Breaking The Chain With Rina Sawayama a Year Later
which Sawayama song are you based on your zodiac sign
In honor of Rina Sawayama’s birthday, I wanted to take some time to appreciate her debut album Sawayama - an album that I waited way too long to listen to.
I apologize for being EXTREMELY late to the party. I needed this album to find me because I was never going to step outside of my comfort zone, but, in all honesty, I’m glad I waited.
This album came into my life after a long period of healing and growth. Since then, it has helped me reflect on my growth as a queer person and encouraged me to think about my role in spreading the queer agenda.
I truly admire this album for two reasons.
1) it effortlessly transcends time and space. Songs like “Dynasty” or “STFU!” are supposed to sound dated, and, at the same time, they sound fresher than ever. It’s dated and futuristic all at the same time. Similarly, Sawayama travels from place to place seamlessly. In “Who’s Gonna Save You Now?” it feels like it’s the 90s and we’re attending a large stadium concert. Then in “Tokyo Love Hotel” it feels like we’re in the streets of Tokyo Japan looking for a type of love that doesn’t exist.
2) this album juggles the personal and political without watering down marginalized identities for the dominant culture. Rina’s ability to examine her varying identities through personal experience and then illustrate how these experiences position her politically is extremely vulnerable and true to her. It’s powerful to be able to analyze how she lives within oppressive constructs and how she lives outside of them simultaneously.
Sawayama is a compilation of different truths coexisting in different spaces in different periods of time. Its honesty and self-reflexivity gives us the opportunity to manifest a future that flexes with us as we grow.
I’m so glad I finally broke the chain <3
Happy Birthday, Rina!
And don’t forget to stream Sawayama and her EP Rina.
Which Sawayama Song Are You Based on Your Zodiac
As always check for your sun, moon, and rising signs. Take what you need and leave what you don’t.
Aries
Bad Friend: Have you ever considered that maybe you’re the problem? Some honesty and self-reflection could really make a difference when trying to mend complex relationships.
Taurus
Fuck This World (Interlude): You have to be the change you want to see in other people. If you’re not willing to hold yourself to the same expectations you hold others to, you’ll be stuck in the same cycle.
Gemini
XS: If you’re not willing to check yourself, your actions will continue to have negative impacts on yourself and others. It’s not good enough to be a well-intended person, you must be honest with yourself when you mess up.
Cancer
Snakeskin: Embrace the growth you’ve been able to make in the past few years. Allow your new perception of yourself to guide you to new heights.
Leo
Paradisin’: Stop being the adult you think you should be and be the kid you always wanted to be. Life is supposed to be fun and carefree so why not live it as such?
Virgo
Chosen Family: Embrace your sentimental side. You’re not in this alone, and plenty of people want to see you succeed. Everything is going to be ok, just remember that you make the world a better place.
Libra
Dynasty: You’re the only person who is brave enough to change the trajectory of your story. How can you make meaning of a painful past, and cultivate a loving future?
Scorpio
Who’s Gonna Save U Now?: You’re not responsible for other people’s bullshit! There’s no room for absolution if they’re not willing to give you a resolution. Protect your peace.
Sagittarius
Comme Des Garcons (Like The Boys): Confidence can be inspired by anything. Avoid trying to fit into conventional standards of confidence. You’re not a conventional person, so stop treating yourself as such.
Capricorn
Tokyo Love Hotel: We all want something we can’t have. Oftentimes you have to accept that the romanticized version of something doesn’t actually exist. Accepting reality for what it is will help you cultivate more realistic expectations.
Aquarius
STFU!: Embrace the anger you repress! There’s no value in being angry if you’re going to keep it to yourself. Doing so will help you connect with other emotions tied to anger.
Pisces
Love Me 4 Me: It’s easy to live for others, but it’s difficult to live for yourself. Nonetheless, your life purpose is to live YOUR truth. If you’re not waking up to live your truth, then maybe you’re taking the easy way out?