Rina Sawayama has graced us with yet another track from her forthcoming debut album Sawayama which is set to hit shelves on April 17, 2020.

Chosen Family is the name of the new song from the singer-songwriter and it dropped on April 3. The penultimate track of her album and the last one she wrote for it, the song comes after Rina asked fans to interpret the meaning behind the song before its official release. She posted the chords and lyrics for it and asked fans to get creative while self-isolating. Rina followed up the track’s release with a video on her YouTube channel showing fans how to play it.

Chosen Family is produced by PC Music’s Danny L Harle who has worked with artists such as Carly Rae Jepsen and Charli XCX. It also has Jonny Latimer on board, who has co-written tracks with Ellie Goulding and done studio work with Sam Smith.

The song is an ode to the LGBTQ+ community who Rina considers her chosen family. Speaking about her inspiration for the track, Rina says: “Chosen Family’ is a very special song for me. The concept of a chosen family is, to me, a queer one – people are often kicked out of their homes or ostracized by their family, friends, and community after coming out. This can be an incredibly painful experience that can be remedied by finding a new ‘chosen’ family.”

She continues: “The chorus lyrics ‘We don’t need to be related to relate, we don’t need to share genes or a surname’ is an invitation for anyone that feels that sense of otherness to find their chosen family, where they can truly be themselves and feel loved. I dedicate this song to my queer friends who I now consider family – it’s essentially a big thank you to them, as I love them so much and I genuinely don’t think I would be alive right now if it weren’t for them.”

Rina’s popularity continues to grow worldwide, including in Japan. She performed on the MBS television show Jonetsu Tairiku last year. She was also chosen as one of Vogue Japan’s “Women of the Year” for 2019. Her song XS was also included in Spotify Japan’s “Early Noise 2020” list. Her debut album is now available for pre-order.

Speaking about Sawayama, Rina says: “The album ultimately is about family and identity,” she explains. “It’s about understanding yourself in the context of two opposing cultures (for me British and Japanese), what ‘belonging’ means when home is an evolving concept, figuring out where you sit comfortably within and awkwardly outside of stereotypes, and ultimately trying to be ok with just being you, warts and all.”

Rina Sawayama as born in Japan. She and her parents moved to the UK when she was 5-years-old. She discovered her love for music and studying in her teens, and went on to study at the University of Cambridge. She began to notice the differences in culture between people of different races, and what exclusion was. Rina carved her own identity from these experiences, tying her Japanese and Western roots together, and evolved into an artist that defines her unique pop style.

Sawayama will be released on April 17, 2020 via Dirty Hit.