album Rina Sawayama - 'Hold the Girl'

[halcyonday]

Poptimism deserves an electric chair I fear

[Sky Engineer]

20 hours ago, Iridesence said:

If there are any Australians/New Zealanders in here, I just got an advertisement on Instagram saying that the tour was coming down here and she hasn't forgotten about us.  

Yasss

[pavi]

Okay guys don't worry cause I'm not gonna leak it but I just bought it in a store in The Netherlands  It was the only one and I think they just didn't get the memo it got delayed 

 

Gonna listen to it when I get home and will let you all know what I think 

 

[KatyPrismSpirit]

7 minutes ago, pavi said:

Okay guys don't worry cause I'm not gonna leak it but I just bought it in a store in The Netherlands  It was the only one and I think they just didn't get the memo it got delayed 

 

Gonna listen to it when I get home and will let you all know what I think 

 

omg let me check my local dutch cd store now cause i need it

[ahauntingnearu]

16 minutes ago, pavi said:

Okay guys don't worry cause I'm not gonna leak it but I just bought it in a store in The Netherlands  It was the only one and I think they just didn't get the memo it got delayed 

 

Gonna listen to it when I get home and will let you all know what I think 

 

I .. was hoping the physical version would finally make the cover click with me - but it just looks sillier

[Shoful]

1 hour ago, pavi said:

Okay guys don't worry cause I'm not gonna leak it but I just bought it in a store in The Netherlands  It was the only one and I think they just didn't get the memo it got delayed 

 

Gonna listen to it when I get home and will let you all know what I think 

 

OMG I WANT?

[Nico Robin]

omg @pavi give us an update sis

[Delirious]

Been a fan of rina since 2017 but yea, ive already said this and weve probably heard a million people complain but the album cover really isnt it

 

this hell is 10000x better

 

its the only reason why im not buying anY physical formats even though i really want to

[KatyPrismSpirit]

Phantom > This Hell > CMITA > Hold the Girl

 

All are at least 9/10s

 

@pavi did you have a listen to the album yet? If so i would love to hear ur review  Also is the booklet pretty? 

[pavi]

22 minutes ago, KatyPrismSpirit said:

Phantom > This Hell > CMITA > Hold the Girl

 

All are at least 9/10s

 

@pavi did you have a listen to the album yet? If so i would love to hear ur review  Also is the booklet pretty? 

I did listen to it twice, but I'm kinda tired and if I say something about it I don't want it to be just some random thoughts, so I'l try to give some well-worded thoughts tomorrow! Pretty sure if you like the pre-releases, you'll basically love most of the album as well 

 

The booklet is cute, although kinda basic too. It has all the lyrics on pages with a plain red background and it has the same photos as the single covers on some pages throughout the booklet

[ItsPalmer]

 

stores has shipped and delivered the vynils earlier in some countries...

[brooklyndaddy]

I think my main issue so far is the melodies have been like... white bread. They don't jump out the way they did in her previous work. Looking forward to giving the full project a listen but so far I only feel meh about each song but they're not bad at all. Just feel very juvenile.

[dooart]

i'm sososo excited for this one. when this hell came out i became addicted to it and atm i'm addicted to the title track and Phantom 

[dreamofyou]

there's a frankenstein snippet out there and omg it's a smash

[東京.]

Frankenstein fxck me.

[On The Bound]

title track has been on repeat

frankenstein sounds great too 

[Terylee]

Hurricanes leaked.

[東京.]

49 minutes ago, Terylee said:

Hurricanes leaked.

It feels very 2000’s Kelly Clarkson to me 

[pavi]

So! Finally some thoughts about this album Since songs started leaking, I don’t expect it to be long before more is out there.. if I could’ve find the cd at a random store, it must’ve happened in other places too. I'm placing everything in a spoiler, so read at your own risk! 

 

 

 

First of all: this will be some more factual observations mixed with some of my opinions and thoughts, so make sure to take everything with a pinch of salt, cause it’s subjective after all. Second of all: I don’t know anything about music theory and English is my second language, so I’ll be using music terms loosely. Don’t pin me down on technicalities! If any of my descriptions seem vague I blame it on my lack of music knowledge Thirdly: this album has quite a lot of songs about trauma, and since I don’t know whether this trauma is ‘public knowledge` yet, I won’t be sharing too much of the lyrical content. I believe with these kind of subjects, it should be told on people’s own terms. Anyway, let’s start!

