Rina Sawayama is pop’s new it girl. She’s created a riveting throwback to the Noughties with her debut album, which is in equal parts nostalgic and futuristic.
Family and identity are the stand-out themes. Sawayama was born in Japan but raised by her mum in north London — her British-Japanese culture and parents’ divorce is addressed up-front in opener Dynasty: “The pain in my vein is hereditary.” On STFU! she revisits the racist micro-aggressions she has experienced and tells those who are “expecting fantasies” about her to, well, shut the f*** up.
The album is also a love letter to the queer community. Chosen Family is lyrically quite earnest, but the ballad is a powerful ode to her LGBTQ+ friends. The house-based beats of Commes Des Garçons praises the confidence of the gay men who make up her chosen family.
No genre is off-limits. You can hear the influence of emo-rock Evanescence, nu metal Korn, and pop of early P!nk or Jojo - classic Noughties sounds woven into an intricate and electrifying listen.
