Just when I thought that Monday was the worst day of the week, powerhouse performer Rina Sawayama cast a vibrant wave of pure ecstasy over my Monday mood as she took to the stage of her Hold The Girl tour in Cardiff. But, before we get into that, her upcoming appearance on Strictly Come Dancing may have a whole new group of fans asking: Who is Rina Sawayama?
What Has Rina Sawayama Done So Far?
Born in Niigata, Japan, Rina Sawayama first emerged onto the scene with her single ‘Sleeping in Waking’ back in 2013. It wasn’t until 2017, and the release of ‘Cyber Stockholm Syndrome’ and her debut EP RINA, that deemed her a rising pop girl staple.
Following the success of her debut, her critically acclaimed sophomore album SAWAYAMA dropped in 2020. It is a hyper, avant-pop masterpiece including hits ‘Commes des Garcons’, ‘LUCID’ and arguably her most successful single ‘XS’.
Such is Rina’s talent that she has been asked to perform on Sunday’s Strictly Come Dancing results show. She is about to follow in the footsteps of some musical greats and is sure to have picked up even more fans by the time another couple are eliminated from the competition.
See also: Up and Coming Indie Rock Artists To Add To Your Playlists
What Is Rina Sawayama’s Tour Like?
Just under five weeks since releasing her third studio album Hold The Girl on September 12th, Rina set out on her accompanying tour starting in Glasgow on October 12. This time around, she added a Cardiff date, giving us Welsh queers exactly what we’ve been asking for.
Her Cardiff show saw a diverse and creative array of individuals, coming together to let loose and be free to watch one of Britain’s rising representations of artistic queerness bring the house down.
Prior to the main event, the crowd was hyped with not one, but two supporting acts: Tom Rasmussen and Joesef. Both set the mood in their own respective approaches, Rasmussen with their unapologetic, expressive nature and Joesef’s soul-funk, synth pop sound.
The Main Event
The lights went down and, from the back, Rina emerges into a ring of spotlights kicking off the show with ‘Minor Feelings’, the first track from her latest album and smoothly into its title track ‘Hold The Girl’. Taking us through an emotional first act with her singles ‘Catch Me in the Air’, a song about the relationship she shares with her mother, and the pop ballad ‘Hurricanes’.
Rina summoned a rave-like energy within the crowd as I found myself lost in the hypersonic frenzy of back-to-back bops ‘Your Age’, ‘Imagining’ and ‘Frankenstein’- a personal favourite. But it didn’t stop there, as she interrupted the set list with pop-punk explosion ‘STFU!’ from her previous album.
Giving us time to recover from the craziness, Rina reverted back to her emotive persona performing another hit from the new album ‘Send My Love To John’, an acoustic ballad written about a parent’s apology to their queer child after not accepting them because of religious beliefs. The audience remained at their most hushed, lighting up the venue with torches while holding back tears.
Following a costume change Rina returned wearing a shimmering number. This was when I knew: the hits were making a comeback. Beginning the final act with ‘LUCID’ she slipped in a snippet of ‘Beg For You’, her collaboration with Charli XCX swiftly transitioning to classics ‘Commes des Garcons’ and the penultimate ‘XS’.
‘There’s a lot of sinners in this room’ Rina exclaims, bringing in the opening sounds of lead single ‘This Hell’, a tongue in cheek hit that criticises the hellish scrutiny received by the queer community while ironically celebrating the ‘eternal damnation’ in which we are allegedly headed.
Every person in the venue sang their hearts out in a left-side versus right-side singing competition, starting off as what felt like a fierce vocal battle and ending in a friendly union that closed the show perfectly. The Great Hall was left in a thrilling aftermath with everyone, including myself, rushing to the merch stand. It was a production of sheer creativity and talent. One that has branded Rina Sawayama further as one to watch in contemporary British pop music.
Read next: Mercury Winner Little Simz Went To Same University As Rock Royalty