 

The first track, Minor Feelings, really serves as an introduction to the album. Her voice is very prominent in the foreground. The song’s production feels soft, but because of her slow, low, soft voice the song also feels grand in a way; it feels like it’s building towards a climax, but it never quite reaches that. It has some very nice, subtle robotic background vocals in the last part. The lyrics of the song already give an insight to why she wrote Hold The Girl and named the album after it. The track flows very nicely into that song, btw, with the sound of some sort of motorcycle driving away connecting the two songs. I found Hold The Girl quite cheesy when I heard it the first time, but knowing what it’s about because of the context of the album really made me appreciate it more. Directly after there are This Hell and Catch Me In The Air, which you know. I find it notable the former lyrically doesn’t really seem to connect to the first two ones and any of the other songs in this album.

 

The next song is Forgiveness, which starts out with a slow, light drum beat, some guitar, and some sort of piano. The verses are toned down and Rina sings with a soft voice about trauma. The chorus is a nice midtempo (?) singalong moment, with an i, i-i, i-i’m / looking for si, i-i, i-igns pattern. The chorus ends with an anticlimax the first time, to get a more explosive ending the second time around, with more guitars and a bit heavier drums coming in. Rina does some adlibs and does the bridge, with some soaring guitars. The production falls away at the end of the bridge, to come back in for the last chorus. The song ends with a cute, soft guitar bit and some church bells. The song is cute, but doesn't feel too special to me. It is very catchy, tho and if you relate to the lyrical content, I'm pretty sure it's great.

 

The song then flows directly into Holy (Till You Let Me Go). This is where the album really starts to pick up imo. This is the first song where Rina sings more explicitly about the trauma that’s the core to this album. During the first verse, a deep beat slowly enters the song. At the end of the first verse, it all falls away for a bit, to then all come in sweeping for (imo) the best chorus of the album yet. Central to the chorus is this deep beat, accompanied by some dark sounding, almost organ (?) like synths, which really fit the lyrical content of this song. This is the definition of dark pop imo. The structure of this song is so interesting. After the first verse there’s some weird marching drums/drum-‘n-bass-like noises, although it's short and they’re not in the foreground for long. For the second verse, a faster synthbeat/tick is added, building tension in the song. It now feels fast-paced. The second chorus is extended, which also makes it the climax of the song. She repeats the core of the lyrics a couple of times, with another i, i-i, i-i singalong moment. The song then ends small with some sounds of rain and church bells and the sound of people talking.

 

Your Age starts very different from the rest of the album with some sort of banjo-like sound. I’m really bad at recognizing instruments, so don’t pin me down. After like ten seconds, a hard beat comes in and Rina sings in a monotonous, repetitive way. The (pre-?)chorus is so different from the rest of the album. Rina is almost talking at this part of the song, sounding muffled and raw. The song radiates anger imo, but it’s not as heavy as STFU. The second chorus is a sudden explosion, tho, with Rina’s singing voice chopped up and becoming part of the instrumentation. A fast beat and some muffled singing (almost like Halsey sounds like on some IICHLIWP songs) are pushing the song towards an end. This song is definitely the hardest to describe. Pretty sure a lot of people who didn’t feel the singles of this album will definitely like this song.

 

Imagining is very different from the singles as well. It has a much lighter vibe during the verses than the previous song. Her voice is slightly autotuned and sounds higher. The beat in the background is kinda similar to the one in Hold The Girl, but it has some higher pitched sounds throughout. The chorus is an unexpected dark bangerrrr tho, which I’m sure you’ll all loooove. Holy - You Age - Imagining are a 1-2-3-punch, so to say. The track has some very nice swith-ups towards the end too, when a piano suddenly joins for a small amount of time, and her voice is looped to make for an explosive outro. The song would suit on a Charli XCX album imo and almost ends pc-music style with some heavy edited vocals and random electronic sounds. It's just a short bit, tho.

 

The 1-2-3-punch easily becomes a 1-2-3-4-punch with Frankenstein. A fast-paced banger with another Frankenstei, ei-ei, ei-ein singalong moment. The verses have this fast paced bass and some fast drums, while the chorus even adds a little extra with harder drums and some electric guitars in the background. She sings I don’t wanna be a monster, anymore repeatedly in the post-chorus. It ends with a very fast drum section. The vibe kinda reminds me of Halsey’s Easier than Lying, although Rina’s has a faster pace. Hurricanes is a somewhat ‘slower’ moment after all these bops, but since it has leaked by now, I won’t describe this one too much. The Kelly Clarkson comparison kinda fits. It has a lighter mood than the previous songs, even tho it's really guitar-heavy. The ending of this song is so good, really nice climax.

