Sawayama

by Rina Sawayama

Overview

Bold and fearless, Japanese-British singer/songwriter Rina Sawayama made her full-length debut with the genre-bending statement Sawayama. Rooted in the sounds of the early 2000s, the set lovingly mines that era's mainstream melange of teen pop, nu-metal, and beat-driven R&B, twisting the familiar with updated production and complex lyrical substance. At its core, Sawayama is about identity and finding oneself while navigating through minefields of culture, race, gender, and sexuality. Pulled between East and West ever since moving from her native Japan to northern London at a young age, Sawayama bridges both worlds and tackles issues common to those with cross-cultural backgrounds. On this journey, she addresses intergenerational conflict and the burden of family history with the dramatic "Dynasty" -- which sounds like her biggest inspiration, Utada Hikaru, fronting early-era Evanescence -- and "Akasaka Sad," an electro-trap time warp that sounds like something Aaliyah might have done. After symbolically breaking the chains of hereditary pain and filial pressure, she sets her sights on the dangers of losing oneself to capitalist excess with "XS," a throwback to early-era Destiny's Child and Christina Aguilera that's amplified with buzzing metal riffs. Those guitars subtly prepare listeners for the aggressive metallic uppercut "STFU!" On this standout track, she vents her anger and frustration, taking aim at fetishized Yellow Fever fantasies and the white male gaze with a force that would make Korn and Deftones proud. Once these demons are exorcized, she slides onto the dancefloor with the throwback club track "Comme des Garcons (Like the Boys)," cleverly employing the name of the iconic Japanese fashion brand and the original French phrase on this slick empowerment anthem dedicated to girl power and the queer community. Throughout, Sawayama deftly walks the line between confrontational force and wounded vulnerability, one minute fighting for acceptance on "Love Me 4 Me" and then struggling to find hope on "Fuck This World" and "Who's Gonna Save U Now?" When she's not lashing out against outside forces, she atones for past wrongs to family ("Paradisin'") and friends ("Bad Friend") and dedicates her affection and solidarity to the LGBTQ community ("Chosen Family"). With such lyrical and stylistic density to absorb, it's a wonder that she executes it so flawlessly. On this stunning debut, Sawayama captures Dua Lipa's future nostalgia and Poppy's metal-meets-pop savvy, rightfully making it her own with more depth, bigger thrills, and a limitless palette. ~ Neil Z. Yeung

Product Details

Release Date:	11/17/2023
Label:	Dirty Hit
UPC:	5060257961610
Rank:	25757

Tracks

1. Dynasty
2. XS
3. STFU!
4. Comme des Gar¿¿ons [Like the Boys]
5. Akasaka Sad
6. Paradisin'
7. Love Me 4 Me
8. Bad Friend
9. Fuck This World (Interlude)
10. Who's Gonna Save U Now?
11. Tokyo Love Hotel
12. Chosen Family
13. Snakeskin

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Rina Sawayama   Primary Artist
Elton John   Primary Artist
Pabllo Vittar   Primary Artist
Coco Morier   Featured Artist
Bree Runway   Featured Artist

Technical Credits

Bram Inscore   Composer
Nicole Morier   Composer
George Daniel   Composer
Nate Campany   Composer
Jonny Lattimer   Composer
Kyle Shearer   Composer
Schella   Composer
Matthew Healy   Composer
Adam Hann   Composer
Ross MacDonald   Composer
Clarence Clarity   Composer
Lauren Aquilina   Composer
Oscar Scheller   Composer
Danny L. Harle   Composer
Rich Cooper   Composer
Dream Wife   Remix Engineer
BloodPop   Composer
Rina Sawayama   Composer
Brabo   Remix Engineer
Bree Runway   Composer
Chris Lyon   Composer
Adam Crisp   Composer