Born in Niigata and living in London, international singer-songwriter Rina Sawayama released her second album Hold The Girl on September 16. Incredibly, the album debuted at #3 on the UK Albums Chart, marking a record achievement for the artist.
This is the first time in history that a Japanese artist has reached #3 on the UK Album Chart. Sawayama expressed her joy on social media, thanking anyone who bought or streamed her music in the past.
Hold The Girl also hit #1 in weekly analog record sales in the UK, and reached #1 in the alternative genre on both iTunes and Apple Music in Japan.
Sawayama has also announced that she will hold her first solo Japan tour in January 2023, stopping in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka.
Information
Hold The Girl
On Sale Now
Official Site: https://www.universal-music.co.jp/rina-sawayama
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London-based Japanese Artist Rina Sawayama Covers Hikaru Utada’s Legendary ‘First Love’ at Tokyo Concert
Born in Niigata and living in London, international singer-songwriter Rina Sawayama released her second album Hold The Girl on September 16, 2022. Her Japan-based Hold The Girl Tour saw successful shows in Nagoya, Osaka, and Tokyo, with Sawayama generating plenty of buzz. During the final show on the tour, the singer surprised the audience with a cover of Hikaru Utada’s hit songFirst Love. The video of this incredible performance is now available to watch on YouTube!
First Love - Rina Sawayama (Hikaru Utada Cover, Tokyo Garden Theatre)
Prior to the Tokyo show, Sawayama took to Instagram, posting a comment for fans. “Since this is the biggest show I’ve ever done, I think I should cover a special Japanese track to commemorate the event,” she said. The singer had previously asked fans to share the songs they’d most like to see performed.
“Without this artist and without this song, I probably wouldn’t have become a musician or an artist. I heard this track when I was around six years old, and I remember dancing for my parents who were sitting on the sofa. This artist also celebrated her 40th birthday yesterday. This is my first cover, but I think it’s the perfect way to commemorate this special event. Please enjoy,” Sawayama concluded.
The audience responded to this surprise with a chorus of excitement, and this was surely an unforgettable night for many fans.
Rina is currently on the Hold The Girl Tour in Europe. At the end of March, she will make her Hollywood debut in the fourth John Wickmovie.
Information
Hold The Girl (2nd Album)
On Sale Now
Listen/Purchase: https://umj.lnk.to/RinaSawayama_HoldTheGirl
Purchase Bonus Details: https://www.universal-music.co.jp/rina-sawayama/news/2022-07-28/
Official Site: https://www.rina.online/ -
Born in Niigata and living in London, international singer-songwriter Rina Sawayama released her second album Hold The Girl on September 16. The album has already received rave reviews from media outlets worldwide, with NME calling it “the best British pop album of the year.” Sawayama has now released the music video for her single Hurricanes, which can also be found on her newest album. The impressive video features an incredibly powerful performance with the band in the middle of a violent storm. Be sure to check it out below! Hurricanes - Rina Sawayama (Official Music Video)https://youtu.be/LbB1Qtq3FHY A studio performance version of the song This Hell, the first single from the album and a fan favorite, has also been released. The video features incredible dancers and a live band. This Hell (Live) - Rina Sawayama | Vevo Studio Performancehttps://youtu.be/7cilizyYBdQ Sawayama has also announced that she will hold her first solo Japan tour in January 2023, which will stop in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka.
Information
Hold The Girl
Listen/Buy: https://umj.lnk.to/RinaSawayama_HoldTheGirl
Album (Including Lyrics with Bilingual Commentary): ¥2,750 (Tax Included)
Purchase Bonus Details: https://www.universal-music.co.jp/rina-sawayama/news/2022-07-28/
Japan Concert Info:
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Born in Niigata and living in London, international singer-songwriter Rina Sawayama released her second album Hold The Girl on September 16. The album is Sawayama’s first in two and a half years and was written and recorded over the past year and a half. With an overarching pop sound, the album blends other genres expertly, from country, electro, and R&B to folk, metal, and rock. Hold The Girl manages to track Sawayama’s personal growth, sharing her goals for the future while fully accepting her past. The album has already received rave reviews from media outlets worldwide, including Rolling Stone, The Times, DIY, The Mail on Sunday, and more. “Among contemporary pop stars, Rina Sawayama certainly stands out,” The Times reads. Sawayama has also announced that she will hold her first solo Japan tour in January 2023, stopping in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. Her performance at Summer Sonic 2022 was a smash hit, so don’t miss your chance to see her live if you couldn’t make it!