 

Send My Love To John is the real slower moment on this album. It starts with not much more than a guitar and Rina’s soft voice on the foreground. The guitar later gets some layering with other instruments, but the song remains small, even in the chorus. The only thing that gets added are some background voices/harmonies. It’s gorgeous imo. I think the lyrics are from her mother’s perspective, which makes it even more personal in some way. It made me wonder if more songs are actually from her mother’s perspective instead of hers, but since English isn’t my first language and I’m not that deeply invested in reviews/interviews, I’m gonna let you decide that when you get to listen to it. She does really bring the lyrical content to herself in the thank you notes, so it might just as well be just this song.

 

The album ends with Phantom and To Be Alive. You’ve heard the former and the tone of the album has really shifted by now. It has a more positive vibe, both lyrically and in sound. The last song of the album is Rina trying to end the album on a positive note, too. Flowers still look pretty when they’re dying, she sings in the opening line of the song. There’s the sound of some children in the background at the start, while some deep sounds form the base/canvas of this song. During the pre-chorus, another Hold The Girl-like drum-‘n-bass beat enters the song. Rina’s voice remains slower (yet powerful), making it a feel-good singalong anthem. I finally know what it feels like / To be alive, she belts. The song continues like that till the end.

 

Overall, I think it’s a strong album. Not close to SAWAYAMA, but still solid. It definitely exceeded my expectations, which were kinda lowered because of the singles. I didn’t hate them or anything, but I didn’t love them either. The context of the album really made me appreciate the title track a lot more. I don’t find the lyrics as cheesy anymore, too. She’s always been quite literal with some of her lyrics (Love Me 4 Me and Take Me As I Am are pretty on the nose too), but knowing the trauma this album is about, it actually makes that directness powerful imo. I just find it a shame she is very general in the singles and it only gets more specific on the album tracks. The middle part of the album is definitely the best part imo and just STELLAR and I’m sure RINA/SAWAYAMA fans that didn’t like the singles will find something to their liking over there. Hope I made you excited for the release without spoiling too much and without setting the expectations too high! 
 

 

Edited September 5, 2022 by pavi

[Ratchet ★]

15 minutes ago, pavi said:

So! Finally some thoughts about this album Since songs started leaking, I don’t expect it to be long before more is out there.. if I could’ve find the cd at a random store, it must’ve happened in other places too. I'm placing everything in a spoiler, so read at your own risk! 

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

First of all: this will be some more factual observations mixed with some of my opinions and thoughts, so make sure to take everything with a pinch of salt, cause it’s subjective after all. Second of all: I don’t know anything about music theory and English is my second language, so I’ll be using music terms loosely. Don’t pin me down on technicalities! If any of my descriptions seem vague I blame it on my lack of music knowledge Thirdly: this album has quite a lot of songs about trauma, and since I don’t know whether this trauma is ‘public knowledge` yet, I won’t be sharing too much of the lyrical content. I believe with these kind of subjects, it should be told on people’s own terms. Anyway, let’s start!

 

The first track, Minor Feelings, really serves as an introduction to the album. Her voice is very prominent in the foreground. The song’s production feels soft, but because of her slow, low, soft voice the song also feels grand in a way; it feels like it’s building towards a climax, but it never quite reaches that. It has some very nice, subtle robotic background vocals in the last part. The lyrics of the song already give an insight to why she wrote Hold The Girl and named the album after it. The track flows very nicely into that song, btw, with the sound of some sort of motorcycle driving away connecting the two songs. I found Hold The Girl quite cheesy when I heard it the first time, but knowing what it’s about because of the context of the album really made me appreciate it more. Directly after there are This Hell and Catch Me In The Air, which you know. I find it notable the former lyrically doesn’t really seem to connect to the first two ones and any of the other songs in this album.

