaking new ground in the 2019 Korean popular music scene that is almost dominated by idol groups,[11] the band has since established themselves as one of South Korea's most popular and commercially successful rock groups.[12] Their 2022–23 Fantastic Old-fashioned End of the Year Party! concert tour, comprising 20 shows, became one of the highest-grossing tours of the year in their home country.[13][14]
The group's name, Jannabi, is an archaic Korean word for monkey, and the band was originally composed of neighborhood friends from Bundang who were all born in 1992, the Year of the Monkey in the Chinese zodiac. According to Choi Jung-hoon, the name was suggested by their close friend. They introduce themselves as a "group sound" rather than a band. The term was used to refer to a band in the Korean music scene in the 1960s and 1970s, signifying the group's desire to restore the classics of the band's music.[17][18]
History
Before 2012–2015: Early years and albums
School days
Choi Jung-hoon and Jang Kyung-joon both went to Bundang Elementary School and have known each other since then. After they both entered Seohyun Middle School, they played instruments in club activities. Choi heard about guitarist Kim Do-hyung through a video of Kim's self-composed song that left a good impression on Choi. Kim joined the two during their senior year of high school, performing at their neighborhood's Bundang Central Park for school activities and events.
After graduation, Choi and Jang studied at different colleges, while Kim did not. At the same time, they were in a hurry, looking for contracts with big entertainment companies. Kim and Jang joined Yanghwajin Band (양화진) of CAN Entertainment and disbanded in the next year. Choi became a trainee at FNC Entertainment. However, he eventually left the agency after realizing his creativity was restricted by the company rules and that he had a different music taste from N.Flying.[19]
Formation and Superstar K5
Kim Do-hyung, Choi Jung-hoon and Yoo Young-hyun at SBS Power FM's Young Street
Kim Do-hyung knew keyboardist Yoo Young-hyun through the recommendation of his friend and introduced him to Choi Jung-hoon.[20]
Choi Jung-hoon, Kim Do-hyung, and Yoo Young-hyun decided to form a rock band called Jannabi alongside the establishment of the independent label Peponi Music, headed by Choi's older brother, in 2012. They honed their skills by performing over 70 club live performances and busking over 100 times on the streets of Hongdae and Insa-dong.[21]
To increase more awareness, Jannabi auditioned for Superstar K5 on August 16, 2013.[22] While Kim and Yoo were eliminated, they encouraged Choi, who would like to be eliminated with them instead of partaking as a member of the newly formed vocalist group Plan B (플랜비), to finish the show.[23] In the end, Plan B was eliminated in the Top 7 qualifying round.
Fortunately, Jannabi met producer and songwriter Shinsadong Tiger through the song production of Plan B. After Superstar K5, Jannabi, who was worried about their debut album, asked S. Tiger for advice from a K-pop perspective. Expecting that they would be given a song, S. Tiger said, "You don't need such a thing. I can't touch you." S. Tiger's support fostered Jannabi and set up their styles.[24]
Debut
On April 28, 2014, Jannabi released their debut single albumRocket, produced by S. Tiger.[25] The song was firstly titled Love and performed in the GOGOS 2 underground club in 2013.[26]Rocket was originally scheduled to be released on April 18. However, on April 16, two days before the release, the Sewol ferry disaster happened. Jannabi and S. Tiger, expressing deep condolences to the victims, decided to delay the release of the song.[27]Rocket is a self-composed song by the members, combining folk rock and reggae beats. In particular, the song changes into a variety of genres, creating a unique feeling through the playing of brass and piano in a jazz style.[25]
On August 3, 2014, Jannabi was recognized for their skills by being selected as the Penta Super Rookie of the 2014 Pentaport Rock Festival, which gave them the chance to perform live on Moonlight Stage for the first time.[28] On August 28, 2014, Jannabi released their second single album, Pole Dance which included two tracks, "Pole Dance" and "Baby I Need You."[29]
