Rina Sawayama (リナ・サワヤマ) is a Japanese and British singer, actress and model.
Born in Niigata, Japan, she immigrated to London with her parents at the age of five.
1990
Sawayama was born on 16 August 1990 in Niigata, Japan.
She lived there until age five when her family decided to move to London, where she was raised and currently resides.
She holds an indefinite leave to remain (ILR) visa in the UK.
According to Sawayama, the family's plan was to return to Japan when she turned ten, but they chose to stay in London.
Due to her inability to communicate in English, Sawayama struggled to understand her teachers and peers.
She eventually connected with others through pop music.
While she began adjusting to her life in London, Sawayama attempted to "preserve" her Japanese culture by indulging in it which she said included listening to musical acts such as Hikaru Utada and Morning Musume.
At the age of 16, she began posting music covers on Myspace, and during sixth form she formed a hip hop group called Lazy Lion.
In a September 2023 interview with BBC News, Sawayama said that she had been sexually groomed by a school teacher when she was 17.
She subsequently underwent sex and relationship therapy for the trauma.
Sawayama went on to cover the experience in second studio album, Hold the Girl, particularly in the song "Your Age".
Sawayama attended Magdalene College, Cambridge where she studied politics, psychology and sociology.
She graduated from the university with a degree in political science.
2013
Sawayama began her solo career in February 2013, with the single "Sleeping in Waking", produced by Justin "Hoost" Tailor.
A 7-inch vinyl of the single, featuring a new song titled "Who?"
as the B-side, was released in April 2013 through UK label Make Mine.
Later that year, she released the single "Terror" on Halloween under the stage name of "Riina".
Sawayama would later reveal in a 2021 Billboard interview that the reason she used only her first name is because her last name was "an inconvenience".
2015
In June 2015, she released a music video, directed by Arvida Byström, to her track "Tunnel Vision".
2016
In 2016, she released the single "Where U Are", with an accompanying music video co-directed by Alessandra Kurr.
The single explored human interaction with digital media, with Sawayama explaining: "Online, you can present your best edited self [and] your overheating phone substitutes human warmth. Weirdest of all – you're together, but also very alone."
The song has been described as "nostalgic greatness… ultra-sweet and shimmering pop", and "90s R&B pop perfection".
2017
In 2017, she self-released her debut extended play, Rina.
In March 2017, her single "Cyber Stockholm Syndrome" premiered on The Fader.
Sawayama described the genesis of the themes of the track as: "the digital world can offer vital support networks, voices of solidarity, refuge, escape. That's what 'Cyber Stockholm Syndrome' is about: pessimism, optimism, anxiety, and freedom."
In 2017, the singles "Alterlife" and "Tunnel Vision", a duet with Shamir, were released, followed by her debut EP, Rina.
Sawayama was then an unsigned artist, and Rina was released independently; she confirmed on Twitter that she worked for two to three years to save money to release the EP.
The Guardian deemed the EP "bracing and modern", stating that Sawayama had proven "she can shepherd pop into the future, too".
Pitchfork ranked Rina in its list of best pop and R&B albums of the year.
2018
In 2018, Sawayama released the single "Valentine" on Valentine's Day.
The music video for the track "Ordinary Superstar" was released in June 2018.
In August 2018, Sawayama released the track "Cherry", in which she explores her sexual identity.
Sawayama embarked on her Ordinary Superstar Tour across the UK, the US and Canada in late 2018.
2019
In 2019, she performed as the supporting act for Charli XCX's tour across the UK.
That same year, she acted in the comedy series Turn Up Charlie.
2020
After signing to Dirty Hit in 2020, she released her debut studio album, Sawayama, to critical acclaim.
Her second studio album, Hold the Girl, was released on 16 September 2022.
Known for her musical versatility, Sawayama has also modelled for fashion campaigns, and made her film acting debut in the action film John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023).
