There is a team that touches the hearts of listeners who are exhausted after a hard day. It’s Jannabi.
Jannabi were boys who became adults before us. They always were. They were out of sync with the times, and that’s why they stood out more. While someone next to them was pushing the latest trendy beats, they chose to dust off their 70s LPs and pick up the needle again.

But strangely enough, that method didn’t look old. No, it was old but cool. That’s why it shouldn’t be called retro, but ‘Jannabi-style nostalgia.’ This is the question they asked themselves while preparing for their fourth regular album.
“What is music?”

It’s profound. And a little scary. When people in the music business ask this question, one of two things happens. Either they’re in a crisis or they’ve made something really good. I want to believe that Jannabi is closer to the latter. Otherwise, there’s no way their concert tickets would sell out that fast.

Choi Jung-hoon said that he wanted to feel music as ‘fun’ again. We can also sympathize with those moments when music felt like a ‘job’ or ‘work’. Just try working at a company for 10 years. You will see how quickly something you started out doing because you liked it turns into a sense of disappointment.

Kim Do-hyung said that he focused more intuitively on the emotions and inspirations of the moment. In other words, he “just did whatever he felt.” If a musician says this, it’s cool, but if an office worker says it, they get in trouble. It’s the difference between art and work.

Don’t say ‘retro’, Jannabi is ‘collage’

Jannabi has already set up a defense line in advance, fearing that the word ‘retro’ will be used for this album. “It’s not just retro~ We are a sound collage edited with a modern sensibility~”

Sound collage. It may sound like a strange term. But when you listen to it, it makes sense. They don’t simply copy old sounds, but ‘edit’ past emotions in a modern way. So, it’s a magic that only ‘adult boys’ can use, where old emotions strangely sound like my story now.

The profile that was revealed together is also interesting. Natural light, instruments, and Jannabi’s signature blank face. They are full of energy on stage, but they always act indifferent in photos. That concept suits them so well. It seems like they are saying “We are still emotional” with just one profile.

On April 26th and 27th, they will hold a solo concert at Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium. The concert title is ‘All Boys and Girls 2025’. Just looking at the title, it sounds like some kind of time travel musical.
Now most of us are neither boys nor girls. We are just adults who go to work, work overtime, and shed tears over our bank balance. Even knowing this, Jannabi will ask on stage, “But still, weren’t we all boys and girls?”

Jannabi said that they asked the question, ‘What is music?’ in this album.
If you ask me, my answer is this.
Music is something that someone makes with sincerity, and someone else accepts with quietness. That’s why we willingly buy albums, stream them, and rush to concert halls.

Jannabi has created such a temperature of emotion this time too. All we have to do is gently lift that warmth.
Jannabi starts again. We follow along quietly.


Reporter Yang Hyeong-mo hmyang0307@donga

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.