 

The next song is Forgiveness, which starts out with a slow, light drum beat, some guitar, and some sort of piano. The verses are toned down and Rina sings with a soft voice about trauma. The chorus is a nice midtempo (?) singalong moment, with an i, i-i, i-i’m / looking for si, i-i, i-igns pattern. The chorus ends with an anticlimax the first time, to get a more explosive ending the second time around, with more guitars and a bit heavier drums coming in. Rina does some adlibs and does the bridge, with some soaring guitars. The production falls away at the end of the bridge, to come back in for the last chorus. The song ends with a cute, soft guitar bit and some church bells. The song is cute, but doesn't feel too special to me. It is very catchy, tho and if you relate to the lyrical content, I'm pretty sure it's great.

 

The song then flows directly into Holy (Till You Let Me Go). This is where the album really starts to pick up imo. This is the first song where Rina sings more explicitly about the trauma that’s the core to this album. During the first verse, a deep beat slowly enters the song. At the end of the first verse, it all falls away for a bit, to then all come in sweeping for (imo) the best chorus of the album yet. Central to the chorus is this deep beat, accompanied by some dark sounding, almost organ (?) like synths, which really fit the lyrical content of this song. This is the definition of dark pop imo. The structure of this song is so interesting. After the first verse there’s some weird marching drums/drum-‘n-bass-like noises, although it's short and they’re not in the foreground for long. For the second verse, a faster synthbeat/tick is added, building tension in the song. It now feels fast-paced. The second chorus is extended, which also makes it the climax of the song. She repeats the core of the lyrics a couple of times, with another i, i-i, i-i singalong moment. The song then ends small with some sounds of rain and church bells and the sound of people talking.

 

Your Age starts very different from the rest of the album with some sort of banjo-like sound. I’m really bad at recognizing instruments, so don’t pin me down. After like ten seconds, a hard beat comes in and Rina sings in a monotonous, repetitive way. The (pre-?)chorus is so different from the rest of the album. Rina is almost talking at this part of the song, sounding muffled and raw. The song radiates anger imo, but it’s not as heavy as STFU. The second chorus is a sudden explosion, tho, with Rina’s singing voice chopped up and becoming part of the instrumentation. A fast beat and some muffled singing (almost like Halsey sounds like on some IICHLIWP songs) are pushing the song towards an end. This song is definitely the hardest to describe. Pretty sure a lot of people who didn’t feel the singles of this album will definitely like this song.

 

Imagining is very different from the singles as well. It has a much lighter vibe during the verses than the previous song. Her voice is slightly autotuned and sounds higher. The beat in the background is kinda similar to the one in Hold The Girl, but it has some higher pitched sounds throughout. The chorus is an unexpected dark bangerrrr tho, which I’m sure you’ll all loooove. Holy - You Age - Imagining are a 1-2-3-punch, so to say. The track has some very nice swith-ups towards the end too, when a piano suddenly joins for a small amount of time, and her voice is looped to make for an explosive outro. The song would suit on a Charli XCX album imo and almost ends pc-music style with some heavy edited vocals and random electronic sounds. It's just a short bit, tho.

 

The 1-2-3-punch easily becomes a 1-2-3-4-punch with Frankenstein. A fast-paced banger with another Frankenstei, ei-ei, ei-ein singalong moment. The verses have this fast paced bass and some fast drums, while the chorus even adds a little extra with harder drums and some electric guitars in the background. She sings I don’t wanna be a monster, anymore repeatedly in the post-chorus. It ends with a very fast drum section. The vibe kinda reminds me of Halsey’s Easier than Lying, although Rina’s has a faster pace. Hurricanes is a somewhat ‘slower’ moment after all these bops, but since it has leaked by now, I won’t describe this one too much. The Kelly Clarkson comparison kinda fits. It has a lighter mood than the previous songs, even tho it's really guitar-heavy. The ending of this song is so good, really nice climax.

 

Send My Love To John is the real slower moment on this album. It starts with not much more than a guitar and Rina’s soft voice on the foreground. The guitar later gets some layering with other instruments, but the song remains small, even in the chorus. The only thing that gets added are some background voices/harmonies. It’s gorgeous imo. I think the lyrics are from her mother’s perspective, which makes it even more personal in some way. It made me wonder if more songs are actually from her mother’s perspective instead of hers, but since English isn’t my first language and I’m not that deeply invested in reviews/interviews, I’m gonna let you decide that when you get to listen to it. She does really bring the lyrical content to herself in the thank you notes, so it might just as well be just this song.

