Tickets will be available for Rina Sawayama on 27th May!
(May 18, 2022) – Multidimensional pop sensation Rina Sawayama announces 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.”
“This Hell” is a joyous and roaring slice of pop-meets-country which was co-produced by the legendary Paul Epworth and Clarence Clarity and written by Rina alongside Vixen, Epworth and long-term friend and collaborator Lauren Aquilina (Demi Lovato, Little Mix). Rina kicks off the track with an ode to Shania Twain as she says “let’s go girls” before bursting into the first verse. The new single is awash with glam rock riffs and lyrics that are peppered with tongue-in-cheek one-liners shouting out a pantheon of gay icons Britney, Whitney and Princess Di – destined to be screamed on sticky dance floors for years to come. Rina is set to perform the new single for the first time on Jimmy Fallon tomorrow evening.
Speaking about the new single, Rina explains “I had so much fun writing ‘This Hell.’ 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.”
Today also sees Rina announce Hold The Girl, her highly anticipated sophomore album, set to be released September 2nd, 2022 via Dirty Hit. 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 personal evolution; coming to terms with her own 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, 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. Full tour dates below including forthcoming sets at Primavera, Colourboxx and Latitude festivals. Tickets are available on pre-sale from 10am on Wednesday, May 25th and general on-sale is from 10am on Friday, May 27th. Exclusive pre-sale access will be given to fans who pre-order “Hold The Girl” via the Dirty Hit Store by 10am ET on May 24th.
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 “This Hell” and pre-order/save Hold The Girl above, see upcoming live dates below and stay tuned for more from Rina Sawayama coming soon.
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