Jannabi (band)

Jannabi (; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean indie rock band formed in 2012 under the independent record label Peponi Music, whose core members consist of frontman Choi Jung-hoon and guitarist Kim Do-hyung. Originally a quintet, the duo has expanded to include session musicians at present. Themes commonly explored throughout their work include love, life, childhood, youth, and growth. Praised for their live performances and self-produced songs infused with profound lyricism unique to the Korean language and vintage overtones, they have grown as one of South Korea's most influential rock bands.

Jannabi's debut studio album, ''Monkey Hotel'' (2016), incorporated pop rock and yielded the successful single "Summer." The band rose to prominence and broke new ground in the Korean popular music scene that is almost dominated by idol groups for their critically acclaimed second album, ''Legend'' (2019), which exemplified a chamber pop style. Its lead single, "For Lovers Who Hesitate," topped South Korea's Circle Digital Chart, sold 2.5 million digital copies, and was certified double platinum for streaming by the Korea Music Content Association. They explored rock opera, narrating their personal struggles on their third album, ''The Land of Fantasy'' (2021), which solidified their diverse musicality.

Jannabi has released a total of three studio albums, three extended plays, and one reissue to date; three of which have peaked in the top ten and nine singles on the Circle Chart. Their accolades include a Golden Disc Award, two Korean Music Awards, two MAMA Awards, a Melon Music Award, a Seoul Music Award, and a The Fact Music Award. In 2024, Jannabi became the first South Korean rock band formed since the 2000s to headline the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival.

Name

Jannabi, an archaic Korean word for monkey, was formed by neighborhood friends in Bundang born in 1992, the Year of the Monkey in the Chinese zodiac. The team's name was suggested to them by a friend. They introduce themselves as a group sound, which 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 band music and represent the era.

History

Before 2012-2013: Formation and early years

Choi Jung-hoon first met Jang Kyung-joon in Bundang Elementary School and played with him in a school band called "After-school Hobbies" in Seohyun Middle School. Kim Do-hyung was in a different band called "Genesis." They were in neighborhood rival bands. Kim was initially aware of Choi for his exceptional singing abilities, while Choi was initially aware of Kim's work on self-composed songs using MIDI through Mule, a community website for musicians. Choi and Kim officially met at a Korean language academy in Bundang and hit it off, deciding to form a band together in high school. Since 2008, the three of them would regularly perform at Bundang Central Park.

Following high school graduation, Choi and Jang entered in universities while Kim did not, and they were also looking for contracts with entertainment companies to pursue music. In 2011, Kim and Jang debuted as part of the Yanghwajin Band (양화진) at CAN Entertainment and disbanded the following year. Choi was close to signing a contract but faced opposition from his family. He continued to audition alone and eventually became a trainee at FNC Entertainment to debut as part of N.Flying. He decided to leave after realizing creative differences with the agency and group, and he wanted to freely make music with his friends.

In 2012, Kim introduced his friend, Yoo Young-hyun, to Choi to join the group, forming Jannabi. Alongside their formation, Peponi Music, an independent record label led by Choi's brother, Choi Jung-joon, was established. They honed their skills through over 70 club live performances and 100 busking trips on the streets of Hongdae and Insa-dong.

In 2013, Jannabi auditioned for ''Superstar K5'' to raise their profile, with Kim and Yoo being eliminated and Choi joining the new group Plan B (플랜비), advancing to the Top 7. Choi later returned to Jannabi with Superstar K5 mentor Shinsadong Tiger, who helped them to set their direction and managed the group for their first digital single. S. Tiger did not intervene in the song modification, which won Jannabi's gratitude and praise.

2014-2015: Debut and new members

In 2014, the release of their debut single album, ''Rocket'', which was originally scheduled for April 18, was postponed due to the Sewol ferry disaster, expressing condolences to the victims. The song was officially released on April 28. Originally titled ''Love'' and performed in the GOGOS 2 underground club in 2013, the song blended folk rock and reggae beats, with brass and piano playing in a jazz style, creating a unique feeling. On July 24, Jannabi won the grand prize in Penta Super Rookie 2014, a contest that selects new bands to appear at the 2014 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival. Their debut performance at the festival was held on August 3. On August 28, Jannabi released their second single album, ''Pole Dance'', which included two tracks, "Pole Dance" and "Baby I Need You." On October 29, Jannabi released their third single album, ''November Rain'', followed by their second mini-solo concert at Club Ta in Hongdae on November 7. On November 8, Jannabi participated as one of the Top 10 finalists for the Hongdae Street Song Festival, an event that discovers amateur musicians in celebration of Joy News 24's 10th anniversary. On December 16, Jannabi released their first extended play, '' See Your Eyes''.

