Rina Sawayama serves kuntry to her new single “This Hell”, on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Rina appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, which seems to be the only damn show giving Rina Sawayama screen time. Like...this bitch has been selling out a world tour, off the back of one of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2020, and played a set at Coachella. Rina’s outlook calendar should be blocked for the whole of May with appearances on TV shows. Kelly Clarkson and all the other white people with shows that have live performance guests need to pick up the damn phone.

HENNYWAY

Unlike her 2020 performance of “XS”, Rina was actually in the States for this performance and at NBC Studios for the taping of it.

A British Japanese pop star line dancing in cowboy boots and a leather mini skirt, on some TV show on national television, to a song about the media mistreatment of women, and how the gays are going to hell.

*In Monique’s voice* She’s taking it.

This was a cute performance. Although, the sound team played her with those sound levels. The mic was on, but the volume was so low that it may as well not been. And Rina made strange choices as to how much of her vocals were on the backing track, and then choosing not to lip sync during sections of the song where she should have. It gave the impression that none of what she was singing was live at all.

Rina is a great live performer. She has great energy. She is fully committed and present. But she’s still a little rough around the edges. Rina is an artist who is about their craft, and her live performances clearly show that she understands what it takes to put on a good show. So, the finesse is something that will come the more that she performs, and as her budgets get bigger. Give it a couple of years, and the pop girls are gonna have a problem, because Rina will be a big ol’ threat.

And whilst part of me thinks that Rina’s conscription to the yee-haw agenda may have come a little late, I’m still here for it. Although I hope it carries through into the music video into something wholly original, and that we don’t just end up with a re-hash of Caroline Polachek’s “So Hurt You’re Hurting My Feelings”, but with lesbians and an outfit change. Although that doesn’t sound half bad.

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💿 Rina reviews: Rina | Sawayama
📀 Rina revision: Sawayama (The Random J Pop Revised Expanded Edition)
🗄️ Rina shit: That time Rina performed at Coachella | That time Rina got shafted because of racism and xenophobia | That time Rina met Hikaru Utada | That time Rina released a gay anthem and gave it an awful music video