On October 29, 2014, Jannabi released their third single album, November Rain followed by their second mini solo concert at Club Ta in Hongdae on November 7.[30][31] On November 8, Jannabi participated as one of the Top 10 finalists for the Hongdae Street Song Festival in celebration of Joy News 24's 10th anniversary.[32]
On December 16, 2014, Jannabi released their first EP, See Your Eyes. The lead single "See Your Eyes" was dedicated to a woman who has been hurt by the wrong way of loving, expressing a man's regret over his irresponsible behavior.[33]
New members and Korean drama soundtracks
Bassist Jang Kyung-joon and drummer Yoon Kyul joined the group in 2015. Jang Kyung-joon, who has long been a cameo member of Jannabi, became an official member through the band's love call. Yoon Kyul, a talented drummer majoring in drums in college, joined Jannabi through an audition.[34] In the same year, Jannabi started participating in original soundtracks for Korean television dramas including Let's Eat 2,[35]Ex-Girlfriends' Club,[36] and Second 20s with their own compositions.[37]
On May 23, 2015, Jannabi was selected as Rookie Green Friends and entered the final lineup of the 2015 Green Plugged Seoul Festival.[38] In cooperation with the Naver Musician League, the festival conducted a competition among emerging bands and musicians through online support voting and a final offline contest held at the Lotte Card Art Center Art Hall on April 20.[39]
On July 4, 2015, Jannabi held their fourth mini-solo concert, "Fire," at Rolling Hall in Hongdae.[40]
2016–2018: First studio album and rising popularity
Monkey Hotel
On May 21, 2016, Jannabi released "Wonderful" and "Beautiful" as Dear My Friends original soundtracks.[42] In addition, Jannabi released "Can I Laugh?" as Drinking Solo original soundtrack on September 19.[43] Jannabi was nicknamed "tvN civil servants" for working on the OST of most tvN dramas, from Let's Eat 2 to Drinking Solo.[44][45][46]
On June 1, 2016, EXID lead single "L.I.E. (Jannabi Remix)" was released.[47]
On June 18, 2016, Jannabi held their sixth solo concert, "Monkey Hotel," to celebrate the release of its first full-length album of the same name on August 4.[48][38] The album contains ten self-composed songs, including the title song "Summer." It was postponed several times because they did a lot of trial and error in recording for the first time in a studio.[49]
On October 11, 2016, Jannabi appeared on MBC's special TV show DMC Festival, which attracted public attention, ranking first on Naver's real-time search for the first time.[50]
On December 18, 2016, Jannabi held their seventh solo concert, "Jannabi and the New World," in an all-standing manner. The year-end concert was sold out within five seconds after ticket sales opened, taking first place in the indie section's reservation rate with a market share of 39.8%.[51]
She (Hidden Track No.V-1) and various broadcasts
On January 5, 2017, "Yoon Jong-shin X Jannabi" was broadcast live on Naver VLIVE channel Hidden Track No.V, a platform where known artists collaborate with attractive singers whom they wanted to recommend to the public every month. Choi Jung-hoon said the reason why Jannabi was picked as the first month cast of the show in 2017 was because of their hard work in the Naver Musician League since spring of 2014. He said, "We just kept posting videos in the Musician League in order to do well, but then we went up to the Best League, and then we climbed to the Top 100, and there was even a good opportunity called Hidden Track No.V."[52] On January 24, Jannabi with Yoon Jong-shin held a mini concert "Live to Unlock Yoon Jong-shin X Jannabi" at Hyundai Card Understage, engaging 300 audiences with simultaneous broadcast on Naver VLIVE.[53][54]
On February 18, 2017, Jannabi had their first appearance on You Hee-yeol's Sketchbook.[55]You Hee-yeol praised them, stating: "Jannabi is my flavor among recent bands. If I went back to my twenties, I would be a member of Jannabi."[56] In the same month, Jannabi participated in the recording of Yoon Jong-shin's episode of Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend for the first time.[57]
Jannabi performed at Greenplugged Seoul on May 20, 2017.