 

The album ends with Phantom and To Be Alive. You’ve heard the former and the tone of the album has really shifted by now. It has a more positive vibe, both lyrically and in sound. The last song of the album is Rina trying to end the album on a positive note, too. Flowers still look pretty when they’re dying, she sings in the opening line of the song. There’s the sound of some children in the background at the start, while some deep sounds form the base/canvas of this song. During the pre-chorus, another Hold The Girl-like drum-‘n-bass beat enters the song. Rina’s voice remains slower (yet powerful), making it a feel-good singalong anthem. I finally know what it feels like / To be alive, she belts. The song continues like that till the end.

 

Overall, I think it’s a strong album. It definitely exceeded my expectations, which were kinda lowered because of the singles. I didn’t hate them or anything, but I didn’t love them either. The context of the album really made me appreciate the title track a lot more. I don’t find the lyrics as cheesy anymore, too. She’s always been quite literal with some of her lyrics (Love Me 4 Me and Take Me As I Am are pretty on the nose too), but knowing the trauma this album is about, it actually makes that directness powerful imo. I just find it a shame she is very general in the singles and it only gets more specific on the album tracks. The middle part of the album is definitely the best part imo and just STELLAR and I’m sure RINA/SAWAYAMA fans that didn’t like the singles will find something to their liking over there. Hope I made you excited for the release with spoiling to much and setting the expectations too high! 
 

 

 

This has me even more excited especially for that middle section  really lovely descriptions thank you!

[Edibles.]

Frankenstein is the best offering from this album

[Bartender]

8 hours ago, pavi said:

So! Finally some thoughts about this album Since songs started leaking, I don’t expect it to be long before more is out there.. if I could’ve find the cd at a random store, it must’ve happened in other places too. I'm placing everything in a spoiler, so read at your own risk! 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

First of all: this will be some more factual observations mixed with some of my opinions and thoughts, so make sure to take everything with a pinch of salt, cause it’s subjective after all. Second of all: I don’t know anything about music theory and English is my second language, so I’ll be using music terms loosely. Don’t pin me down on technicalities! If any of my descriptions seem vague I blame it on my lack of music knowledge Thirdly: this album has quite a lot of songs about trauma, and since I don’t know whether this trauma is ‘public knowledge` yet, I won’t be sharing too much of the lyrical content. I believe with these kind of subjects, it should be told on people’s own terms. Anyway, let’s start!

 

The first track, Minor Feelings, really serves as an introduction to the album. Her voice is very prominent in the foreground. The song’s production feels soft, but because of her slow, low, soft voice the song also feels grand in a way; it feels like it’s building towards a climax, but it never quite reaches that. It has some very nice, subtle robotic background vocals in the last part. The lyrics of the song already give an insight to why she wrote Hold The Girl and named the album after it. The track flows very nicely into that song, btw, with the sound of some sort of motorcycle driving away connecting the two songs. I found Hold The Girl quite cheesy when I heard it the first time, but knowing what it’s about because of the context of the album really made me appreciate it more. Directly after there are This Hell and Catch Me In The Air, which you know. I find it notable the former lyrically doesn’t really seem to connect to the first two ones and any of the other songs in this album.

 

The next song is Forgiveness, which starts out with a slow, light drum beat, some guitar, and some sort of piano. The verses are toned down and Rina sings with a soft voice about trauma. The chorus is a nice midtempo (?) singalong moment, with an i, i-i, i-i’m / looking for si, i-i, i-igns pattern. The chorus ends with an anticlimax the first time, to get a more explosive ending the second time around, with more guitars and a bit heavier drums coming in. Rina does some adlibs and does the bridge, with some soaring guitars. The production falls away at the end of the bridge, to come back in for the last chorus. The song ends with a cute, soft guitar bit and some church bells. The song is cute, but doesn't feel too special to me. It is very catchy, tho and if you relate to the lyrical content, I'm pretty sure it's great.

