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Rina Sawayama

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This article is about the singer-songwriter. For the model and figure skater, see Rina Sawayama (model).
Rina Sawayama
Sawayama in 2018
Sawayama in 2018
Background information
Born (1990-08-16) 16 August 1990 (age 34)
Niigata, Japan
OriginLondon, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • model
Years active2013–present
LabelsDirty Hit

Rina Sawayama (Japanese stage name: リナ サワヤマ, born 16 August 1990) is a Japanese-English singer, songwriter and model. Born in Japan, she was raised from a young age in London, where she currently resides. Her debut mini-album, Rina, was released in 2017.

Early life

Rina Sawayama was born 16 August 1990 in Niigata, Japan.[1][2] She lived there until the age of five when her family decided to move to London, England, where she was raised and currently lives.[3] While studying politics, psychology and sociology at the University of Cambridge, she decided to pursue music and modelling. During her time at university, she was in a hip hop group called Lazy Lion with Theo Ellis from the indie rock band Wolf Alice.[1] She graduated from the university with a degree in politics.

Career

Musical career

Sawayama began her solo career in 2013, with the single "Sleeping in Waking". In June 2015, she released a music video, directed by Arvida Byström, to her track "Tunnel Vision".[4]

In 2016, she released the single "Where U Are", with an accompanying music video co-directed by Alessandra Kurr.[5] The single explored human interaction with digital media, with Sawayama explaining: "Online you can present your best edited self [and] your overheating phone substitutes human warmth. Weirdest of all—you’re together, but also very alone".[6]

In March 2017, her single "Cyber Stockholm Syndrome" premiered on The Fader.[7] Sawayama described the genesis of the themes of the track as: "the digital world can offer vital support networks, voices of solidarity, refuge, escape. That’s what ‘Cyber Stockholm Syndrome’ is about: pessimism, optimism, anxiety, and freedom".[7] In 2017, the singles ‘Alterlife’ and ‘Tunnel Vision’, a duet with Shamir were released, followed by her debut mini-album ‘RINA’.[8][9] Sawayama is an unsigned artist, and RINA was released independently.

In 2018, she released the new single ‘Valentine’ on Valentine’s Day.[10] The music video for album track ‘Ordinary Superstar’ was released in June 2018.[11] In August 2018, Sawayama released the track "Cherry", in which she explores her sexual identity.[12] Sawayama is set to embark on her ‘Ordinary Superstar’ tour across the UK and America in late 2018.[13]

In 2019, she was the support act for Charli XCX’s tour across the UK.

Modelling career

Sawayama has been signed to Anti Agency and Elite Model Management.

As of 2018, she has starred in campaigns for Versus x Versace,[14] Jourdan Dunn's Missguided,[15] and wrote and performed an original track for Nicola Formichetti’s MAC x Nicopanda.[16]

Collaborations

In 2016, Sawayama collaborated with artist John Yuyi on a visual series critiquing Asian, and Japanese, beauty standards. Subsequently, she was profiled in Vogue Magazine. In the interview, Sawayama described the genesis of the idea and collaboration: "For a lot of women in Japan, these are the expectations people put on them, from anime culture, kawaii culture... that can really put women at a disadvantage, objectifying and infantilizing them."[3]

Sawayama has worked with Nicola Formichetti for MAC x Nicopanda. Formichetti also directed the music video for Sawayama’s track ‘Ordinary Superstar’. The genesis of the partnership was outlined in i-D.[17]

Many of Sawayama’s tracks are co-written and produced by Clarence Clarity.

Critical reception

Sawayama's output has been met with critical acclaim, and has been featured in The Fader's Gen F series,[18] and the i-D Meets series, as well in The Guardian, Paper Magazine, The New York Times[19] and on the cover of Clash Magazine.[20]

Sawayama's singles have been described as "nostalgic greatness... ultra-sweet and shimmering pop",[21] and "90s R&B pop perfection. Very lounge. A little Solange. A smidge of peak-era Mariah".[22]

The Guardian deemed her album "bracing and modern... Sawayama might be keen to pay tribute, but she's proven she can shepherd pop into the future, too."[23]

Sawayama has been featured in numerous best of lists, including The Guardian's 18 for '18,[24] the 2017 Dazed 100,[25] and Pitchfork's Best Pop and R&B Albums of 2017.[26]