Information
Hold the Girl – Rina Sawayama (2nd Album, Released September 16)
Stream/Purchase: https://umj.lnk.to/RinaSawayama_HoldTheGirl
Japan Tour Dates:
January 17, 2023 – Diamond Hall, Nagoya
January 18, 2023 – Zepp Osaka Bayside, Osaka
January 20, 2023 – Tokyo Garden Theater, Tokyo
Details: https://www.livenation.co.jp/artist-rina-sawayama-1159943
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Born in Niigata and living in London, international singer-songwriter Rina Sawayama has released the single Hurricanes! The track will be included on the singer’s second album, Hold the Girl, to be released on September 16, 2022. In addition, a live performance video showing Sawayama in the studio has also been released. The latest single, Hurricanes, is a fun pop-rock song about overcoming life’s hardships and just having fun. It’s uplifting and perfect for boosting your mood! The release of the new album Hold the Girl will be followed by the Hold the Girl Tour which will take the singer to stages around the world. During her performance at SUMMER SONIC 2022, Sawayama announced that she would be returning to Japan on tour in 2023!
Information
Rina Sawayama
Hurricanes (New Song)
Buy/Download/Stream: https://umj.lnk.to/RinaSawayama_Hurricanes
Hold The Girl (New Album)
Buy/Download/Stream: https://umj.lnk.to/RinaSawayama_HoldTheGirl
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Rina Sawayama is a Japanese singer/songwriter born in Niigata Prefecture. Now based in London and active internationally, the artist has just released the title song from her upcoming album Hold the Girl, which will hit shelves on September 16, 2022. An audio video was also released. Hold the Girl - Rina Sawayama (Official Audio)
Sawayama gave a comment about the new track. “Hold The Girl was the first song I wrote for the album at the end of 2020. I went to therapy and had this revelation that inspired me to write it…that was how it came to be. I was crying before I went into the studio.” Originally scheduled to release on September 2, Sawayama’s second album Hold The Girl will now hit shelves on September 16. In addition to 13 songs including the previously released tracks This Hell and Hold The Girl, the Japanese version of the album will include the previously unreleased Flavor of the Month (Demo) as a bonus track. Special bonuses will be given to those buying the album at particular stores as a gift from the artist to her fans. These will be available while supplies last, and more information can be found on Rina Sawayama’s page on the Universal Music Japan website. Sawayama will visit Japan to perform at SUMMER SONIC 2022 in August. Information
Hold the Girl – Rina Sawayama
Release Date: September 16, 2022
Listen & Reserve: https://umj.lnk.to/RinaSawayama_HoldTheGirl
Official Site (Japan): https://www.universal-music.co.jp/rina-sawayama
Official Site (International): https://www.rina.online/
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Rina Sawayama, a Japanese singer-songwriter based in London and active worldwide, will release a Japan-exclusive Commemorative Edition of her first album SAWAYAMA on August 3, 2022. The artist’s first album was released on Sawayama’s Dirty Hit label, which has also released music by The 1975, Pale Waves, and Wolf Alice. It quickly became a worldwide sensation, receiving high praise from a number of media outlets, with Rolling Stone hailing it as a “thrilling adventure in music” and the New York Times calling Sawayama a “model musician for the streaming age.” The BBC named SAWAYAMA album of the year, saying that the musician “is a uniquely compelling artist who deserves all the attention she gets.” The album was also named Album of the Year by Consequence of Sound, NPR, Paste Magazine, Rough Trade, and Uproxx.
Comment from Rina Sawayama
"Ultimately, this album is about family and identity. The theme is about self-understanding in the context of belonging to two different cultures–for me, both British and Japanese. It’s important to find a place where you can be at ease inside–where you can break free of stereotypes and simply be yourself without hiding your flaws." Sawayama was named Vogue Japan’s Woman of the Year 2019 and was the winner of Spotify Japan’s Early Noise 2020 award. The song Chosen Family, featuring Elton John, was used during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics. She is scheduled to perform at Summer Sonic 2022. Chosen Family (with Elton John) - Performance and Lyric VideoSAWAYAMA (Deluxe Edition) -Japan Exclusive Commemorative Edition- includes a 2-CD set containing 27 tracks, including remixes by SEKAI NO OWARI’s global project End of the World, acoustic tracks, and the aforementioned Elton John collaboration track. It also comes with a Blu-ray featuring music videos. On September 2, Sawayama will release her second album Hold The Girl. Expectations are high for Rina Sawayama going forward, so keep an eye on this incredible artist! Information
SAWAYAMA (Deluxe Edition) -Japan Exclusive Commemorative Edition-
Release Date: August 3, 2022
Shop Link: https://avex.lnk.to/rinasawayama_SAWAYAMAPR
CD+Blu-ray: ¥3,850 (Tax Included)
CD Only: ¥2,750 (Tax Included)
Official Site: https://avex.jp/rinasawayama/