RINA SAWAYAMA レコード& CD

Review: Testament to Rina Sawayama's showstopping success in the alternative pop market over the past few years, her most recent album Hold The Girl has already seen a reissue via its original label Dirty Hit, just one year after its release in 2022. While Sawayama's earliest releases channelled a more elusive pop sound, Hold The Girl opted for a much less abashed genre tour, working in every influennce from Kelly Clarkson to Clarence Clarity, amounting to an ultimately hugely-maximal pop record which veritably penetrated the dance-pop landscape, despite the absurd and senseless fan backlash about its original album cover. This new reissue follows up not one, but two concert tours in promotion of the album, evidencing its universal acclaim in the mainstream critical sphere.

Review: Rina Sawayama follows up her whirlwind debut album 'Sawayama' with a new one for Dirty Hit, leaning further into gargantuan weirdo pop music for a more up-to-date take on the sound she established several years ago. Featuring collaborations with producers Clarence Clarity, Stuart Price and Lauren Aquilina, 'Hold The Girl' hears Sawayama reckon with her own past so as to move forward, in what might be best described as maximalist pop therapy.