On June 15 and 16, 2017, Jannabi held their eighth solo concert, "Stop, look and listen," at Samsung Hall of Ewha Womans University, which was sold out in just two minutes.[58] According to Interpark tickets, it ranked first in the indie category in terms of reservation rate with a market share of 50.5%.[59] As such, media outlets called Jannabi "band idols."[60] The concert was held under the concept "abandoned opera house" as suggested by Choi. They performed a total of 26 songs in 150 minutes and mobilized 1,400 people.[61][58]
On August 29, 2017, Jannabi's new digital single "She," which was first performed at "Live to Unlock Yoon Jong-shin X Jannabi," was announced to be released on September 9. Choi said, "I hope it will be a song for all the 'shes' we love or who love us."[62][63]
On December 30 and 31, 2017, Jannabi held their ninth solo concert, "Jannabi Fantastic Old-Fashioned." The year-end concert was sold out, taking first place in the indie section's reservation rate with a market share of 38.2%.[64]
Good Boy Twist and collaborations
Jannabi performing at the 2018 Indiestance Final Concert on August 9, 2018
On April 16, 2018, Jannabi's official Instagram announced that the band would release a compilation album, Monkey Hotel Special Edition, by uploading the cover image of their 2016 album, Monkey Hotel. The album included unreleased demo songs and a special lyric book.[65]
On August 13, 2018, Jannabi released the digital single "Good Boy Twist." Choi Jung-hoon, who created the song, delivered a profound message in a pleasant rhythm. He said, "If you do not keep pace with the fast-moving trend of the times, you will be thrown out of business. It is not just a matter of technology and fashion. All the values that you have learned to be right so far, and that you held and ran vigorously in your arms, are overturned in an instant, and there is no need to embrace them anymore. It's not just me and my friends that it has become an illusion."[66]IZM named "Good Boy Twist" as one of the "2018 Songs of the Year."[67]
Jannabi actively collaborated with excellent artists in 2018. The first was "Lilac (feat. Choi Jung-hoon of Jannabi)" from Changmo's extended play The Moment of Contact,[68] and the second was "On the Path (feat. Jannabi, Kim Yoon-hee)" from Lee Moon-sae's sixteenth studio album Between Us.[69]
On December 21, 2018, Jannabi released the digital single "Made in Christmas," featuring Lee Su-hyun of AKMU. The song was 1980s synth pop with female vocals.[70] The collaboration attracted public attention, and the song soon entered Melon real-time chart Top 100.[71]
2019–2021: Breakthrough success and lineup changes
Legend and first nationwide concert tour
Jannabi in 2019; clockwise from top left: Yoon Kyul, Yoo Young-hyun, Choi Jung-hoon, Kim Do-hyung and Jang Kyung-joon
On January 25, 2019, Jannabi released their seventh digital single, "Like When We First Met," remaking Yoon Jong-shin's song.
On February 3, 2019, Jannabi released "Take My Hand" as part of the Romance Is a Bonus Book original soundtrack.[72]
Jannabi created an unprecedented sensation when they released their second studio album, Legend, on March 13, 2019. Reflecting on the meaning of the album's title, Choi stated that it tells the story of a young person’s hardships that will itself one day only remain a legend.[73] He describes it further by saying "When I look back when I get older, I hope I can say, 'We also had a legendary youth."[74]
Sample of "For Lovers Who Hesitate" from Legend (2019). The album involves innovative compositional approaches on folk rock and pop-infused melodies. This song, primarily written by Choi, prominently harks back to the sorts of ballads in the 1980s and features sensuous yet warm and poetic lyrics.[75]
The album's lead single, "For Lovers Who Hesitate," gained huge popularity, sweeping music charts in South Korea dominated by K-pop idols with retro music.[76] Choi, as the lyricist of the song, emphasized a love that could have been and a hopeful note to not let love slip away in the future. He shared, "This is the lead track of our second full-length album, written for lovers who hesitate. Not all love lasts forever regardless of how genuine it was. However, that won't stop people from loving and being loved."[77] On the morning of April 19, 2019, it was reported that the song ranked number one in real time charts including BillboardK-pop Hot 100 and Circle Digital Chart, beating out "Boy with Luv" by BTS.[78] The song remained on the charts long after its release, surpassed 100 million streams and reached 2.5 million downloads on Circle Chart, earning Platinum certifications from the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA).[79] The success of the album also made their old songs such as "November Rain" (2014), "Baby I Need You" (2014), "Summer" (2016), and "She" (2017) climb several music charts.[80] With the unexpected mainstream success, Choi said that the group's only goal is to make better music. During a 2019 interview with The Hankyoreh, he said, "I wanted to think of chart rankings as if nothing had ever happened. It wasn't what I was aiming for. It's about making better music. If more people like it, it becomes a driving force for us to make better music."[81]
