No genre can hide from Rina Sawayama – at least, that’s what we thought when we saw the singer-songwriter at an intimate Melbourne gig. Playing one of our favourite venues, 170 Russell, the Japanese-British artist made her Australian debut playing a sold-out show in one of the most packed-out rooms we’ve seen in a while. Hailed as the next Lady Gaga, Rina has made a massive name for herself internationally, as she continues to push the boundaries with her genre-defying pop.
Opening the night was Melbourne local Memphis LK, who kicked things into gear with what could only be summed up as a megamix of a party playlist. Running through remixed and reimagined party anthems such as Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa’s One Kiss, Ciara’s 1, 2 Step and Nelly Furtado’s Say It Right, Memphis LK had the packed crowd bopping along to each hit; with the sea of people a pulsating mass filling every inch of the venue. This is one producer who knows how to work a room, and we can’t wait to see more of Memphis’ sets.
After a short set up, Rina Sawayama took to the stage – complete with a dramatic entrance which included her hair blowing around her with the help of some very strategically placed fans. Her Hold The Girl tour has seen numerous dates selling out, with the addition of extra shows needing to be added – and this set was the very proof of why those extra dates were needed. Opening the set with the ethereal Minor Feelings and the title track from her second album, Hold The Girl, Rina set the pace for the night, blending ballads with hyper pop elements and gospel-style singalongs. Country pop track (à la early days Taylor Swift) Catch Me in the Air and the industrial-inspired Your Age, which is accompanied by a massive intro, are personal set highlights for us and saw Sawayama and her touring guitarist and drummer absolutely tearing up the stage.
With the audience going wild at this point, the RnB/techno-heavy Imagining, as well as nu-metal revival track STFU! from debut album Sawayama go completely off – with Rina holding her mic out to audience members to sing along. Inviting the audience to ‘bring the rage inside of you’, the hit single leads into yet another – this time around it’s the early 2000s-style indie bop Frankenstein, which sees the audience jumping along to the thumping bassline and drums. The synth-loaded Holy (Til You Let Me Go) brings the set back to dance-party status, while the older and relatable single Bad Friend had us all swaying in unison.
Addressing the crowd, Rina tells us ‘without therapy, there wouldn’t be this album’, before telling us the story behind Hold The Girl, and learning to reparent her inner child. It’s an incredibly emotional break in the set, and there’s plenty in the crowd who cheer along in support and with empathy. Stripping back the set for a moment, the acoustic track Send My Love to John and ballad Forgiveness had phone lights up and swaying in time with the delicate guitar work. Cherry is up next – Sawayama’s self-proclaimed coming out song – and the audience erupts into screams, which only intensify for the set’s closing tracks Comme Des Garçons (Like the Boys) and XS, which had us singing along to every word.
Coming back onstage wearing a cowboy hat for an encore of her Shania Twain inspired hit single, This Hell, Rina treats us all to a crazy light show, accompanied by some line-dancing moves. It’s evident here that Sawayama knows how to play to her strengths; playing with light and movement in such a way that it’s almost an art form. When it comes to the bridge of This Hell, the audience takes over and starts chanting, before Rina cuts us off, to queue up us ‘sinners’ for a group call and response. Absolutely working the crowd, Rina asks us all to ‘dance our fucking tits’ off, while a handful of cowboy hats (and boots) are raised in the air for the last bars of the song.
With the show coming to a close, we’re left already wanting to see Rina again – especially in such an intimate setting. As easily one of the best sets we’ve been to recently, there truly is something for everyone at a Rina Sawayama gig; the artist has made sure of that with her versatile setlists.