Please, Listen to Rina Sawayama
- Logan W
- Apr 9, 2019
- 6 min read
You'd only be doing yourself a favor. Despite being only an EP and a few singles into the discography of the brilliant Rina Sawayama, I think it's safe to say that I'm in love with every reverberation she has puts to speakers thus far.
Spotify Shuffle is at it again with this one. After listening to some Doja Cat in wake of the creation of my previous post, I found myself here. To provide some context about who Rina Sawayama is as an artist; Rina is a British Pop singer of Japanese origin, who happens to be not only a model for the likes of giants like Versace, but is also a Cambridge graduate. That's about the extent of my knowledge on Rina, but we're going to just get right into the songs themselves, as the music really speaks for herself. Repping a shallow Spotify page of a mere ~15 or so songs, with 2 of those being interludes from her EP, we're just going to run through a slew of some of her greatest hits in an effort to convince you to give her a listen!
1. "Cherry"
I'm pretty sure this is the first track I heard from Rina. Probably was, because my goodness, does this track hook you immediately. Instantaneously, a futuristic opening sound effects invites the listener into a fantastical world of bright, colorful radiance. a Bell chimes as Rina's angelic vocals pull the listener up, with stout synthesizers rising in underneath in the mix to offer support. A meticulously plucked, rolling bass whisks the listener away into a whirlwind of a chorus. With a level of charisma akin to JT's "Suit and Tie", the percussion catches up to the bassline to blast the listener square in the jaw with the most glamourous melody one could imagine. The glitz pulls back to only briefly as the listener is offered a brief moment of clarity to listen to Rina's word. The moment it becomes apparent that Rina is using this alluring aesthetic to masquerade an intimate account of sexual expressionism is only an instant as the pre-chorus captivates once more. With butterflies rising in her listener's stomach, Rina mystifies over the hook once more as the momentum of the track comes around in full-swing. Suddenly, all of this euphoric energy vanishes, with a nearly chilling bridge allowing Rina a moment of introspection. This passing thought recedes as suddenly as it appeared, with Rina confidently dancing her way across the marvelous cheer the production offers. I listen to my fair share of pop music, and this song is one of the most gripping tracks I've heard in some time on all fronts. Cannot recommend this enough.
2. "Cherry (Piano Version"
If you've ever heard my takes on any run of the mill R&B album, you know I tend to be least fond of the slow, snoozer, piano ballads. A mini-rant here, but in my opinion, 9 times out of 10, artists play songs like these exceedingly safe. If you choose to utilize more barren production styles, such as an acoustic cover or piano ballad, it's you on the artist to go above and beyond in another feel. Your delivery better be phenomenal, the spotlight is all on your vocals. Your lyrics need to be meaningful if you're placing so much emphasis on what you have to say. Zero disparity in tone between your voice and production can exist if you want to stick the landing convincingly. A lot of artists treat the Piano crooner with the same approach they'd have with any other track, and it always results in the most droning, boring, uninteresting track of the album. To cover a song on top of this? You either have to be creative enough to put an enthralling spin on an already limited medium, or talented and versatile enough to outperform the original artist vocally if you want to match their same tone. So, for Rina to absolutely knock the doors off of this performance with ease? Safe to say I was flabbergasted. Opting for the former option of flipping the original track on its head, the inherent ambiguity in the lyrics allow for a soul-crushing, tear-jerking performance of this once bubblegum-my romp of a song. The way the delivery on lines like "Now it's something else" and " Cause, oh, they make me feel alive" completely recontextualizes their meaning is breath-taking. I've never heard a declaration of one's vivacity sung so pallid. If a straight-up good time isn't a good time for you, give this version of Cherry a spin, it's thrilling for all the opposite reasons.
3. "Cyber Stockholm Syndrome"
Man, where to start with this gem? Chronologically, this track initiates with some bluntly-put, relatable storytelling, that progressively draws the listener in. The addition of subtle crowd noises at the start of the track insert the listener into the much too understandable feeling of posting up the wall of a party, isolated and out of place. The line "Pretty but sad on the inside" describe not only the girl's emotions but whole of the scenario drawn as the song shifts perspective to the girl, pondering her found situation. Analyzing the disconnect from the world and those around her she's feeling, suddenly, her phone strikes as a beacon of over-stimulating escapism from her dire straits. The instrumental swells in monumental fashion as the safe haven of the cyberspace captures the girl's cognition, with the chorus hitting in a way paralleling this transfer of worlds. And with no other way to honestly put it... IT. HITS. The melancholy of drab reality laid out in the verse is decimated by quite possibly the most engaging, enthralling, impactful chorus I have heard in years. That sprawling run hit in the melody enchants me, the jubilance of the music inflicts a parallel Stockholm effect that the getaway of the phone has offered the girl. I'm not going to breakdown the "phones are soul-sucking juju demon" message we have all heard and ignored many of times, but the way it’s done here is nothing short of poetry to me. The verse following the chorus has this charismatic aura of a classic R&B jam, with the drips and strings emulating the spirit of an Usher, or perhaps a Whatever You Need. You know when a song is so good it makes you do that stank face? I've been doing that while writing this, the track is as riddled with addiction as the tale it tells. The way the song progressives up to and through that transformative chorus? Unreal. If any of this has convinced you that there may be something, you'd find enjoyable here, do me a solid and slide this one a listen.
4. "Flicker"
Here's a more accessible choice, the classic trope of vaguely uplifting pop song done extremely well. The lyrics aren't the most remarkable, being a lot of the usual assuring, confidence building inclusivity you'd expert on a cut like this. Rina's performance is seemingly very genuine, however, and for as cheesy as the metaphor as negative influences being flickers in the light of positivity, Rina imparts the desired message convincingly. The chorus has these contrasting emotive and flat deliveries that bring the best out of each other, and it's just the little quirks like this that make Rina's music stand out so much to me. However, overall, this pick is much more production oriented, featuring a level of complexity that is usually not to be found in an admittedly formulaic song structure. There's a plethora of synths on display here, anchored with a dream team of a supporting cast. The chorus features this gliding electric guitar, a more acoustic, harpsichord sounding piano, some brassy symbols and the crisp clap along percussion necessary for a track like this. If your tastes are very top 40, this is probably the best stepping stone of a track into Rina's sound.
5. "Where U Are"
Had to finish this post on a strong note. I was really struggling with why this song had such a classic feel, what made it feel so familiar and inviting. Just discovered that this track borrows elements from The Jackson 5’s “I Wanna Be Where You Are”, which makes a whole lot of sense. That effortless groove had to come from somewhere. Realistically, easily the smoothest track of the bunch, Where U Are is nothing short of ear candy. The percussion has a rhythmic swaying that works so well in tandem with the floaty guitar riffs. I'd say that we're nearly in the realm of a Flower Boy / Kali Uchis cut with the unworried breeze this track brings. I'm a sucker for tracks that just ooze charm like this, Rina is an even-voiced artisan with a magnetic presence. Loosely tying into previously established themes through technological diction, Where U Are employs what I can only describe as a vintage haze. There's just this general fuzziness to what's going on to this track, that sort of distorting shimmer a hot summer day can trick the eyes with, only in audio form. To go from sugar-coated pop, to frosty vulnerability, to something as entrancing as this track in such a shallow sample size, one can only dream of what Rina Sawayama will put out next.
Keeping this blog post short in the hopes that it motivates a few of you to give my girl Rina a listen. I wouldn't want to spoil all the fun of discovering a new artist for you, formulate some opinions and let me know what you think of Rina Sawayama if you do give her a shot!
Blog Instagram (for updates) - @SneakySteezeCulture
Comments