From March 16 to April 13, 2019, Jannabi held their first national tour concert, "Together," to a sold-out crowd of 7,600 fans.[82]
Controversies and Young-hyun's departure
Following Jannabi's rise to fame, the members became the subject of controversies. On May 24, 2019, keyboardist Yoo Young-hyun voluntarily left the band after he admitted to reports of him being a bully during his school years.[83] The following day, Choi Jung-hoon was accused of participating in the management of a company run by his father, who is under investigation for fraud. Peponi Music denied the allegations and expressed that they would take legal action against those who spread groundless rumors about Choi. The prosecution later stated that an investigation on Choi was not necessary.[84] Choi posted a personal statement on Instagram to apologize for Young-hyun's school violence controversy and clarify the false reports about him.[85][86] The netizen who spread false information about Choi was later fined ₩5 million in total by the Suwon District Court for defamation. Peponi Music added that the company was filing additional separate criminal complaints against those who have posted malicious comments and continue to spread false information about him and the band.[87][88]
Concerts and awards
From August 31 to September 1, 2019, Jannabi held their two-day concert "Jannabi Fantastic Old-Fashioned Returns!" at the Olympic Hall in Olympic Park, Seoul, to a sold-out crowd of 6,000 fans, performing more than 30 songs.[89][90]
By the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020, Jannabi had attended various Korean music award shows. They won the Top 10 Artist at the Melon Music Awards, Best Band Performance at the Mnet Asian Music Awards, V Live Discover, and Best Digital Song (Bonsang) at the Golden Disc Awards.[91][92][93] Jannabi has been nominated for five categories at the Korean Music Awards 2020, including Album of the Year, Best Modern Rock Album, and Artist of the Year, and won the Song of the Year (Daesang) and Best Modern Rock Song.[94] On the band's musical style, Music Critic Jung Min-jae of KMA writes:
Jannabi's achievements were attributed to sophisticated music. The vivid melodies of each song, the lyrics that delicately convey the lyricism unique to the Korean language, and the vintage sound that determined the color of the group perfectly matched. The orchestration was also stunning. The expressive power of Choi Jung-hoon, a vocalist who can be said to be unrivaled, is a decisive factor in completing the music. This album revived the public's sensitivity to music, which had been temporarily forgotten by the pursuit of hip and sophistication. This is evidenced by the remarkable increase in retroballads and long song titles in the music industry after the success of "For Lovers Who Hesitate." Legend changed the landscape of the music industry in 2019.[95]
Jannabi embarked on their second nationwide concert tour, "Nonsense II," beginning February 2020, to a sold-out 20,000 seats right after the ticket sales were opened.[96][97] While they were able to perform at the Olympic Hall in Seoul on February 15–16 and the Kim Daejung Convention Center in Gwangju on February 22, the Daegu, Busan and Chuncheon dates were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The band and its fan club later donated to the citizens and medical staff at COVID-19 screening centers in Daegu.[98]
Jannabi's Small Pieces 1 and military enlistment of members
Choi Jung-hoon and Kim Do-hyung at SBS Power FM in 2020
On June 23, 2020, Peponi Music announced that Jang Kyung-joon would take a break after news that he was getting married in August 2020 was subject to a backlash from fans online and to prepare himself for the upcoming military enlistment.[99][100]
On November 6, 2020, Choi and Kim continued to record as a duo and released Jannabi's second EP, Jannabi's Small Pieces I, with the title song "A thought on an autumn night."[101] The title track ranked first on various music charts in South Korea such as Bugs!, Genie, and Vibe.[102]
On January 16, 2021, Kim Do-hyung announced through his Instagram that he would be enlisting for his mandatory military service on January 26, 2021.[103]
On March 14, 2021, Jannabi released "After a tumultuous night" as Drama Stage's Love Spoiler original soundtrack.[72]
The Land of Fantasy and Yoon Kyul's departure
With two of the members, Jang and Kim, on hiatus due to military service, Choi has continued to promote the band with session musicians. On July 28, 2021, Jannabi released their third studio album, The Land of Fantasy, and its lead single "I Know Where the Rainbow has Fallen."[104][105] All thirteen tracks were written by Choi with the help of Kim in the production of the album prior to his military enlistment.[106][107] The album topped weekly album charts and entered the Top 10 bestselling albums of Circle Album Chart in South Korea upon release.[108][109] South Korean online magazine Tonplein named The Land of Fantasy "The Best Album of 2021" and "The Best Rock Album of 2021."[110] The album was also nominated for the "Best Modern Rock Album" in 2022 by the Korean Music Awards.[111]
