A Definitive Ranking of 'SAWAYAMA' by Rina Sawayama
For my first post I thought I'd do what I do best which is talk about my girl Rina Sawayama
I claim to be an all around music lover, but in reality I listen to the same songs, albums, artists, and playlists on repeat 24/7. (I’m trying to broaden my horizons I swear). However, every so often I step out of my comfort zone—sometimes I do this of my own free will and other times I feel peer pressured by the entirety of stan Twitter—and listen to a brand new artist in hopes of adding them to my daily rotation.
Well, during 2020 when that godforsaken pandemic steamrolled over the end of my junior year of high school and demolished any chance of me having a normal senior year, I learned about Rina Sawayama. It seemed like every time I opened my Twitter app, everyone I followed was ranting and raving about her new album SAWAYAMA. I went a few months before finally giving in and listening to the album, and one of the biggest regrets of my life is not learning about the phenomenal talent of Rina Sawayama the moment she debuted.
I mean wow. This. Woman. Is. Remarkable. Not many people get it the first time, but I did and I loved it.
Ever since that lonely day in 2020, Rina Sawayama has grown to be one of my favorite artists, not just in this current day, but of all time. There’s just something about her that amazes me every time I listen to one of her songs or watch one of her performances. I mean look at what she did for her FIRST EVER television performance.
Anyway, Rina Sawayama is an icon. I finally understand what Lady Gaga meant when she said, "Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, sh*t on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it." That’s how I feel about Rina Sawayama.
Ok enough of me gushing over Rina, let’s get into the purpose of this post, SAWAYAMA. SAWAYAMA is the debut album Rina released on April 17, 2020. The 13 track album is iconic—dare I say legendary?—and today I’ve decided to take it upon myself and rank every song on SAWAYAMA.
So let’s get into it.
13. “Bad Friend”
I want to preface this by saying that there’s not a single bad song on SAWAYAMA, just songs that I like more than others and it just so happens that “Bad Friend” is at the bottom of my list. The song follows Rina’s thoughts and emotions after realizing that someone she once considered her best friend is now a stranger to her. Lyrically I love the song, it’s very relatable hearing her talk about losing a good friend because that is virtually a universal experience. But, overall this song didn’t ‘wow’ me the way the other songs on this album did.
12. “Love Me 4 Me”
“If you can’t love yourself/How are you going to love somebody else?” An iconic way to open up a song that’s all about self-love. “Love Me 4 Me” is a fun pop song that takes the listener through the mind of Rina as she’s struggling with self-love and is trying to convince herself that she is good enough at what she does. It’s a great song with a great message and is one of the many songs where Rina is vulnerable with sharing her personal experiences with her audience.
11. “Paradisin’”
“Paradisin’” is an ode to Rina’s childhood where she and her friends would go out exploring the world while her mother was at home attempting to spoil her experiences. Rina’s rebellious teen spirit took her many places and “Paradisin’" follows those stories and how Rina’s mother attempted to hinder her teenage years with empty threats (“. . . threaten to send me to boarding school for the seventh time/I know we can’t afford that so I’m fine”). The song is cute, fun, and upbeat with the instrumental reminding you of the sounds of an arcade you’d frequent in your youth. The main aspect of this song that I love is how it sounds like it was written by a teenager. Lyrics like “You say I’m misbehavin’/But I’m just a kid, so save it/Let me have an unforgettable time of my life” makes you feel like you’re eavesdropping on a conversation between a mother and daughter at a local restaurant, which I live for.
10. “F**k This World (Interlude)”
One of my favorite things about Rina is her ability to take real life, societal problems and turn them into a well balanced song. Her storytelling abilities are exceptional and shine in this song. Using the grief she feels around the ever-growing climate crisis, Rina uses this interlude to express the disgust she feels with the world (“Sick of what you people taking/From the bottom to feed the top”) while also revealing her desires to escape the madness (“F*ck this world I’m leaving you”). The instrumental perpetuates this idea of wanting to leave the earth by having an almost celestial sound making you feel as if you’re floating into space.
9. ”Comme Des Garçons (. . .like the boys)”
This may be shocking to some people as “Comme Des Garçons (. . .like the boys)” is a very popular and loved Rina song. Now don’t get me wrong, I love it too, but in my opinion it is nowhere near her best song on this album. “Comme Des Garçons (. . .like the boys)” is fun. It’s groovy bassline, confident lyrics, and buildup to the chorus beat drop will pull you onto the club dance floor or leave you bopping your head in the car. Rina made it for the girls and the girls love.
