SAWAYAMA - Rina Sawayama

“...a masterful blend of eclectic songwriting, engaging production, insightful lyrics, and an unapologetic wallop of Sawayama’s personality.”

From “Best of April 2020”

Rina Sawayama – this is a name which first entered the purview of music fans with her eponymous debut EP, RINA. With the release of her debut album, SAWAYAMA, she marks the end of an exciting musical transition from her first release to her first full-length record, fittingly bookended by her surname. The album, released on April 17, 2020 through Dirty Hit Records, is a masterful blend of eclectic songwriting, engaging production (by Clarence Clarity), insightful lyrics, and an unapologetic wallop of Rina’s personality.

With a low woodwind drone starting the album off and portending the epic intensity to follow, “Dynasty” is a monster of an opening track. Right away, SAWAYAMA’s powerfully emotional vocals focus listeners’ attention on the lyrics of the song, which concern Rina’s familial struggles and her assertion that “the pain in my vein is hereditary.” The song progresses into a bold and unconventional blend of diva pop, nu metal, and an almost military march rhythm. This song sets the tone of the album to one of unapologetic authenticity. In the following tracks, “XS” and “STFU!”, Rina expresses her frustrations with excessive consumerism and microaggressions, respectively, with a cutting delivery of tongue-in-cheek lyrics (and a Lil Jon sample). These two tracks showcase some of the catchy pop hooks and tight metal riffage that this album is packed with, suggesting a wide range of influences from 2000s pop icons like Britney Spears to modern glitch-pop and hyper-pop artists like Billie Eilish, Poppy, and Grimes.

“These two tracks showcase some of the catchy pop hooks and tight metal riffage that this album is packed with.”

The following four songs both progress Rina’s personal narrative on this album and allow Clarence Clarity to show off his unique production style. “Akasaka Sad” and “Paradisin’” expand on the theme of familial turmoil with lyrics concerning hereditary depression and Rina’s childhood struggles with strict parents, while “Comme de Garçons (Like The Boys)” and “Love Me 4 Me” follow her journey of developing self-confidence. The production on this leg of the album is vibrantly eclectic, referencing a broad scope of genres from nightclub pop to pop-punk to 90s hip-hop. “Paradisin’” could be a cut off of an early Jonas Brothers project, while “Love Me 4 Me” would be the best song on a Bruno Mars album. An album with this many different styles runs the risk of sounding disjointed or disingenuous. However, not only does Rina tie the songs together with her soaring vocal lines and intimate lyrics, she also proves herself to be a musical chameleon, proficient at working within a number of different genres.

The final stretch of this album contains some of Rina’s most powerfully vulnerable work yet – “Bad Friend,” “Tokyo Love Hotel,” and “Chosen Family.” “Bad Friend” is my personal favorite on the album, with its relatable lyrics, subtle presentation, and utterly jaw-dropping production. When Rina sings the first chorus, “I’m so good at crashing in,” it feels like the moment at the top of a roller coaster hill when you briefly become weightless. “Tokyo Love Hotel” is cut from a similar emotional cloth, with Rina presenting her love and unique connection to her hometown as distinct from that of people who are merely fascinated by (or fetishizing of) the country of Japan. “Chosen Family” marks yet another stylistic reference, this time to 80s power ballads, with its distorted guitar leads and echoing percussion. It’s a touching anthem to the LGBTQ+ community and the sense of belonging that Rina has found with her “Chosen Family,” and a great lead-up to the sludgy album closer, “Snakeskin.”

“When Rina sings the first chorus, it feels like the moment at the top of a roller coaster hill when you briefly become weightless.”

My only complaint about this record is that, at times, the heavy metal references seem a bit heavy-handed, especially on the anthemic arena rock song, “Who’s Gonna Save U Now?” In addition, Rina’s profound lyrics are occasionally obscured by her tendency to fit too many syllables into a small amount of time. However, the lyrics on this entire album are well worth the Google.

Overall, this album was a joy to listen to from start to finish, and I predict it will be a tough contender for the best album of 2020. Rina Sawayama has given us a window into the world she sees, nicely packaged into a collection of thirteen catchy, eccentric pop songs. We live in an era where the music industry is so oversaturated that for every groundbreaking new talent, there are ten other artists to which they could be compared. While comparison is a great way to give someone reading an article a ballpark idea of what an album sounds like, it can undercut the uniqueness and individuality of new, forward-thinking artists. Rina is not the next Britney Spears, or the next Billie Eilish, or the next Poppy but she clearly takes influence from all three. Her music is powerfully unique, deeply personal, and on the cutting edge of current pop music trends. SAWAYAMA is Sawayama, and she is a force to be reckoned with.

For Fans Of: Grimes, Billie Eilish, Poppy 

Listen To: “Bad Friend,” “Dynasty,” “Tokyo Love Hotel”