On August 31, 2021, Peponi Music announced that Jannabi Fantastic Old-Fashioned Returns! x Nonsense II will be shown at 50 CGV Cinemas nationwide for three weeks, starting on September 9, 2021. The 140-minute film features live performances and behind-the-scenes footage of Jannabi's 2019 and 2020 concerts of the same titles.[112] Pre-orders for the tickets on September 2, 2021, quickly reached number one in the booking rate among the CGV screenings right after it was opened.[113] During the movie screenings, the band also set a record of 91 stage greetings, considered the highest number in the history of domestic cinema, to be able to meet the fans.[114]
On October 29, 2021, Jannabi participated in the 25th anniversary tribute for punk rock band No Brain by remaking their song "Midnight Music," a track from No Brain's 5th album That is Youth (2007).[115]
On November 24, 2021, Peponi Music announced that drummer Yoon Kyul's contract ended before he served as a social worker and was performing as a guest until his termination, following reports of him assaulting a woman.[116]
On December 12, 2021, Jannabi won the Best Band Performance title at the 2021 Mnet Asian Music Awards for their song "A Thought on an Autumn Night."[117] Choi and session musicians performed the said song and "I Know Where The Rainbow has Fallen" at the CJ ENM Contents World in Paju, South Korea.[118]
2022–present: Return to activities
Jannabi's Small Pieces II: Grippin'TheGreen
Choi Jung-hoon in 2022
On April 25, 2022, Choi announced the band's May comeback EP and possible concerts through handwritten letter to fans.[119] The EP name Jannabi's Small Pieces II: Grippin'TheGreen was unveiled alongside the image of the cover on May 1 via the band's official social media accounts.[120][121] Jannabi shared visual and audio snippets of the tracks from May 2 to 6, respectively.[121][122][123] On May 10, the EP and its lead single "Grippin'TheGreen" were released. It ranked first on the Bugs! and quickly entered the Top 100 of the Genie and Melon real-time music charts. In addition, all the songs on the EP, including "Ladybird," "Summerfallwinter Spring." and "Astearsgoby," settled at the top of the Bugs! chart.[124][125] Choi revealed that the EP was filled with "songs made at home, in the afternoon, while looking out the window," with Choi hoping that listeners would listen to the EP like that as well.[126]
Festivals and Fantastic Old-fashioned End of the Year Party! tour
Jannabi performing at Gyeonggi Indie Music Festival in 2022
Jannabi took over more than 10 university festivals in South Korea for the entire year, starting in May, and steadily received love calls from September to October.[127][128] In addition to college festivals, the band performed as headliners of numerous music festivals, including the Beautiful Mint Life 2022, Sang Sang Festival, 2022 Seongnam Park Concert, which drew more than 30,000 spectators, Someday Festival, and 2022 Joy Olpark Festival; and subheadliners of the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, Chilpo Jazz Festival, Busan International Rock Festival, and Gyeonggi Indie Music Festival.[129]
On July 10, 2022, Jannabi released "Look At You!" as the original soundtrack to With the Silk of Dohpo Flying.[130]
On July 27, 2022, following the discharge of Kim Do-hyung, Jannabi performed at the "K-Indie Music Night" that was held at Damrosch Park, an outdoor venue at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, with 2,500 seats filled up.[131][132] Considered as the band's first international stage, the concert was presented by the Korean Cultural Center New York as part of Lincoln Center's “Summer for the City.”[133]
On September 23, 2022, Choi appeared as an original singer on the seventh season of Hidden Singer. The show's sixth episode introduced Jannabi as "the first place in festival recruitment."[134][135] The episode ranked first in the same time slot, and Choi took sixth place in the overall ranking of entertainment performers.[136][137] The band's representative songs, particularly those featured during the broadcast, have re-entered various music charts.[138]
On September 26, 2022, the song collaboration "Because We Loved" by Choi and Kang Min-kyung was released.[139] The song ranked first on various music charts, such as Bugs! and Genie.[140] The following day, a promotional song "Drop the Beat" by Jannabi was released for the Buskers World Cup in Gwangju.[141]
