Album Review: Rina Sawayama’s ‘Hold The Girl’ Will Make You Cry in the Club

On her sophomore album, Rina Sawayama reaches out to her inner child, moving listeners simultaneously to tears and the dance floor.

Written by Audrey Vieira

Rina Sawayama set a high bar for pop excellency with her debut album SAWAYAMA in 2020. The maximalist record brought everything from nu-metal riffs to gospel choruses into the fold of Sawayama’s all-encompassing brand of pop. Since its release, she’s collaborated with the likes of Lady Gaga and Sir Elton John, and even successfully advocated to change eligibility rules for British awards ceremonies after unjustly restrictive nationality clauses barred her from the competition, establishing herself early on as a game-changing artist.

Now, just two years after releasing her debut, Sawayama raises the bar once again with her second offering, Hold The Girl. Like SAWAYAMA, the album incorporates elements from outside the realm of mainstream pop while remaining true to the catchy conventions of the genre. But unlike its predecessor, Hold The Girl finds these influences in different areas — country music, hyperpop, and hell, to name a few.

Speaking of hell, Sawayama goes there, and she throws a party in its fiery depths. This is the premise of the album’s lead single, “This Hell,” which seamlessly transitions from the end of the SAWAYAMA era to the dawn of Hold The Girl with country-tinged electric guitar riffs and a devilishly fun beat. Though these country influences weren’t present on Sawayama’s debut, the song’s reclamation of damnation and emphasis on “Chosen Family,” to namedrop a track from SAWAYAMA, remain lyrically in line with her earlier material while offering an exciting glimpse into the sound of her new era.

The album’s second single, “Catch Me In The Air,” trades country twang for carefree early aughts-esque pop. Playful production and gentle bass strums transport listeners back to Sawayama’s childhood, and a key change going into the chorus gives the impression that she really is flying through the air. While lighter in tone than some of SAWAYAMA’s edgier singles, the song is so triumphantly joyful that one can’t help but smile while listening to it.

This occasional softness of Hold The Girl may come as a surprise to some fans, but in the context of the album, this progression makes sense. It’s not a complete 180 from the maximalism of SAWAYAMA — it’s a more refined, matured version of it. Take, for example, the album’s third single and title track, which seamlessly incorporates glitzy dancepop instrumental breaks in between glorious gospel choruses. The maximalism is more subtle on Hold The Girl as opposed to its flashier predecessor, but it works in Sawayama’s favor.

That being said, Hold The Girl still has its chaotic moments, and Sawayama was right to save the best tracks for the album’s release. The entire four-track run from “Holy (Til You Let Me Go)” to “Frankenstein” is one of the most exciting pop moments of the year because of how unexpected the dark, industrial nature of these tracks are in comparison to brighter singles like the previously mentioned “Catch Me In The Air” and the hopeful choruses of “Hurricanes.”

First, “Holy” uses Catholic guilt as a metaphor for Sawayama’s experiences at “the college of Magdalene,” referencing her time at Cambridge University. As she does earlier in the album with “This Hell,” Sawayama rejects the hateful words of others and reclaims the stained glass and bricks for herself, singing: “I was innocent when you said I was evil / I took your stones and I built a cathedral.” Immediately following is the irresistibly catchy “Your Age,” in which Sawayama calls out the adults who wronged her younger self. In some ways, it’s the confrontation after the partying of “This Hell,” with Sawayama standing up to the demons of her past against the sounds of dark synths and a hint of “This Hell’s” country influences.

Chaos ensues on the second half of this run, with the frenetic, borderline hyperpop production of “Imagining” and the thumping bassline of “Frankenstein.” The former features pitched-up vocals from Sawayama, while the latter’s creeping bassline reflects the desperation of Sawayama’s pleas for salvation as she begs for someone to “put [her] together one more time.” Both songs are fast-paced, danceable pop offerings, but they also demonstrate the vulnerability of Sawayama’s wounded inner child at the center of the album. Whether heard in the context of the album, alone in a dark room, or dancing in a crowded nightclub, these four tracks are fantastic.

Also fantastic is “Hurricanes,” the album’s fifth single, which immediately follows the run from “Holy” to “Frankenstein.” The brightness of this track marks a clear departure from the darker tone of tracks like “Your Age” and “Frankenstein,” offering a glimpse of hope amidst Sawayama’s healing journey. It’s far from the end of her journey, but it is a crucial turning point, laying the foundations for the album’s final chapter while remaining joyful in its own right.

However, listeners may want to grab tissues before listening to the last three songs on Hold The Girl, all of which are ballads. “Send My Love To John” is an acoustic apology sung from the perspective of a mother reaching out to her gay son, acknowledging how she was wrong to initially reject his identity, while poignant penultimate track “Phantom” is an electric one from Sawayama to her younger self. But if “Phantom” is Sawayama’s way of reaching into the void to make amends with her inner child, album closer “To Be Alive” is where the two dance in the light; finally embracing as the song fades into an open ending.

Hold The Girl is an incredibly moving masterclass in pop perfection. As Sawayama reaches out to her younger self, she tugs at listener’s heartstrings, moving them to tears and to the dance floor at the same time. Fans of SAWAYAMA will appreciate the innovative production of this album, especially Sawayama’s incorporation of country elements into “This Hell” and “Your Age,” as well as the darker electronic productions of “Holy” and “Imagining,” but the album’s more introspective and insightful moments are equally as interesting. Sawayama has officially gone two for two, beating the sophomore slump curse with ease.