After a four-year break, Japanese Breakfast returns with “Orlando In Love,” the lead single from the upcoming album “For Melancholy Brunettes and Sad Women,” which is set to release on March 21, 2025. The track represents a slight shift in tone, revealing a more subdued and introspective side of them.
The song opens with a delicate acoustic guitar that sets a melancholic mood, while Zauner’s soft vocals intertwine with subtle instrumentation. The upright bass and violin provide a rich backdrop without overpowering the song’s intimate atmosphere. Lyrically, “Orlando In Love” draws inspiration from Matteo Maria Boiardo’s “Orlando Innamorato,” exploring themes of unfulfilled desire and longing.
While the song is undeniably beautiful, it feels familiar, echoing past Japanese Breakfast tracks without introducing anything particularly new. At just over two minutes, the song is brief and restrained, leaving some listeners hoping for a more striking return after Zauner’s time away. Despite this, the track’s quiet beauty and Zauner’s layered vocals, especially in the hypnotic outro, still manage to captivate.
Though not a major departure from her earlier work, “Orlando In Love” is a sweet and tender reintroduction to Japanese Breakfast and leaves fans eager to hear what “For Melancholy Brunettes and Sad Women” has in store.