Jannabi held their third national concert tour, the Fantastic Old-fashioned End of the Year Party! from early November 2022 to the end of January 2023. They toured Busan, Gwangju, Seoul, Incheon, Daegu, Suwon, Chuncheon, and Cheonan, performing 20 times. The opening shows in Busan were sold out within 3 minutes as soon as the tickets went on sale on October 4, while Seoul performances had 160,000 waiting numbers, causing strain on the server at one time due to the unprecedented heavy influx of site traffic.[142] The concert recorded a sold-out procession and was attended by 50,000 people for about three months.[143][144]
In January 2023, Jannabi starred on JTBC's Begin Again – Intermission.[145] From May 14 to August 18, 2023, Choi actively engaged with the public as host of KBS' late-night music talk show The Seasons.[146][147] On June 21, 2023, Jannabi released the song "Pony" and its music video as part of the Hyundai Heritage Project in collaboration with Hyundai Motor Company.[148] The song quickly made its mark on various online music charts such as, Bugs!, Melon Top 100, and Genie.[149] On October 26 and November 8, 2023, Jannabi joined overseas concerts as performers, including KBS' Immortal Songs Live Concert in US and Korea on Stage in London.[150][151]
Jannabi's major influences include Sanullim and The Beatles.[152][153] The members have been vocal about their admiration for Sanullim and their songs they grew up listening to.[154] In 2021, they made the song "A Ballad of Non Le Jon" to pay homage to The Beatles.[155] Described as The Beatles parody music, Choi shared that it reflected on the time when they did not look back and just aimed for the top freely and cynically, saying, "We watched The Beatles documentary. They say that they endured the time in the boring and dull underground waiting room while shouting ‘to the topper most of the popper most!.’ There was a time when I thought that was cool. It is a song depicting our image on a day when we lost our direction."[156] They have also cited Electric Light Orchestra as an influence in creating modern rock with oldness in terms of musical texture.[157]
"Beautiful and lyrical melodies, lyrics touching somewhere in the memories, and a retro sound that evokes nostalgia by combining all these elements. Jannabi proved that good music goes beyond taste and has universality. The common phrase "across generations" is more of an illusion in reality. Opinions are also divided on restaurants, but what is it if it is not an illusion to say that you can match all tastes that vary according to gender, age, occupation, and personality. Jannabi graced the year by showing that such fantasies can be realized in reality."
Jannabi has typically been associated with variety of genres, including indie rock,[160]psychedelic rock,[161]folk,[162]pop rock,[163]chamber pop,[164] and art rock[165] with incisive lyrics and songwriting style suitable for easy listening.[166] They incorporated the nuances of the roots of Korean popular music originally called gayo and classical music elements in innovative ways.[167][168][169] In a 2017 interview with The Korea Herald, defining the band's music, the members said: “Sound that comes from your parents’ car.”[170] In a 2022 interview with Yonhap News Agency, Choi Jung-hoon shared that their music represents a lot of Korean sentiment, saying: "Our song seems to explain a lot and dig into our emotions too much to listen to, but on the contrary, it allowed us to protect our music."[171] Music journalist Son Hye-min wrote: "Jannabi's charm is the atmosphere of the song that seems to create nostalgia for the past, the lyrics that can be a poem if you spread it out on paper and the emotion that contains more than just saying it is tacky."[172]
Critics praised the universality the band pursues, which appeals to people of all ages. Jo Eun-byul of Sports Seoul said: "The lyrics engraved with each stitch reminded one of a literary work, and the classic melody spanned generations."[173] The Korean Cultural Center New York wrote: "There is something else which makes the band's music powerful: going beyond the compulsion to be dedicated to a single genre. Its free-spirited music was able to set such big milestones because Jannabi has made efforts to put their own stories in their music, their stories of growing up as a band act as a perspective to see the world."[174] Fellow musicians, including prominent figures in the South Korean music industry such as Lee Moon-sae, Kim Chang-wan, Yoon Jong-shin, and Yoo Hee-yeol, have acknowledged their musicality, propelling them to be dubbed "artist's artist" by the media.[175][176]
Their repertoire expanded to include a broad variety of music styles with their third full-length album, The Land of Fantasy (2021). Described as an album that revealed the "virtues that rock music of the past has sought after," it resembled a musical drama while embedding progressive rock's ambition to become more colorful and grander.[177] The album, with a storyline, showcased their "complete musical freedom" from the success of previous works and explored genres such as baroque pop and rock opera.[178][179]
Songwriting
Jannabi is a band that writes and performs their own music.[180] At their outset in 2014, while Choi Jung-hoon has since been the principal lyricist of the band, Jannabi's songs were the product of the members' collaborative songwriting.[181][182][183] Starting in 2020, with the release of Jannabi's Small Pieces I, Choi and Kim have established a songwriting partnership in which they share credits for compositions and arrangements.[184] In 2022, due to the military service of the members, Choi continued to release and produce music under the name of Jannabi.[185]
The band's lyrical content and composition tended to be classical, introspective, and poetically oriented, which unraveled the "complex emotions of youth" and "awakened empathy" among them.[186][187] Rather than having an impact on a specific single, many of their albums are conceptual.[188] Other themes of their music include romance, friendship, community, self-awareness, and fictional narratives.[189]
Performances
Jannabi was noted for their live performances, which frequently involved crowd participation. Their appearances at universities and festivals, furthered by Choi Jung-hoon's showmanship and stage presence, have led the group to be labeled the "god of festivals," "festival king," and "the number one festival attractor," among others in their home country.[190][191][12]
Kim Do-hyung (김도형) – lead and rhythm guitar, percussion, backing vocals (2012–present)
Former members
Yoo Young-hyun (유영현) – keyboards (2012-2019)
Yoon Kyul (윤결) – drums (2015-2021)
Jang Kyung-joon (장경준) – bass guitar, backing vocals (2015–2022)
Current session musicians
Moon Seok-min (문석민) – lead and rhythm guitar (2021–present)
Lee Jun-kyu (이준규) – bass guitar (2022–present)
Shin Isaac (신이삭) – drums (2017–present)
Jeong Ha Eun (정하은) – keyboards (2021–present)
Kwak Jin-Seok (곽진석)– percussion (2022–present)
RuRu, RaRa (루루, 라라) – chorus (2022–present)
Former session musicians
Park Cheon-wook (박천욱) – bass guitar (2020-2022)
Harmonize (하모나이즈) - choir (2019-2021)
Other ventures
Endorsements
In May 2019, Jannabi was chosen as the model for Lottee-commerce's digital video advertisements. The campaign is for customers in their 20s who enjoy sharing information and content.[192][193] In October 2019, Jannabi was selected as the first Korean artist to be the brand ambassador for sound equipment manufacturer Fender.[194][195]
From 2022 to 2023, the band's songs from their third studio album, The Land of Fantasy (2021), were featured in the advertisements of various brands.[196][197] In 2022, "Bluebird, Spread Your wings!" was used for Google Play, released in June, and "Summer II" was used for the iPhone 14 Pro by Apple Inc., released in October.[198][199] In 2023, "Oh Brave Morning Sun" was used for Korea's leading ginseng brand, Cheong Kwan Jang, released in January, and "I Know Where the Rainbow Has Fallen" was used for Spotify Korea, released in September, where Choi was the endorser.[200][201][202] Further, in June 2023, Hyundai Motor Company announced that they selected Jannabi as an ambassador for the global heritage project and released a collaborative song "Pony" and its music video to reinvigorate Hyundai Pony and leverage its legacy.[203][204]
Philanthropy
In November 2019, Jannabi donated their college festival fee to the development fund of Kyung Hee University, Choi's alma mater.[205][206]
In March 2020, following the cancellation of their second concert tour, "Nonsense II," due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jannabi donated masks to the locals of Daegu. The fans were inspired and donated their concert refunds to the same beneficiaries and the locality's screening centers.[207][208]
In May 2022, Jannabi donated the entire amount of their college festival fee for the students of Kyung Hee University.[209][210] In September 2022, Jannabi, who appeared at the Chilpo Jazz Festival, donated ₩20 million to Pohang for relief and recovery efforts after the city was hit by Typhoon Hinnamnor.[211]
In July 2023, Jannabi donated ₩10 million to the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association to help aid in the recovery of those affected by the damage caused by the torrential rain and flooding across South Korea.[212] In October 2023, Jannabi participated in Greenpeace's Honeybee Restaurant campaign video with actress Youn Yuh-jung by talent donation. Their song "Grippin'TheGreen" was used without a fee or royalty.[213]
In January 2024, Jannabi reportedly performed for free at the festival of Yatap High School, Choi's alma mater, and delivered goods worth ₩30 million to more than 500 students on December 28, 2023, as shared by the school officials in a phone call with The Daily Sports World. The school also shared that they built a small outdoor stage in 2023 to cater to students who want to do busking and named it "Jannabi Square."[214]
^Park Aram (January 4, 2020). "잔나비 "건강하고 좋은 음악 만들 것"(2020 골든디스크)" [Jannabi “Make healthy and good music” (2020 Golden Disc)] (in Korean). Asia Today. Retrieved December 26, 2022 – via Naver.