 

The song then flows directly into Holy (Till You Let Me Go). This is where the album really starts to pick up imo. This is the first song where Rina sings more explicitly about the trauma that’s the core to this album. During the first verse, a deep beat slowly enters the song. At the end of the first verse, it all falls away for a bit, to then all come in sweeping for (imo) the best chorus of the album yet. Central to the chorus is this deep beat, accompanied by some dark sounding, almost organ (?) like synths, which really fit the lyrical content of this song. This is the definition of dark pop imo. The structure of this song is so interesting. After the first verse there’s some weird marching drums/drum-‘n-bass-like noises, although it's short and they’re not in the foreground for long. For the second verse, a faster synthbeat/tick is added, building tension in the song. It now feels fast-paced. The second chorus is extended, which also makes it the climax of the song. She repeats the core of the lyrics a couple of times, with another i, i-i, i-i singalong moment. The song then ends small with some sounds of rain and church bells and the sound of people talking.

 

Your Age starts very different from the rest of the album with some sort of banjo-like sound. I’m really bad at recognizing instruments, so don’t pin me down. After like ten seconds, a hard beat comes in and Rina sings in a monotonous, repetitive way. The (pre-?)chorus is so different from the rest of the album. Rina is almost talking at this part of the song, sounding muffled and raw. The song radiates anger imo, but it’s not as heavy as STFU. The second chorus is a sudden explosion, tho, with Rina’s singing voice chopped up and becoming part of the instrumentation. A fast beat and some muffled singing (almost like Halsey sounds like on some IICHLIWP songs) are pushing the song towards an end. This song is definitely the hardest to describe. Pretty sure a lot of people who didn’t feel the singles of this album will definitely like this song.

 

Imagining is very different from the singles as well. It has a much lighter vibe during the verses than the previous song. Her voice is slightly autotuned and sounds higher. The beat in the background is kinda similar to the one in Hold The Girl, but it has some higher pitched sounds throughout. The chorus is an unexpected dark bangerrrr tho, which I’m sure you’ll all loooove. Holy - You Age - Imagining are a 1-2-3-punch, so to say. The track has some very nice swith-ups towards the end too, when a piano suddenly joins for a small amount of time, and her voice is looped to make for an explosive outro. The song would suit on a Charli XCX album imo and almost ends pc-music style with some heavy edited vocals and random electronic sounds. It's just a short bit, tho.

 

The 1-2-3-punch easily becomes a 1-2-3-4-punch with Frankenstein. A fast-paced banger with another Frankenstei, ei-ei, ei-ein singalong moment. The verses have this fast paced bass and some fast drums, while the chorus even adds a little extra with harder drums and some electric guitars in the background. She sings I don’t wanna be a monster, anymore repeatedly in the post-chorus. It ends with a very fast drum section. The vibe kinda reminds me of Halsey’s Easier than Lying, although Rina’s has a faster pace. Hurricanes is a somewhat ‘slower’ moment after all these bops, but since it has leaked by now, I won’t describe this one too much. The Kelly Clarkson comparison kinda fits. It has a lighter mood than the previous songs, even tho it's really guitar-heavy. The ending of this song is so good, really nice climax.

 

Send My Love To John is the real slower moment on this album. It starts with not much more than a guitar and Rina’s soft voice on the foreground. The guitar later gets some layering with other instruments, but the song remains small, even in the chorus. The only thing that gets added are some background voices/harmonies. It’s gorgeous imo. I think the lyrics are from her mother’s perspective, which makes it even more personal in some way. It made me wonder if more songs are actually from her mother’s perspective instead of hers, but since English isn’t my first language and I’m not that deeply invested in reviews/interviews, I’m gonna let you decide that when you get to listen to it. She does really bring the lyrical content to herself in the thank you notes, so it might just as well be just this song.

 

The album ends with Phantom and To Be Alive. You’ve heard the former and the tone of the album has really shifted by now. It has a more positive vibe, both lyrically and in sound. The last song of the album is Rina trying to end the album on a positive note, too. Flowers still look pretty when they’re dying, she sings in the opening line of the song. There’s the sound of some children in the background at the start, while some deep sounds form the base/canvas of this song. During the pre-chorus, another Hold The Girl-like drum-‘n-bass beat enters the song. Rina’s voice remains slower (yet powerful), making it a feel-good singalong anthem. I finally know what it feels like / To be alive, she belts. The song continues like that till the end.

