Rina Sawayama

Rina Sawayama is a singer-songwriter whose music is firmly anchored in big and glossy pop music though she also shows some desire to experiment with melding genres. Her 2020 album Sawayama had a few metal riffs patched into her songs that may cause a first time listener to do a quick double take. Some of that idea sticks around in some form in her current work, except with her nu-metal motifs easing up in favor of '80s style pop rock, which in turn also moves a bit to the side. On the other hand, her songs are carefully crafted and executed within the pop framework, clearly demanding a big stage. A song like "Send My Love to John" also shows without a doubt that if she ever decides to turn towards quieter moments, she would do just fine in that style as well.