^Jeong Jun-hwa (August 4, 2014). "밴드 잔나비, 슈퍼루키로 선정…'펜타포트' 페스티벌 참여" [Band Jannabi selected as Super Rookie... Participated in ‘Pentaport’ Festival] (in Korean). The Dong-a Ilbo. Retrieved December 26, 2022 – via Naver.
^Jang Woo-young (December 24, 2022). "'인기상' 잔나비 "건강한 음악, 뜨거운 공연으로 찾아뵐 것" [2022 KBS 연예대상]" ['Popular Award' Jannabi "I will visit you with healthy music and hot performances" 2022 KBS Entertainment Awards] (in Korean). Osen. Retrieved December 24, 2022 – via Naver.
^Yena Kim (February 27, 2020). "잔나비, 한대음 2관왕 소감 "건강한 음악으로 보답하겠다"" [Jannabi's impressions of winning two awards "I will repay you with healthy music"] (in Korean). Xports News. Retrieved December 26, 2022 – via Naver.
^Lee Ji-eun (January 22, 2020). "제17회 한국대중음악상, 성비 맞춘 후보자 발표…방탄소년단" [The 17th Korean Popular Music Awards, Announcement of suitable candidates... From BTS to Yerin Baek and Jannabi] (in Korean). NewsPim. Retrieved December 26, 2022 – via Naver.
^Song Seung-jin (December 1, 2019). "IS포토 멜론뮤직어워드 올해의 TOP 10 '잔나비'" [IS Photo Melon Music Awards Top 10 of the year 'Jannabi'] (in Korean). IlyoSeoul. Retrieved December 26, 2022 – via Naver.
^Jung Ga-eul (December 5, 2019). "'2019 mama' 잔나비, 올해 '대세 밴드' 입증..벅찬 수상소감" ['2019 mama' Jannabi proves this year's 'popular band'...a daunting acceptance speech] (in Korean). Starnews Korea. Retrieved December 26, 2022 – via Naver.
^Park Dong-sun (December 11, 2021). "[2021 MAMA] 잔나비, 베스트 밴드 퍼포먼스 수상" [[2021 MAMA] Jannabi, Best Band Performance Award] (in Korean). RPM9. Retrieved December 26, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kwon Na-yeon (January 30, 2020). "'2020 서울가요대상' 라인업 '화제'…방송채널·방송시간은?" ['2020 Seoul Music Awards' lineup 'topic'... What is the broadcasting channel and broadcasting time?] (in Korean). Retrieved December 26, 2022 – via Naver.
^"밴드상 잔나비 "상은 힘들 때나 좋을 때나 함께하는 팬들 것" [2023 서울가요대상]" [Band Award Jannabi “The award belongs to the fans who are with us in hard times and good times” [2023 Seoul Music Awards]]. Newsen (in Korean). Retrieved January 20, 2023.
^"32nd Seoul Music Awards – 모바일 투표 현황" [32nd High1 Seoul Music Awards – Mobile Voting Status]. Seoul Music Awards (in Korean). Retrieved December 6, 2022.
^"잔나비 최정훈 "새 앨범 작업 중..남은 한 해도 잘 해보겠다!"" [Jannabi Choi Jung-hoon "Working on a new album... I'll do my best for the rest of the year!"]. Osen (in Korean). October 11, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
^Lee Ha-na (November 16, 2019). "방탄소년단·몬스타엑스, 2관왕 영예‥ITZY→CIX 루키 도약(종합)[V하트비트]" [BTS · MONSTA X, honored with 2 crowns ‥ ITZY→CIX Rookie Leap (Comprehensive) [V Heartbeat]] (in Korean). Retrieved December 26, 2022 – via Naver.
^"한국갤럽조사연구소". www.gallup.co.kr. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
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