 

Overall, I think it’s a strong album. Not close to SAWAYAMA, but still solid. It definitely exceeded my expectations, which were kinda lowered because of the singles. I didn’t hate them or anything, but I didn’t love them either. The context of the album really made me appreciate the title track a lot more. I don’t find the lyrics as cheesy anymore, too. She’s always been quite literal with some of her lyrics (Love Me 4 Me and Take Me As I Am are pretty on the nose too), but knowing the trauma this album is about, it actually makes that directness powerful imo. I just find it a shame she is very general in the singles and it only gets more specific on the album tracks. The middle part of the album is definitely the best part imo and just STELLAR and I’m sure RINA/SAWAYAMA fans that didn’t like the singles will find something to their liking over there. Hope I made you excited for the release without spoiling too much and without setting the expectations too high! 
 

 

tysm so much for this it actually sounds amazing

 

i just hope the album doesn't leak 

[Tyrion_LMG]

10 hours ago, pavi said:

So! Finally some thoughts about this album Since songs started leaking, I don’t expect it to be long before more is out there.. if I could’ve find the cd at a random store, it must’ve happened in other places too. I'm placing everything in a spoiler, so read at your own risk! 

 

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First of all: this will be some more factual observations mixed with some of my opinions and thoughts, so make sure to take everything with a pinch of salt, cause it’s subjective after all. Second of all: I don’t know anything about music theory and English is my second language, so I’ll be using music terms loosely. Don’t pin me down on technicalities! If any of my descriptions seem vague I blame it on my lack of music knowledge Thirdly: this album has quite a lot of songs about trauma, and since I don’t know whether this trauma is ‘public knowledge` yet, I won’t be sharing too much of the lyrical content. I believe with these kind of subjects, it should be told on people’s own terms. Anyway, let’s start!

 

The first track, Minor Feelings, really serves as an introduction to the album. Her voice is very prominent in the foreground. The song’s production feels soft, but because of her slow, low, soft voice the song also feels grand in a way; it feels like it’s building towards a climax, but it never quite reaches that. It has some very nice, subtle robotic background vocals in the last part. The lyrics of the song already give an insight to why she wrote Hold The Girl and named the album after it. The track flows very nicely into that song, btw, with the sound of some sort of motorcycle driving away connecting the two songs. I found Hold The Girl quite cheesy when I heard it the first time, but knowing what it’s about because of the context of the album really made me appreciate it more. Directly after there are This Hell and Catch Me In The Air, which you know. I find it notable the former lyrically doesn’t really seem to connect to the first two ones and any of the other songs in this album.

 

The next song is Forgiveness, which starts out with a slow, light drum beat, some guitar, and some sort of piano. The verses are toned down and Rina sings with a soft voice about trauma. The chorus is a nice midtempo (?) singalong moment, with an i, i-i, i-i’m / looking for si, i-i, i-igns pattern. The chorus ends with an anticlimax the first time, to get a more explosive ending the second time around, with more guitars and a bit heavier drums coming in. Rina does some adlibs and does the bridge, with some soaring guitars. The production falls away at the end of the bridge, to come back in for the last chorus. The song ends with a cute, soft guitar bit and some church bells. The song is cute, but doesn't feel too special to me. It is very catchy, tho and if you relate to the lyrical content, I'm pretty sure it's great.

 

The song then flows directly into Holy (Till You Let Me Go). This is where the album really starts to pick up imo. This is the first song where Rina sings more explicitly about the trauma that’s the core to this album. During the first verse, a deep beat slowly enters the song. At the end of the first verse, it all falls away for a bit, to then all come in sweeping for (imo) the best chorus of the album yet. Central to the chorus is this deep beat, accompanied by some dark sounding, almost organ (?) like synths, which really fit the lyrical content of this song. This is the definition of dark pop imo. The structure of this song is so interesting. After the first verse there’s some weird marching drums/drum-‘n-bass-like noises, although it's short and they’re not in the foreground for long. For the second verse, a faster synthbeat/tick is added, building tension in the song. It now feels fast-paced. The second chorus is extended, which also makes it the climax of the song. She repeats the core of the lyrics a couple of times, with another i, i-i, i-i singalong moment. The song then ends small with some sounds of rain and church bells and the sound of people talking.

 

Your Age starts very different from the rest of the album with some sort of banjo-like sound. I’m really bad at recognizing instruments, so don’t pin me down. After like ten seconds, a hard beat comes in and Rina sings in a monotonous, repetitive way. The (pre-?)chorus is so different from the rest of the album. Rina is almost talking at this part of the song, sounding muffled and raw. The song radiates anger imo, but it’s not as heavy as STFU. The second chorus is a sudden explosion, tho, with Rina’s singing voice chopped up and becoming part of the instrumentation. A fast beat and some muffled singing (almost like Halsey sounds like on some IICHLIWP songs) are pushing the song towards an end. This song is definitely the hardest to describe. Pretty sure a lot of people who didn’t feel the singles of this album will definitely like this song.

