Rina Sawayama
Rina Sawayama (リナ・サワヤマ, born 16 August 1990) is a Japanese and British singer, actress and model.[9] Born in Niigata, Japan, she immigrated to London with her parents at the age of five. In 2017, she self-released her debut extended play, Rina. After signing to Dirty Hit in 2020, she released her debut studio album, Sawayama, to critical acclaim. Her second studio album, Hold the Girl, was released on 16 September 2022. Known for her musical versatility,[10][11][12][13] Sawayama has also modelled for fashion campaigns, and made her film acting debut in the action film John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023).
For the model and figure skater, see Rina Sawayama (model).
Rina Sawayama
16 August 1990
Japan
- Singer
- actress
- model
London, England
- Vocals
- guitar
- harmonica
- flute
2013–present
Early life[edit]
Sawayama was born on 16 August 1990[14][15] in Niigata, Japan.[1] She lived there until age five when her family decided to move to London, where she was raised and currently resides.[16] She holds an indefinite leave to remain (ILR) visa in the UK.[9] According to Sawayama, the family's plan was to return to Japan when she turned ten, but they chose to stay in London. Due to her inability to communicate in English, Sawayama struggled to understand her teachers and peers. She eventually connected with others through pop music. While she began adjusting to her life in London, Sawayama attempted to "preserve" her Japanese culture by indulging in it which she said included listening to musical acts such as Hikaru Utada and Morning Musume.[17]
At the age of 16, she began posting music covers on Myspace, and during sixth form she formed a hip hop group called Lazy Lion.[18] In a September 2023 interview with BBC News, Sawayama said that she had been sexually groomed by a school teacher when she was 17. She subsequently underwent sex and relationship therapy for the trauma. Sawayama went on to cover the experience in second studio album, Hold the Girl, particularly in the song "Your Age".[19]
Sawayama attended Magdalene College, Cambridge where she studied politics, psychology and sociology.[20] She graduated from the university with a degree in political science.
Career[edit]
2013–2016: Early career[edit]
Sawayama began her solo career in February 2013, with the single "Sleeping in Waking", produced by Justin "Hoost" Tailor. A 7-inch vinyl of the single, featuring a new song titled "Who?" as the B-side, was released in April 2013 through UK label Make Mine.[21][22] Later that year, she released the single "Terror" on Halloween under the stage name of "Riina".[23] Sawayama would later reveal in a 2021 Billboard interview that the reason she used only her first name is because her last name was "an inconvenience".[24]
In June 2015, she released a music video, directed by Arvida Byström, to her track "Tunnel Vision".[25] In 2016, she released the single "Where U Are", with an accompanying music video co-directed by Alessandra Kurr.[26] 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."[27] The song has been described as "nostalgic greatness… ultra-sweet and shimmering pop",[28] and "90s R&B pop perfection".[29]
Other ventures[edit]
Modelling career[edit]
Sawayama is signed to Anti-Agency and Elite Model Management. In 2017, she was chosen for Versus x Versace's fall/winter campaign.[76] She has also starred in campaigns for Jourdan Dunn's Missguided,[77] and wrote and performed an original track titled "Play on Me" for Nicola Formichetti's MAC x Nicopanda.[78] In September 2021, she walked the runway for Balmain to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of Olivier Rousteing being the head of the French House.[79] Sawayama was featured on the cover of British Vogue in June 2023.[80]
Collaborations[edit]
In 2016, Sawayama collaborated with Taiwanese visual artist, John Yuyi, on a visual series critiquing Asian, including Japanese, beauty standards. Subsequently, she was profiled in Vogue. 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 infantilising them."[16] 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.[81]
Artistry[edit]
Sawayama has said that she began singing after her family engaged heavily in karaoke and first sang "Automatic" by Hikaru Utada in front of her parents as its music video aired on television.[82] She cited Utada as the reason she "started doing music."[83] She has mentioned Madonna as a "huge inspiration" to her.[84] Sawayama also frequently cites Lady Gaga as an inspiration[85][86] and began using her vocal technique bel canto after researching her singing techniques.[83] She listed Aretha Franklin, Beyoncé, Janelle Monáe, Alicia Keys and Karen O as vocalists she admires. At the age of twelve, Sawayama convinced her father to give her a guitar after she began listening to Avril Lavigne and taught herself to play chords on it. She subsequently began writing songs after doing so.[87] Other influences Sawayama cite include: Christina Aguilera,[88] Britney Spears, Evanescence, NSYNC, Kylie Minogue, Limp Bizkit,[89] Pink, Ringo Sheena and Taylor Swift, among others.[90][91]
Public image and personal life[edit]
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 identifies as pansexual.[92]
In May 2020, Sawayama revealed that she was doing an online course at the University of Oxford.[93] In July 2020, she signed an open letter to the UK Equalities minister Liz Truss calling for a ban on all forms of LGBT+ conversion therapy.[94] In a September 2022 interview with Them, Sawayama mentioned that she has IBS.[95][96]
In 2017, Sawayama was ranked in The Guardian's "18 for '18" list as well as Dazed's "100 people shaping culture in 2017" list.[97][98] Lady Gaga described Sawayama as "an experimental pop visionary who refuses to play by the rules".[99]