Rina Sawayama

Whether she’s delivering a cheeky country-pop bop, getting sassy in the club or glamming up nu-metal, Rina Sawayama is building her own genre-blurring world. The experimental pop star uses maximal soundscapes and undeniable hooks to mould social issues and personal adversities into glittering, rousing jams. Born in Japan in 1990 and raised in London, Sawayama began her solo career in 2013. Her 2017 EP, Rina, with its Y2K-inspired sonic approach to identity and social-media validation, set the table for her 2020 debut album, Sawayama, an exploration of family trauma teeming with shredding guitar riffs, new jack swing and ominous trap drums. In 2022, she released Hold the Girl, diving even deeper into her life’s story to process pain and healing through a shifting lens of rock, electronic music and soaring ballads. Over the years, Sawayama has expanded her unique world through collaborations with Elton John, Charli XCX, Pabllo Vittar and LE SSERAFIM.