Rina Sawayama
Rina Sawayama (born 16 August 1990 in Niigata, Japan) is a Japanese-British… Read Full Bio ↴Rina Sawayama (born 16 August 1990 in Niigata, Japan) is a Japanese-British London-based singer, songwriter, producer, model, and actress. Born and raised in Japan until moving to the UK at the age of 5, Rina would go on to study politics at Cambridge University. At university, she decided to pursue both modeling and her love for singing. She would go on to experiment in a hip hop group before deciding to pursue her interest in R&B and pop music.
Rina began collaborating with London-based producer Hoost and released her debut single ’Sleeping In Waking’ in 2013. In 2016, she was included in The Fader's 13 Artists You Need To Know About In 2017. Her debut EP ’RINA’ was released in 2017.
In 2018, she released the new single ’Valentine’ on Valentine’s Day. The music video for album track ’Ordinary Superstar’ was released in June 2018. In August 2018, Sawayama released the track ’Cherry’, in which she explores her sexual identity. Sawayama embarked on her ‘Ordinary Superstar Tour’ across the UK and United States in late 2018.
In 2019, Rina began to rollout of her debut full-length album, starting with the single ‘STFU!’, which is based on her experiences of micro-aggressions as an Asian woman. The album's third single ’XS’, which serves as a satirical criticism of modern capitalism, was released in March 2020, and was well received, helping her get her name more known. The album, ’SAWAYAMA’ was finally released on April 17, and went onto become one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year. It was praised for its mix of genres, wide range of influences and vocal performances. The project made multiple end-of-year lists, notably ranking #1 on The Line Of Best Fit's list. The album was also loved by musical icon Elton John, who would then go on to feature on a new duet version of the single ‘Chosen Family’.
Rina would embark on the ‘Dynasty Tour’ for the album in 2021 after being delayed a year. Soon after in May 2022, Rina announced her sophomore album ’Hold The Girl’, scheduled for a September 2nd release, along with the lead single ‘This Hell’, which puts a fun spin on negative stigma towards the LGBTQ+ community. The album's release was pushed back to September 16th, with the singles ’Catch Me In The Air’, the title track, ’Phantom’ and ‘Hurricanes’ being released in the run up. The record also garnered positive reviews upon release, and debuted at #3 on the UK charts, Rina's first time charting this high. The ‘Hold The Girl Tour’ began in October 2022, and ended in February of the following year. This tour was followed up by a second run of North America, titled ‘Hold The Girl Tour - Reloaded’, beginning in June 2023, and rounding up the tour and era in October of the same year.
Many of Sawayama’s tracks are co-written and produced by Clarence Clarity. She has also collaborated with the likes of Shamir, Bree Runway, and Charli XCX, the latter of which's collaboration ’Beg For You’ gave Rina her first top 40 hit in the UK. In September 2023, Empress Of released her single ‘Kiss Me’ featuring Sawayama.
Rina began collaborating with London-based producer Hoost and released her debut single ’Sleeping In Waking’ in 2013. In 2016, she was included in The Fader's 13 Artists You Need To Know About In 2017. Her debut EP ’RINA’ was released in 2017.
In 2018, she released the new single ’Valentine’ on Valentine’s Day. The music video for album track ’Ordinary Superstar’ was released in June 2018. In August 2018, Sawayama released the track ’Cherry’, in which she explores her sexual identity. Sawayama embarked on her ‘Ordinary Superstar Tour’ across the UK and United States in late 2018.
In 2019, Rina began to rollout of her debut full-length album, starting with the single ‘STFU!’, which is based on her experiences of micro-aggressions as an Asian woman. The album's third single ’XS’, which serves as a satirical criticism of modern capitalism, was released in March 2020, and was well received, helping her get her name more known. The album, ’SAWAYAMA’ was finally released on April 17, and went onto become one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year. It was praised for its mix of genres, wide range of influences and vocal performances. The project made multiple end-of-year lists, notably ranking #1 on The Line Of Best Fit's list. The album was also loved by musical icon Elton John, who would then go on to feature on a new duet version of the single ‘Chosen Family’.
