You’re going to be hearing Rina Sawayama‘s name a hell of a lot this year. The Japanese-born, British-raised artist released her critically-acclaimed debut mini-album, ‘Rina’, in 2017, and has since added some huge jobs to her modelling portfolio, working in high-profile campaigns for the likes of Versace and MAC.
Released via Dirty Hit, Sawayama’s sophomore album, ‘SAWAYAMA’, is just a few days old, and the disarmingly chameleonic nature of the record — veering between nu metal, shimmering pop, and classic RnB — keeps you on your toes throughout, while remaining remarkably cohesive. Evoking some old school Britney feels, the 29-year-old’s latest single “XS” is full of ’90s pop moments, interrupted with gritty riffs for a multi-dimensional edge. Directed by Ali Kurr, the new visuals for the track show Sawayama as a robot, struggling against cruel capitalism and excessive consumption in exuberant fashion.