In 2015, Jang and Yoon Kyul joined Jannabi. Jang, a long-time guest member, became a regular member through a love call, while Yoon, a talented drummer majoring in drums in college, joined through an audition. In the same year, Jannabi started participating in composing and releasing original soundtracks for Korean dramas, including ''Let's Eat 2'', ''Ex-Girlfriends' Club'', and ''Second 20s''. Jannabi won the grand prize at Green Plugged Rookie Green Friends 2015, earning a spot at the 2015 Green Plugged Seoul Festival on May 23. On July 4, Jannabi held their fourth mini-solo concert, "Fire," at Rolling Hall in Hongdae. On November 25, Jannabi held their fifth mini-solo concert, "Change," at Hyundai Card Understage in Itaewon.

2016–2018: ''Monkey Hotel'' and collaborations

In 2016, Jannabi continued to release OSTs for K-dramas, such as "Wonderful" and "Beautiful" for ''Dear My Friends'', and "Can I Laugh?" for ''Drinking Solo''. Their unique approach to soundtrack creation earned them the title of "tvN civil servants." On June 1, EXID lead single "L.I.E. (Jannabi Remix)" was released. Jannabi celebrated their debut studio album ''Monkey Hotel'' release with a sixth solo concert on June 18, before its official release on August 4. The album features ten songs, with the title track "Summer." Recording in the studio involved trial and error, leading to delays. Jannabi gained attention by appearing on MBC's ''DMC Festival'' on October 11, ranking first on Naver's real-time search. Their seventh solo concert, "Jannabi and the New World," sold out in five seconds and topped the indie section's reservation rate with a market share of 39.8%.

In 2017, the collaboration between Yoon Jong-shin and Jannabi was broadcast on VLIVE Hidden Track No. V. Jannabi was chosen for their hard work in the Naver Musician League. They held a mini concert titled "Live to Unlock Yoon Jong-shin X Jannabi" in January, engaging 300 audiences. They made their first appearance on ''You Hee-yeol's Sketchbook'' in February, where they received praise from You Hee-yeol. They also appeared on '' Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend'' for the first time, covering Yoon Jong-shin's "My Day" song. Jannabi's eighth solo concert, "Stop, look and listen," at Ewha Womans University in June, sold out in two minutes and ranked first in the indie category of Interpark. The concert featured 26 songs in 150 minutes with a concept of an "abandoned opera house" and drew in 1,400 attendees. The band was labeled an "idol band" by the media. Jannabi later released a digital single called "She" on September 9, with Choi expressing hope that it would resonate with fans. Additionally, on December 30 and 31, Jannabi held their ninth solo concert, "Fantastic Old-fashioned End of the Year Party," which also sold out in the indie section with a market share of 38.2%.

In 2018, Jannabi announced the release of ''Monkey Hotel Special Edition'' on April 16, which included unreleased demo songs and a special lyric book. They also released the digital single "Good Boy Twist" on August 13, condensing the band's identity and the hardships that the present generation faces. The song was named one of the "2018 Songs of the Year" by ''IZM''. In the same year, the band collaborated with well-known artists such as Changmo, Lee Moon-sae, and Lee Su-hyun of AKMU. Their collaborations resulted in songs "Lilac," "On the Path," and "Made in Christmas," the lattermost of which entered the Melon Top 100.

2019–2020: Breakthrough with ''Legend'', line-up changes, and ''Jannabi's Small Pieces I''

Beginning of 2019, Jannabi released the "Like When We First Met" single, a remake of Yoon Jong-shin's song, and "Take My Hand" OST for ''Romance Is a Bonus Book''.

On March 13, Jannabi released their second studio album, ''Legend'', which quickly became a sensation. The album's title represents the hardships of youth becoming legendary over time. The lead single, "For Lovers Who Hesitate," gained massive popularity in South Korea, topping music charts dominated by K-pop idols with its retro sound. The song's lyrics, written by Choi, focus on not letting love slip away and staying hopeful for the future. This album led to a successful first national concert tour titled "Together," where they performed for a sold-out crowd of 7,600 fans from March to April. Additionally, the album's success caused their previous songs such as "November Rain" (2014), "Baby I Need You" (2014), "Summer" (2016), and "She" (2017) to climb music charts as well.

After rising to fame, Jannabi members faced controversies. Yoo voluntarily left the band in May after admitting to being a bully during his school years. Choi was accused of involvement in his father's company's fraud investigation, denied by Peponi Music. Choi apologized on Instagram for Yoo's controversy and clarified the false reports. A netizen spreading false information was fined million for defamation, with Peponi Music pursuing legal action against malicious commenters.

In the same year, Jannabi had successful performances at the Seongnam Park Concert and their two-day concert at the Olympic Hall. They won several awards in South Korea, such as Top 10 Artist at the Melon Music Awards and Best Band Performance at the Mnet Asian Music Awards. At the Korean Music Awards, they were nominated for five categories and won Song of the Year and Best Modern Rock Song. KMA wrote,

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 retro ballads 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.

