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Born in Niigata, Japan on August 16th, 1990 and raised in London from the age of five, singer-songwriter Rina Sawayama initially forayed into music amidst her studies at Cambridge. Forming the hip-hop/R&B outfit Lazy Lion alongside several friends including rapper DSB and Wolf Alice bassist Theo Ellis, she contributed to the group’s eponymous EP in 2010 before making her debut as a solo artist in 2013 with a soul-tinged two-tracker entitled “Sleeping in Waking”. Released on 7” vinyl via indie label Make Mine, the single began to put her on the radar of industry tastemakers, although she would not reemerge for another three years. In 2016, Sawayama shared the non-album singles “Where U Are” and “This Time Last Year”, leading into the independent release of her 2017 debut EP RINA. Inspired by noughties pop and produced by genre-bending musician Clarence Clarity, the critically acclaimed project signalled Sawayama’s major breakthrough. With her education in political science increasingly reflected in the searing social commentary of her lyrics, she returned with a flurry of singles – including 2018’s “Cherry”, a celebration of her pansexuality – before landing a prestigious record deal with Dirty Hit. The following year, she began to tease her upcoming album, with the eclectic singles “STFU!” and “Comme Des Garçons” signalling a break from R&B. The former, a metal-infused avant-pop number, condemned the fetishisation of Asian women, while the latter, a bassy, house-tinged anthem, confidently challenged gender stereotypes. “XS”, a damning indictment of consumer capitalism, followed, and the album, SAWAYAMA, arrived in April to rave reviews, reaching #30 in the UK chart. A deluxe edition followed in December, featuring a spate of new tracks, remixes and live recordings. Among them were the deep house single “Lucid”, a remix of “XS” featuring stateside rapper Bree Runway, and a remix of “Bad Friend” by punky three-piece Dream Wife.
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