#aoty2020

Ily to the moon and back 13 times 💛

@taylornation

SAWAYAMA – RINA SAWAYAMA

Main Genres: Contemporary R&B, Dance Pop A decent sampling of: Electro Pop, Pop Rock, Alternative Metal, Art Pop

Rina Sawayama has been cultivating a distinctly loyal following of super fans over the past few years largely thanks to her one-of-a-kind charisma, her down-to-earth personality, and her incredibly ambitious vision as a popstar. She’s had a fair amount of critical success previously with singles like “Cyber Stockholm Syndrome” and “Alterlife” which both appeared on her 2017 debut EP Rina, but I would say that 2020 has really been her big moment as an artist. This is because her latest project and debut LP Sawayama has become somewhat of an internet pop behemoth, particularly in LGBTQIA+ spaces where the phrase “stream Sawayama” has essentially become its own meme phrase popping up in random comment sections. It’s not hard to see why this album has blown up, because Sawayama is a true expression of Rina’s amazing versatility as an artist and performer.

A very polished pop r&b style defines the album’s overall sound, but there's little bits and pieces of many different genres here - house, future bass, new jack swing, and even quite a bit of alternative metal. The stage is set perfectly for the elevated pop music experience that Sawayama has to offer with the larger-than-life rock opener “Dynasty”. Rina Sawayama's persona throughout this LP is that of a quirky badass dark horse pop diva and the underdog who ends up changing the game entirely. I'd go so far as to say that her bold personality is the strongest aspect of the entire album; no one could do this kind of music the way she does.

Other than that, it could also be her ability and her determination to use infectious pop music to unapologetically tackle important issues with clever lyrics and interesting production, like the way she tackles late stage capitalism on the r&b dancefloor track "XS" with its uncanny heavy metal guitar stabs, or how she addresses self-image on "Comme Des Garçons (Like The Boys)", all without neglecting the strength of the songs themselves. "Comme Des Garçons" in particular is such an undeniable pop banger with its heavy bass synths, slick production, and celebratory chorus that makes me long for her to give us a 10 minute club mix version. As an added bonus, the music videos for “Comme Des Garçons” as well as "XS" and "STFU!" are all equally polished, quirky, and hilarious and you should definitely check them out. Vulnerability is also one of the album’s key strengths, with songs like “Tokyo Love Hotel”, “Bad Friend”, and “Akasaka Sad” describing emotional experiences largely unique to Sawayama as a person with multiple nationalities stuck living between multiple homes.

Each song offers something different, and the short track lengths combined with the sonic variety makes for an exciting listening experience even after multiple listens. That being said, the surge of energetic and eclectic pop music that defines the album is brought to a bit of a halt with the slow sentimental ballad "Chosen Family", a track that I feel is under-developed and kills some of the album’s momentum right before the closing track. Still, I'm honestly just impressed with her ambition to explore so many different sounds on her debut LP. This album has left a lasting impression, and I'm keeping an eye out for all future Rina Swayama projects in the coming years. If Sawayama is any indication of her trajectory as an artist, then she's definitely gonna drop one of the best pop albums of the decade. Oh, and stream Sawayama 😘 8/10