Personal life

In August 2018, Sawayama came out during an interview with Broadly, declaring: “I’ve always written songs about girls. I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned a guy in my songs, and that’s why I wanted to talk about it.” She identified as both bisexual and pansexual.[27]

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2019 Turn Up Charlie Layla Valentine Recurring role; 2 episodes

Discography

Extended plays

List of extended plays, with selected details, chart positions
Title Details Peak chart positions
JPN Digi.
RINA 93

Singles

Title Year Album
"Sleeping in Waking" 2013 Non-album singles
"Where U Are"[5] 2016
"This Time Last Year"[28]
"Cyber Stockholm Syndrome"[29] 2017 RINA
"Alterlife"[8]
"Tunnel Vision"[9](featuring Shamir)
"Valentine (What's It Gonna Be)"[10] 2018 Non-album singles
"Cherry"
"Flicker"
"STFU!"[30] 2019 TBA

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Introducing: Rina Sawayama". Vibes of Silence. 4 November 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  2. ^ "RINA on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  3. ^ a b Kim, Monica (17 October 2016). "Meet the Tangerine-Haired Model and Singer Who's Taking On Asian Beauty Standards". Vogue. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  4. ^ Rina Sawayama (19 June 2015), Rina Sawayama - Tunnel Vision (Official Video), retrieved 13 July 2018
  5. ^ a b "Where U Are - Single by Rina Sawayama on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  6. ^ "Rina Sawayama streams smooth new track "Where U Are" - C-Heads Magazine". C-Heads Magazine. 1 February 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  7. ^ a b "Rina Sawayama's Glitchy R&B Captures The Realities Of Living & Loving Online". The FADER. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  8. ^ a b "Afterlife - Single by Rina Sawayama on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  9. ^ a b "Tunnel Vision (feat. Shamir) - Single by Rina Sawayama on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  10. ^ a b "Valentine (What's It Gonna Be) - Single by Rina Sawayama on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  11. ^ i-D (5 June 2018), Rina Sawayama - Ordinary Superstar (Official Video), retrieved 13 July 2018
  12. ^ "Singer Rina Sawayama Is Ready to Rep Her Pansexuality". Broadly. 14 August 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  13. ^ "Watch Rina Sawayama's new video for "Ordinary Superstar"". The FADER. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  14. ^ Dazed (1 September 2017). "Meet Versus Versace's new gang of multi-talented muses". Dazed. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  15. ^ Holt, Bethan (10 March 2017). "Jourdan Dunn on her empowering new collection - and what a supermodel really wears on the school run". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  16. ^ "nicola formichetti on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  17. ^ "read rina sawayama and nicola formichetti's texts to each other". I-d. 5 June 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  18. ^ "The FADER - GEN F". The FADER. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  19. ^ "Rina Sawayama Is Not the Asian Britney Spears". Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  20. ^ "Pixelated People: Rina Sawayama Interviewed". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  21. ^ http://thefourohfive.com. "Rina Sawayama's 'Where U Are' is ultra-sweet". The 405. Retrieved 13 July 2018. {{cite news}}: External link in |last= (help)
  22. ^ "Fall for the Smooth Curves of Rina Sawayama's "Where U Are"". Noisey. 28 January 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  23. ^ Aroesti, Rachel (21 December 2017). "Rina Sawayama: Rina review – R&B-fuelled peek into the pop future". the Guardian. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  24. ^ Williams, Holly; Brinkhurst-Cuff, Charlie; Fox, Killian; Snapes, Laura; Joshi, Tara; Cumming, Laura; Hans, Simran; Empire, Kitty; Devlin, Hannah (31 December 2017). "18 for '18: the talent and trends tipped for the top in 2018". the Guardian. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  25. ^ Dazed. "100 people shaping culture in 2017 | Dazed". Dazed. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  26. ^ "The 20 Best Pop and R&B Albums of 2017 | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  27. ^ Tsjeng, Zing. "Singer Rina Sawayama Is Ready to Rep Her Pansexuality". Broadly. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  28. ^ "This Time Last Year - Single by Rina Sawayama on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  29. ^ "Cyber Stockholm Syndrome - Single by Rina Sawayama on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  30. ^ "STFU! - Single by Rina Sawayama". Apple Music. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
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