In February 2020, Jannabi's second national concert tour titled "Nonsense II" commenced, performing at sold-out venues, including the Olympic Hall and Kim Daejung Convention Center. They had to cancel the Daegu, Busan, and Chuncheon concerts due to COVID-19 pandemic. Later, they donated to COVID-19 screening centers in Daegu.

In June 2020, Peponi Music announced Jang's temporary departure due to backlash over wedding news and military enlistment preparation. Choi and Kim continued as a duo, releasing Jannabi's second EP ''Jannabi's Small Pieces I'' in November with hit track "A Thought on an Autumn Night."

2021: ''The Land of Fantasy''

In 2021, Kim announced military enlistment on January 21. On March 14, Jannabi released "After a tumultuous night" as Drama Stage's Love Spoiler OST. Jannabi's third studio album, ''The Land of Fantasy'', was released on July 28 with the lead single "I Know Where the Rainbow has Fallen." Choi wrote and composed all thirteen tracks as the album producer, while Kim participated as a composer before his military enlistment. The album topped weekly album charts, entered the Top 10 bestselling albums of Circle Album Chart and received critical acclaim, including being named the Best Album and Best Rock Album of 2021 by Tonplein magazine. Additionally, it was nominated for Best Modern Rock Album at the 2022 Korean Music Awards.

Peponi Music announced the screening of Jannabi's film ''Jannabi Fantastic Old-Fashioned Returns! X Nonsense II'' at 50 CGV Cinemas starting September 9. The movie showcases live performances and behind-the-scenes footage from the band's concerts. Their pre-orders topped CGV bookings, and they broke a record with 91 stage greetings. The band then took a two-month hiatus to reorganize after the mentioned activities. On October 29, Jannabi paid tribute to No Brain by participating in the 25th anniversary project of the band and releasing the cover of their song "Midnight Music." On November 24, following reports about Yoon booked for assaulting a woman, Peponi Music responded that he has been promoting together with the band since his return as a guest, but is no longer under contract with the agency before he began his military service. On December 11, Jannabi, represented by Choi, received the Best Band Performance award at the 2021 Mnet Asian Music Awards.

2022–2024: ''Jannabi's Small Pieces II: Grippin'TheGreen''

In 2022, Jannabi released their comeback EP '' Jannabi's Small Pieces II: Grippin'TheGreen'' on May 10, featuring songs created at home while looking out the window. The lead single, "Grippin'TheGreen," topped the Bugs! chart and entered the Genie and Melon Top 100. All tracks from the EP also reached the top of the Bugs! chart.

The band performed at various university festivals and music events throughout the year 2022, including headlining slots at music festivals like Beautiful Mint Life, KT&G Sangsang Realization Festival, Seongnam Park Concert, Someday Festival, and Joy Olpark Festival. They released an OST titled "Look At You!" for the variety show "With the Silk of Dohpo Flying." On July 27, following the military discharge of Kim, they participated in the "K-Indie Music Night" in New York. On September 23, Jannabi appeared on ''Hidden Singer'' as the highlight artist with their episode ranking first in the time slot, Choi on sixth place in entertainment performers' overall ranking, and the band's representative songs re-entering various domestic charts. On September 26, Choi released a successful collaboration song with Kang Min-kyung titled "Because We Loved." In the same month, a promotional song "Drop the Beat" by Jannabi was released for the Buskers World Cup in Gwangju.

Jannabi's third national concert tour, the Fantastic Old-fashioned End of the Year Party!, attracted 50,000 people over three months, from November 2022 to January 2023, leading to sold-out shows. In January, they appeared on JTBC's '' Begin Again – Intermission''. In May, Choi hosted KBS late-night music talk show '' The Seasons''. On June 21, they released "Pony" with a music video in collaboration with Hyundai Motor Company. The song achieved success on various music charts. Jannabi performed in overseas concerts ''Immortal Songs Live Concert in US'' on October 26 and ''Korea on Stage in London'' on November 8.

In May 2024, several festival line-ups in South Korea, including over 12 university festivals have included Jannabi. They headlined The Glow 2024, KT&G Sangsang Realization Festival, and Seoul Park Music Festival. On August 4, they achieved a feat of performing on the 2024 Pentaport Headliner stage as the first among bands formed since the 2000s. On May 4, they performed in the Philippines for the first time at the 2024 Korea Festival in Manila. On June 1, they made their debut performance at the Seoul Jazz Festival. From August to September, Jannabi had their sold-out 10th anniversary solo concerts in Seoul and Busan, titled Fantastic Old Fashioned 2024: Movie Star Rising.

