Notes

Rina Sawayama Puzzles
Rina Sawayama is an expert of turning cognitive dissonance into pop magic into music. The British-Japanese artist's debut LP, SAWAYAMA (2020), tapped into the heady emotions of the coronavirus pandemic and its increasing lockdown with its post-ironic sonics and fierce emotional screams that cried to broken hearts everywhere. Hold the Girl, her follow-up album from 2022, is a glimpse into a deeper emotional vulnerability that she has buried in the years. The album is a testament to her maturation and is one of the most authentic albums I've heard this year.


The 14 tracks of the album are touching portrayals of the complex emotional landscape that Sawayama has carved out for herself. They span from her anger and shame over her ex-partner's sexual abuse to her sorrow over deaths due to climate change. She has the ability to explain every lyrical scene with an awareness that not only expresses the emotions she is experiencing, but helps the listener. This is remarkable for someone who hasn't yet fully dealt with these traumas. When she sings about her conflicted relationship with her mother, or about finding her family, the music is always cathartic and sometimes euphoric in equal measure.


Sawayama's big voice, searing intelligence and her unique sound were all there when I watched her perform in London's O2 Academy Brixton on 26 October. She was at her best despite the long delay in her tour. She wore sextuple-jeans and a cowboy hat made of denim and cloak. The singer was accompanied by two dancers who leapt and danced across the stage to her strutting country-pop hits and the ominous rock of 'Akasaka Sad', but there was also space for more sombre moments such as the uplifting "Bad Friend" and the creepy "F**** This World', which brought the crowd into the aisles.


She isn't content with copying the sounds of the 2000s. Instead, she makes use of them as a springboard for creating something fresh and new. Instead, she makes use of these styles as a basis to create something unique and unique. https://www.rinasawayamamerch.com/ combine the Britney Backstreet teen disco of early 00s radio with Korn-esque nu metal, to create her own brand of queer Glam-rock. The drink is a head-banging delight, and those who grew up listening to that music can feel its force.


I'm not aware of any other contemporary artist who blends intimate narratives with songs that are arena-sized with such a sense purpose and authenticity. Her sophomore album is everything that I would want from a modern-day rebel pop artist and more. The album is about growing up and facing traumas from the past. It also looks towards the future. This album is a bold one that will have you singing along in no time. Hold the Girl The album that she has been working on is now available via Dirty Hit Records – home to The 1975 and Wolf Alice along with the newest ES Magazine cover girl Beabadoobee.


My Website: https://www.rinasawayamamerch.com/