Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner Reacts To Barack Obama Choosing Her Book As A 2021 Favorite

Barack Obama wraps up every year by sharing his favorite books, music, and movies of the past 12 months. He hasn’t dropped the music list yet, but he revealed his roster of 2021 books today and there is a music figure on it: Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast. Her book, Crying In H Mart, was one of the year’s most talked-about, even among folks who may not be aware of her music.

When Zauner caught word of the Obama co-sign, naturally, she was pleased. She shared Obama’s tweet and added a link to a viral 2010 video of a dog that sounds like it’s saying “Obama.” On Twitter and Instagram, she also shared some posts from others pointing out her inclusion on the list and/or congratulating her.

Both Zauner and Obama, by the way, are nominated for Grammys in 2022. Japanese Breakfast is up for Best New Artist and Jubilee is up for Best Alternative Music album, while Obama’s A Promised Land audiobook is nominated for Best Spoken Word Album.

Crying In H Mart has enjoyed a tremendous amount of attention and success. Earlier this year, Jimmy Fallon included it on his list of books that were under consideration for his “Summer Reads” book club. Also this summer, it was revealed the book is being adapted into a movie. On a related note, I’ll leave you with this hilarious photo Zauner shared earlier this month: