Rina Sawayama is sharing a new video from the project. Directed by Ali Kurr, “Bad Friend” showcases a grittier, more visceral side of the SAWAYAMA universe as Rina is transformed into a seemingly reserved gentleman who, after numerous bar pours, is pushed to a violent edge. The video is the fourth from the album following “XS,” “Comme Des Garçons” and “STFU!”
Rina shares about the video, “The Bad Friend video was one of the last videos we shot before UK lockdown with director Ali Kurr (STFU!, XS). We had so much fun making this, as it was my first time doing stunts and being in prosthetic makeup. The song is about the heartbreak of losing a friendship and realising that you were the cause of the breakdown. When you hear the song, this is not the video you imagine – but that’s exactly what we wanted. The music video is a reimagining of the themes in Bad Friend; of longing, loss, self-hate and ultimately self-love. Choosing a slow, film noir style focuses all the attention on performance and acting, which was definitely very daunting, but I had so much fun making a video that is so wildly different from my previous videos.”
Lauded as “a thrilling musical adventure” by Rolling Stone and a “model (of) the creative promise of music in the streaming era” by The New York Times, SAWAYAMA is an intimate look into Rina’s world. The album encompasses her most personal music yet, featuring production from the likes of Clarence Clarity (exec producer along with Rina) and co-writes from Nicole Morier (Britney Spears) and Kyle Shearer (Carly Rae Jepson).
SAWAYAMA includes a diverse range of tracks, from the nu metal smash “STFU!,” to the club banger “Comme Des Garçons” and the track “Chosen Family,” her ode to the LGBTQ+ community. SAWAYAMA is an album that encompasses who Rina is. She explains: “The album ultimately is about family and identity. It’s about understanding yourself in the context of two opposing cultures (for me British and Japanese), what ‘belonging’ means when home is an evolving concept, figuring out where you sit comfortably within and awkwardly outside of stereotypes, and ultimately trying to be ok with just being you, warts and all.”
Born in Japan, Rina and her family emigrated to the UK when she was five years old. During her teenage years she discovered her love of music and academics, the latter leading to a place at Cambridge University where she also began to notice the cultural differences and ostracization amongst different races. These experiences allowed Rina to carve out her own identity, entwining her culture with her western life, evolving into an artist who defines her own unique style of pop.
Find Rina’s Fall tour dates below.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
20/90 – Glasgow, Scotland @ King Tuts
22/09 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla
23/09 – Birmingham @ O2 Institute3
24/09 – London, UK @ Electric Brixton
