Released: September 16
Rina Sawayama builds upon her blossoming pop dynasty on ‘Hold The Girl’ – a second album packed with culturally poignant and personally significant pop bangers.
Opening with the mellow Minor Feelings, the track sets the tone for an album that examines the social landscape of 2022 and the impact it has on one’s personal and mental state. ‘All my life I’ve felt out of place / All my life I’ve been saving face / For all these minor feelings,’ she sings over the chorus of the two-minute number, which segues into the album’s second track and title song.
Beginning with an allusion to Madonna’s classic Like a Prayer, the song dates back to 2020 when the singer-songwriter began work on the project and forms a backdrop for the collection, which was penned during a time of reflection for Rina.
Since releasing her debut long-player ‘SAWAYAMA’ in 2019, the Japanese-British star has been on a whirlwind journey both personally and professionally, but with the enforced downtime of the pandemic she was able to take her eyes off the future and dive into the past for an album that draws inspiration from artists such as Kelly Clarkson, The Corrs, Paramore, and Sugababes, along with Taylor Swift’s more recent LP ‘Folklore’.
Musically inspired by the artists she listened to during her formative years while lyrically addressing the taking of rights from the LGBTQ+ community, lead single This Hell namechecks a number of gay icons, including Britney Spears, Whitney Houston and Princess Diana, and touches on the scrutiny they’ve come under from the press.
Alongside culturally minded numbers, other tracks are more personal; Imagining deals with the paranoia of a relationship breaking down while Forgiveness sees Rina ‘Running in circles again / Reaching dead ends’ as she journeys down the ‘winding road’ of finding closure.
The indie-influenced Frankenstein examines her feelings of being broken, as Rina begs someone to ‘put me together, make me better’.
Meanwhile, a highlight from ‘Hold The Girl’, Holy, begins midtempo before building to a massive chorus that explores Rina’s relationship with faith, as she declares: ‘I was innocent when you said I was evil / I took your stones and I built a cathedral / Found my peace when I lost my religion / All these years I wished I was different’.
Ending with the reflective To Be Alive, the album’s closer sees the star uncover a new way of living that allows her to dive headfirst into every situation life has to offer and live in the moment.
‘Hold The Girl’ is a joy of an album that, while tackling an array of pressing issues, remains sonically uplifting with an overarching sense of nostalgia that leans back on simpler times. With so much going on across its 13 tracks, it’s an initially overwhelming experience, but with each listen a new layer is revealed and, ultimately, the true essence of Rina Sawayama is uncovered.
‘Hold The Girl’ is available now.
