잔나비

Jannabi (Korean: 잔나비; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean indie rock band formed in 2012 under the independent record label Peponi Music. The band currently consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Choi Jung-hoon and guitarist Kim Do-hyung. Originally a quintet, keyboardist Yoo Young-hyun left in 2019, drummer Yoon Kyul in 2021, and bassist Jang Kyung-joon in 2022. 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 triple platinum for streaming by the Korea Music Content Association. The band broadened their repertoire in subsequent albums, including The Land of Fantasy (2021), Sound of Music Pt. 1 (2025), and Sound of Music Pt. 2: Life (2025), drawing from genres like art rock, baroque pop, and progressive rock. Jannabi has released a total of four 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 after the 2010s to headline the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, 10 years after winning the Penta Super Rookie Grand Prize in 2014. 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. Choi Jung-hoon first met Jang Kyung-joon in Bundang Elementary School and played with him in a school band called "After School Activity" 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. 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. 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