RINA SAWAYAMA ^JP/UK

Genre-defying Japanese-British singer and star-to-be injects her avant-pop anthems with metallic edge and electronic sheen.

Confronting issues of identity and conflict with a wild blend of sonic influences, Japanese-British singer/songwriter Rina Sawayama has rewired the notion of what pop music’s future could sound like. Her touchstones are eclectic and invigorating: nu-metal, shiny 2000s megapop, glam club tracks, rap-rock and more.

It was in 2020, the horrendous year marked by lockdowns, that Rina Sawayama’s career really took off. She released her album SAWAYAMA and was propelled into cult superstardom.

It’s a record that lovingly embraces all kinds of sounds that defined the charts of Sawayama’s early 00s childhood. She captures Dua Lipa's future nostalgia and Poppy's metal-meets-pop savvy, rightfully making it her own with more depth, bigger thrills and a limitless palette.

Elton John was quick to call himself a fan, and it didn’t take long before the two made a duet together (listen here).

Rina Sawayama is currently gearing up for her next album. “This Hell” is a fresh single with a big chorus and a few nods towards Lady Gaga. The song bodes really well for the coming album which will be out in the autumn.

We can’t wait to unleash Rina Sawayama on the Arena stage at Roskilde Festival. She’s couldn’t tour right after SAWAYAMA came out. But she’s making up for it. NME calls her “a jubilant, fun-filled spectacle” while The Guardian claims that her superstar status is cemented.

She’s bold, she’s fearless, and soon she will turn the Arena stage into one big party! One that you don’t want to miss out on.