RINA SAWAYAMA SHARES NEW SINGLE 'PHANTOM' AS AN EMOTIVE POWER BALLAD

BRITISH-Japanese pop sensation Rina Sawayama shares the new single “Phantom’ as an emotive power ballad that provides an an additional taste of the myriad of influences Rina touches on in Hold The Girl and comes alongside a visualizer of Rina pouring her heart out through the lyrics.

"I realized as an adult that I have spent my whole life pleasing other people and not realizing it – constantly pushing my boundaries and not realizing the difference between what I wanted to do and what other people wanted from me. Through the lyrics in the verse I’m trying to tell this story and then in the choruses I’m morning the loss of my real self,” said Rina.

"Phantom" also arrives on the heels of Rina gracing the covers of V Magazine, The Guardian Film & Music, Music Week, and Who What Wear, where she discusses her rising pop stardom.

Single artwork:

 

This October Rina will embark on her UK and Ireland tour, where multiple dates are already or nearly sold out, like her O2 Brixton Academy date, marking a legendary moment in the pop star's career. 

Hold The Girl showcases Rina's talent for bending huge chart influences and blockbuster melodies to her will with precision-tuned songwriting and powerful vocals. 

The 13-tracks of Hold The Girl will feature the previously released singles "This Hell," which debuted with a performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, along with "Catch Me In The Air" and the title track "Hold The Girl", which came with an Ali Kurr direced video and portrays Rina stuck in a time loop within the bounds of a 19th-century farmhouse until she finally breaks free.

Hold The Girl follows Rina's critically acclaimed debut SAWAYAMA and will see Rina once again juxtapose intimate storytelling with arena-sized songs creating another ambitious and original album to excite fans and critics alike. 

Written and recorded over the last ​​year and a half, Rina teamed up with long-term collaborators Clarence Clarity and Lauren Aquilina as well as enlisting help from the likes of the legendary Paul Epworth (Adele, Florence & the Machine), Stuart Price (Dua Lipa, The Killers, Madonna) and Marcus Andersson (Demi Lovato, Ashnikko) for their magic touch. 

The product of Rina and these collective minds coming together is an album that melds influences from across the pop spectrum and is a bold and honest statement of Rina’s personal evolution; coming to terms with her own past and the jubilation of turning to the future.

In 2020, Rina’s debut album SAWAYAMA became one of the most critically acclaimed albums that year landing on over 50 album of the year lists, including the New York Times (#2), The Guardian (#3) and Rolling Stone (#6). 

The last 18 months have seen Rina Sawayama achieve a magnitude of milestones including changing the Mercury Prize and BRITs eligibility rules which meant Non-British artists could apply if they have been a permanent resident in the UK for more than 5 years.

 

In 2021 Elton John joined forces with the pop star to release a special rendition of “Chosen Family," a powerful and emotional ode to her LGBTQ+ family. 

Elsewhere Rina injected new life into Lady Gaga’s instant club classic “Free Woman.” 2023 will see Rina in her film acting debut as she stars in John Wick 4 alongside Keanu Reeves.

Listen to "Phantom" and pre-order/save Hold The Girl album above, see upcoming live dates below and stay tuned for more from Rina Sawayama coming soon.

RINA SAWAYAMA LIVE

12th Oct 2022 - Glasgow, Scotland - SWG3

13th Oct 2022 - Glasgow, Scotland - SWG3

15th Oct 2022 - Dublin, Republic of Ireland - Olympia Theatre

16th Oct 2022 - Dublin, Republic of Ireland - Olympia Theatre

18th Oct 2022 - Nottingham, England - Rock City

20th Oct 2022 - Manchester, England - Manchester Academy

21st Oct 2022 - Birmingham, England - O2 Academy Birmingham

23rd Oct 2022 - Brighton, East Sussex, England - Brighton Dome

26th Oct 2022 - London, England - O2 Academy Brixton

1st Nov 2022 - New York City, Brooklyn Mirage

4th Nov 2022-  Boston, Roadrunner

5th Nov 2022 - Maryland, The Fillmore Silver Spring

6th Nov 2022 -North Carolina, The Fillmore Charlotte

8th Nov 2022 - Atlanta, The Eastern

9th Nov 2022 - Nashville, Marathon Music Works

11th Nov 2022 -Dallas, House Of Blues

12th Nov 2022 - Austin, Emo’s

13th Nov 2022 - Houston, White Oak Music Hall

16th Nov 2022 -Phoenix, The Van Buren

18th Nov 2022 -San Diego, SOMA

19th Nov 2022 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium

21st Nov 2022 - Oakland, Fox Theater

23rd Nov 2022 - Los Angeles, Hollywood Palladium

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