8. “Snakeskin”
You know when you listen to something for the first time and you hate it, but then after the tenth listen you love it? That’s how I feel about “Snakeskin”. The first time I heard this song I did not enjoy it. “Snakeskin” is the album closer and it left me disappointed after I heard it because I felt like it didn’t do the album justice by giving it a good sendoff. Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking because this song is brilliant. Rina was somehow able to put a Beethoven sample into a song that sounds like Skrillex could’ve produced it, and make it work. The more I listen to it, the more I fall in love. This was the perfect song to end the album with, especially since the album deals with some heavy topics. It seems like Rina is shedding all those challenging moments as she walks away from her first album.
7. “Chosen Family”
I’m a sucker for a song with simple production and heartfelt lyrics and “Chosen Family” fits perfectly in that category. ‘Chosen Family’ is a phrase that is commonly used in the LGBTQ+ community as a way to promote unity within the community. Since many LGTQ+ people are ostracized from not just society, but their family, they tend to find shelter in each other. This song is a letter to the LGBTQ+ community from Rina. Her chosen family helped her when she went through difficult times and she wanted to make it known that she will always stand with them. “We don’t need to be related to relate/We don’t need to share genes or a surname/You are, you are/My chosen, chosen family”.
6. “Tokyo Love Hotel”
Love love love love. I. Love. This. Song. There’s just something about it. Maybe it’s the unmistakable ‘80s sound. Or the synths in the instrumental. Or the lyrics that discuss Rina’s annoyance with tourists who visit Japan, but have no knowledge on or respect for the culture. Or Rina’s voice that sounds angelic from start to finish. I mean when you combine all those things you know you’re going to get a good song and “Tokyo Love Hotel” is just that.
5. “STFU!”
All the Caucasians to the back! “STFU!” is a song that embodies everything that any minority has ever thought in their entire lives. Using this song as an outlet to express her frustrations with the racial microaggressions she experiences everyday, Rina screams at ignorant people to just shut the f*ck up. After exhausting herself by asking questions like “How come you don’t expect me to get made when I’m angry?” and “How come you don’t respect me?” Rina has had enough. The heavy rock inspired instrumental raises this song to new heights as it sounds as though Rina bottled up her anger, handed it to her Clarence Clarity (her producer), and said “turn this into music”.
4. “XS”
Iconic. I mean who would’ve thought a song about overconsumption and capitalism would be this much of a bop? This Britney Spears-esque song is the perfect pop song. It’s one of those songs where you don’t fully get what the lyrics are saying until the second or third listen because you were just jamming out the first time. '“XS” sounds like it could’ve came from the early 2000s with its poppy but hard sound. Also the word play with “XS” and “excess” is brilliant.
3. “Akasaka Sad”
The main thing I love about this song is how genre bending it is. Even after listening to it over a hundred times I still can’t find the perfect place to put, but I love that. There’s something about a song that doesn’t entirely follow the rules that makes me more attracted to it. There’s points where Rina is almost rapping over a trap-like beat. At other points she’s singing over a synthy beat or simple strings. The melody is something that will replay constantly in your mind as it’s a bit difficult to not get hooked.
* also I love how Rina incorporates her experience of feeling as though she doesn’t fully belong in Japan and wondering if that’s how her parents felt when they immigrated to London. Her use of Japanese in this song is also a pleasant surprise.
2. “Who’s Gonna Save U Now?
Whenever an artist opens a song with a live crowd chanting in the background you know it’s going to be good and “Who’s Gonna Save U Now?” is no exception. Hearing the crowd shouting her name while the instrumental rises before we’re hit with the sharp guitar and hard hitting drums is an experience. After hearing this song you’ll feel the need to experience it in an actual crowd with thousands of other people. The chorus will have you head banging even if you aren’t a rock fan. The bridge will have you anticipating the inevitable beat drop, and you’ll be slapped with stellar vocals at the same time. And just when you think it can’t get any better, the key change will happen and you will slowly begin to float out of your seat. “Who’s Gonna Save U Now?” is one of Rina’s best vocal performances.
1. “Dynasty”
The opening track to an album can make or break the entire project. It’s the first thing people hear when they listen to the album. It’s what the listener uses to make their decision as to whether or not they should continue listening to the project. In all honestly, the opening track is the most important song on an album and Rina does not disappoint. She has a riff off with an electric guitar. I feel like that’s all I have to say. After the impeccable bridge where Rina is pleading to her parents and before the final chorus of “Dynasty”, Rina decides to belt along side the electric guitar to show off her impressive vocal range. I mean come on. On top of that, the intro to the song is top tier. Rina opens the album singing softly over a simple synth that continues to build until it hits a full on rock ensemble. Hands down the best song on the album and one of my favorite album openers ever.