2025: ''Sound of Music Pt. 1''

On April 28, 2025, Jannabi released their fourth full-length album '' Sound of Music Pt. 1'', which coincided with their eleventh debut anniversary. The album featured a total of eight tracks, including the title track "May the Tenderness Be with You!" featuring Karina of Aespa. In support of the album's release, Jannabi will embark on a national concert tour titled All the Boys and Girls at Seoul’s Jamsil Arena on April 26–27 and May 3–4. They will head to Gwangju Women's University Universiade Gymnasium on June 14–15 and Daegu EXCO East Wing Hall 6 on June 28–29.

Artistry

Influences

Jannabi's major influences include Sanullim and The Beatles. They created "A Ballad of Non-Le Jon" to pay homage to The Beatles, reflecting their cynical pursuit of the top and also the band's encouragement to those waiting for their time. Their debut album, ''Monkey Hotel'', was primarily inspired by their old pop and rock of the 1970s influences, including Electric Light Orchestra, Player, and Gilbert O'Sullivan. Their second album, ''Legend'', draws on rock and roll and folk-pop styles that has earned them comparisons to South Korean legends including Kim Kwang-Seok, Sanullim, and Yoo Jae-ha by critics. Their third album, ''The Land of Fantasy'', was heavily influenced by The Moody Blues from the 1960s as revealed by Choi in an interview. 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. The band has also cited rock groups such as Simon & Garfunkel, Queen, Blur, Oasis, Led Zeppelin, The Beach Boys, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, and Procol Harum as influences. Individually, aside from the mentioned, Choi named Kim Chang-wan, Elton John, and Damon Albarn as his musical inspirations, while Kim cited Seo Taiji, Ozzy Osbourne, and The Edge of U2.

Musical style

Jannabi has typically been associated with variety of genres, including indie rock, psychedelic rock,folk, pop rock, chamber pop, and art rock with incisive lyrics and songwriting style suitable for easy listening. They incorporated the nuances of the roots of Korean popular music originally called ''gayo'' and classical music elements in innovative ways. In a 2017 interview with ''The Korea Herald'', defining the band's music, the members said: “Sound that comes from your parents’ car.” In a 2022 interview with ''Yonhap News Agency'', Choi 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." 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."

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." 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." 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.

Songwriting

Jannabi writes lyrics, composes, arranges, produces, and performs their own music. At their outset in 2014, while Choi has since been the record producer of their works, Choi, Kim, and Yoo write the lyrics together. Their songs were the product of collaborative songwriting. Choi was credited as the lyricist on their second studio album, ''Legend'', and continues to do so on subsequent releases of the band while collaborating on music with Kim. Choi attributed his early songwriting and classical music interests to his mother. This was captured on the band's collaboration song "Pony." Kim started making music at a young age, with his mother providing support by buying equipment after receiving a CD of his self-composed songs in middle school.

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. Rather than having an impact on a specific single, many of their albums are conceptual. Other themes of their music include romance, friendship, community, self-awareness, and fictional narratives.

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.

Members

Current members
* Choi Jung-hoon (최정훈) – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboards, percussion, synthesizer (2012–present)
* 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 Lotte e-commerce's digital video advertisements. The campaign is for customers in their 20s who enjoy sharing information and content. In October 2019, Jannabi was selected as the first Korean artist to be the brand ambassador for sound equipment manufacturer Fender.

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. 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. 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. 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.

Philanthropy

In November 2019, Jannabi donated their college festival fee to the development fund of Kyung Hee University, Choi's alma mater.

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.

In May 2022, Jannabi donated the entire amount of their college festival fee for the students of Kyung Hee University. In September 2022, Jannabi, who appeared at the Chilpo Jazz Festival, donated to Pohang for relief and recovery efforts after the city was hit by Typhoon Hinnamnor.

In July 2023, Jannabi donated 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. 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.

In January 2024, Jannabi reportedly performed for free at the festival of Yatap High School, Choi's alma mater, and delivered goods worth 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."

In March 2025, Jannabi donated to the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association for the wildfire victims in the Ulsan, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam regions.

Discography

Studio albums

* ''Monkey Hotel'' (2016)
* ''Legend'' (2019)
* ''The Land of Fantasy'' (2021)
* '' Sound of Music Pt. 1'' (2025)

Filmography

Films

Television series

Television shows

Concerts and tours

* Together (2019)
* Nonsense II (2020; cancelled)
* Fantastic Old-fashioned End of the Year Party! (2022-2023)
* Fantastic Old Fashioned 2024: Movie Star Rising (2024)
* All the Boys and Girls (2025)

Awards and nominations

State honors

Listicles

Notes

References

External links

Jannabi
on YouTube

Jannabi
on Naver

{{Authority control

South Korean indie rock groups
South Korean rock music groups
Musical groups established in 2012
2012 establishments in South Korea