Japanese-British Singer-songwriter, actress and model Rina Sawayama brought her sophomore album Hold The Girl to Nottingham on 18th October 2022 after playing in a busy Rock City.
The NME Best Live Act winner, Rina Sawayama, played 17 songs from her Hold The Girl tour, promoting her most recent album, Hold The Girl.
Supporting Rina Sawayama at Rock City, Nottingham
Supporting the pop singer were Joesef and Tom Rasmussen. Both acts took to the stage and warmed up the crowd for the first hours of the show. Joesef an indie/alternative artist played captivated the crowd with his music. Tom Rasmussen, known for his journalism yet now music engaged the audience immensely in the warm-up for Rina Sawayama.
A bit About Rina Sawayama
Multidimensional pop sensation Rina Sawayama announced her highly-anticipated sophomore album Hold The Girl due September 2nd via Dirty Hit. Accompanying the announcement of the new album, Rina shares the lead single “This Hell.”
Speaking about the new single, Rina explains “I had so much fun writing ‘This Hell.’ For the past couple of years, I’ve been listening to lots of female country singers and wanted to write a euphoric and tongue-in-cheek country-pop song. Country music at its core to me represents comfort, brilliant storytelling and authentic expression of the writer’s reality. I’ve been dreaming of working with Paul Epworth my entire career so I knew it was meant to be when we finished this song in a day. I put in as many iconic pop culture moments as I can, but the song is more than that.”
She continues, “It’s an important song for me given the human rights that are being taken away from minorities at a rapid rate in the name of traditional religious beliefs, more specifically I was thinking about the rights being taken away from the LGBTQ community when I wrote this song. When the world tells us we don’t deserve love and protection, we have no choice but to give love and protection to each other. This Hell is better with you.”
Following on from her critically acclaimed debut SAWAYAMA, the new record 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 evolution; coming to terms with her past and the jubilation of turning to the future.
Fresh off the triumph of her sold-out UK and US headline tours and packed-out sets at Coachella, Rina announces her forthcoming UK and Ireland tour. This October, the tour kicks off in Newcastle at the O2 City Hall before making its way to end in London with a show at the iconic Brixton Academy.
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.
Rina Sawayama Performing at Rock City, Nottingham
From the 17 songs played at Rock City in Nottingham, many were sung along by the crowd, featuring Frankenstein, Hurricanes and XS. Introducing the crowd to Minor Feelings, kick-started the night and provided a taste of what was to come. Followed by Hold The Girl and through to those featured on Rina Sawayama’s album Hold The Girl. Also played on the night in Nottingham was This Hell, Bad Friend and STFU! which provided a nice touch to mix up the performance.
Rina’s album, Hold The Girl projected throughout the venue. Not only did the crowd fill with excitement, which added to the atmosphere, but Rina Sawayama was also engaged with the audience and her fans with an immense amount of sass, and a diva-like attitude which the crowd loved.
Rina Sawayama will continue her Hold The Girl Tour at Manchester Academy on 20th October 2022. I would recommend anyone in Manchester who is into sassy pop music to book their tickets to watch this must-see performance.
HOLD THE GIRL by Rina Sawayama
HOLD THE GIRL is the second studio album by Japanese-British singer and songwriter Rina Sawayama. It was released on September 16, 2022, through Dirty Hit.
The album showcases a range of musical styles, from rock and pop to metal and R&B. Sawayama explores themes of identity, belonging, and mental health throughout the album, drawing on her personal experiences as a queer woman of Japanese-British heritage.
Critics have praised HOLD THE GIRL for its bold experimentation and powerful lyrics, with many calling it one of the best albums of 2022. Sawayama's unique voice and perspective have made her an exciting new voice in the music industry, and HOLD THE GIRL is a testament to her talent and vision.
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