 

Imagining is very different from the singles as well. It has a much lighter vibe during the verses than the previous song. Her voice is slightly autotuned and sounds higher. The beat in the background is kinda similar to the one in Hold The Girl, but it has some higher pitched sounds throughout. The chorus is an unexpected dark bangerrrr tho, which I’m sure you’ll all loooove. Holy - You Age - Imagining are a 1-2-3-punch, so to say. The track has some very nice swith-ups towards the end too, when a piano suddenly joins for a small amount of time, and her voice is looped to make for an explosive outro. The song would suit on a Charli XCX album imo and almost ends pc-music style with some heavy edited vocals and random electronic sounds. It's just a short bit, tho.

 

The 1-2-3-punch easily becomes a 1-2-3-4-punch with Frankenstein. A fast-paced banger with another Frankenstei, ei-ei, ei-ein singalong moment. The verses have this fast paced bass and some fast drums, while the chorus even adds a little extra with harder drums and some electric guitars in the background. She sings I don’t wanna be a monster, anymore repeatedly in the post-chorus. It ends with a very fast drum section. The vibe kinda reminds me of Halsey’s Easier than Lying, although Rina’s has a faster pace. Hurricanes is a somewhat ‘slower’ moment after all these bops, but since it has leaked by now, I won’t describe this one too much. The Kelly Clarkson comparison kinda fits. It has a lighter mood than the previous songs, even tho it's really guitar-heavy. The ending of this song is so good, really nice climax.

 

Send My Love To John is the real slower moment on this album. It starts with not much more than a guitar and Rina’s soft voice on the foreground. The guitar later gets some layering with other instruments, but the song remains small, even in the chorus. The only thing that gets added are some background voices/harmonies. It’s gorgeous imo. I think the lyrics are from her mother’s perspective, which makes it even more personal in some way. It made me wonder if more songs are actually from her mother’s perspective instead of hers, but since English isn’t my first language and I’m not that deeply invested in reviews/interviews, I’m gonna let you decide that when you get to listen to it. She does really bring the lyrical content to herself in the thank you notes, so it might just as well be just this song.

 

The album ends with Phantom and To Be Alive. You’ve heard the former and the tone of the album has really shifted by now. It has a more positive vibe, both lyrically and in sound. The last song of the album is Rina trying to end the album on a positive note, too. Flowers still look pretty when they’re dying, she sings in the opening line of the song. There’s the sound of some children in the background at the start, while some deep sounds form the base/canvas of this song. During the pre-chorus, another Hold The Girl-like drum-‘n-bass beat enters the song. Rina’s voice remains slower (yet powerful), making it a feel-good singalong anthem. I finally know what it feels like / To be alive, she belts. The song continues like that till the end.

 

Overall, I think it’s a strong album. Not close to SAWAYAMA, but still solid. It definitely exceeded my expectations, which were kinda lowered because of the singles. I didn’t hate them or anything, but I didn’t love them either. The context of the album really made me appreciate the title track a lot more. I don’t find the lyrics as cheesy anymore, too. She’s always been quite literal with some of her lyrics (Love Me 4 Me and Take Me As I Am are pretty on the nose too), but knowing the trauma this album is about, it actually makes that directness powerful imo. I just find it a shame she is very general in the singles and it only gets more specific on the album tracks. The middle part of the album is definitely the best part imo and just STELLAR and I’m sure RINA/SAWAYAMA fans that didn’t like the singles will find something to their liking over there. Hope I made you excited for the release without spoiling too much and without setting the expectations too high! 
 

 

I knew I was going to love this album and based on this description I will love it even more.

 

I liked SAWAYAMA, but personally, the five tracks I have listened so far are superior to me.

[atrlxcx]

Spotify exclusive vinyl with Alt artwork (Hold The Girl single cover)

https://store.dirtyhit.co.uk/release/329125-rina-sawayama-hold-the-girl-alt-cover-blue-jay-vinyl-spotify-fans-first

[Ratchet ★]

that blue cover variant sold out in like 15 minutes… I was too late to grab one 

Edited September 6, 2022 by Ratchet ★