Rina would embark on the ‘Dynasty Tour’ for the album in 2021 after being delayed a year. Soon after in May 2022, Rina announced her sophomore album ’Hold The Girl’, scheduled for a September 2nd release, along with the lead single ‘This Hell’, which puts a fun spin on negative stigma towards the LGBTQ+ community. The album's release was pushed back to September 16th, with the singles ’Catch Me In The Air’, the title track, ’Phantom’ and ‘Hurricanes’ being released in the run up. The record also garnered positive reviews upon release, and debuted at #3 on the UK charts, Rina's first time charting this high. The ‘Hold The Girl Tour’ began in October 2022, and ended in February of the following year. This tour was followed up by a second run of North America, titled ‘Hold The Girl Tour - Reloaded’, beginning in June 2023, and rounding up the tour and era in October of the same year.
Many of Sawayama’s tracks are co-written and produced by Clarence Clarity. She has also collaborated with the likes of Shamir, Bree Runway, and Charli XCX, the latter of which's collaboration ’Beg For You’ gave Rina her first top 40 hit in the UK. In September 2023, Empress Of released her single ‘Kiss Me’ featuring Sawayama.
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Rina Sawayama Lyrics
10-20-40 Driving with no brakes on Waiting for your phone call Talkin…
Akasaka Sad Hotel corridor Blacked out rear window Crawling under my ski…
Alterlife How many lies must I become To get to a place…
Bad Friend We ran through the bright Tokyo lights, nothing to lose Summ…
Bees Money, money We like to party Money, money, money, that bees…
Catch Me In the Air Hey there, little girl, don't you wanna see the world? Don't…
Cherry Hello, can I speak to Oh, never mind So won't you? Will…
Chosen Family Where do I belong Tell me your story and I'll tell…
Comme des Gar "Can I just record you doing that" (Is it on?) Ooh, I…
Cyber Stockholm Syndrome Girl in the corner, stirring her soda Biting the shit out…
Dance in the Dark (Baby loves) (Loves to dance) (Ooh) (She loves, she loves to…
Dynasty I'm losing myself In the darkness of the world Catch me befo…
Enter Sandman Say your prayers, little one Don't forget, my son To include…
Eye For An Eye You've taken everything I love from me Now it's time to…
F**k this World Sometimes I can only see the bad side of our…
Flavour Of The Month January, you used to keep me warm Wore me like an…
Flicker These days looking sideways Sadness, not from heartache Cold…
Forgiveness Oh, just when I thought I'd weathered the storm Rain starts …
Frankenstein Put me together Thread a needle So I'm like other people Wit…
Fuck This World Sometimes I can only see the bad side of our…
Hold The Girl Reach inside and hold you close I won't leave you on…
Holy Heavenly, that was me A vision, at seventeen Loves to read, …
Hurricanes April showers finally making way for warmer weather But yet …
Imagining Could we be imagining Could we be imagining Could we be Wid…
Love It If We Made It We're fucking in a car, shooting heroin Saying controversial…
Love Me 4 Me Babe, I've been telling you If you can't love yourself How a…
Lucid Oh (You know, lately) Oh (I've been dreaming) (Dreaming abou…
Minor Feelings How am I supposed to feel When you're telling me that…
Ordinary Superstar You know... It's not all it seems Underneath it all We're al…
Paradisin I went and messed up again Went against everything you said …
Phantom Once upon a time There was a girl, pleasing the world Dying…
Send My Love to John Cross the border in the summer of '73 Left my mother…
Sleeping In Waking Ever since the day that we met I have had to…
Snakeskin Looking for forgiveness I ran into your madness Shutting off…
STFU! Let's go I want to know, I want to know, yeah I…
Take Me as I Am Every single day I fight another war Every single night I…
This Hell Let's go, girls Ha, ha, ha, ha Saw a poster on the…
This Time Last Year this time last year there was a twinkle in your eye while…
Time Out Away, away, away I go See me taking up in a…
To Be Alive Flowers still look pretty when they're dying Blue skies alwa…
Tokyo Love Hotel Tokyo Tokyo (people don't know, with the taking) (Until it's…
Valentine What's it gonna, gonna be? What's it gonna, gonna be? What's…
We Out Here No matter what they say, we will not be afraid We…
Where U Are i wanna be i wanna be where u are oh, i oh, i can…
Who Rina! Rina! Rina! Rina! Rina! Rina! Rina! Rina! Rina! Alrig…
Who? Say, have you seen a Carioca? It's not a foxtrot or…
Whos Gonna Save U Now Rina! Rina! Rina! Rina! Rina! Rina! Rina! Rina! Rina! Alrig…
Xs More Hey, I want it all, don't have to choose And when…
Your Age Not a secret, not a problem Not a symptom or cure Not…