RINA SAWAYAMA - Hold The Girl Tour

The Fillmore in Colorado is home to some of the best shows in the Denver-Metro area. Rina Sawayama's performance just added to this most recent run of stellar shows.

Rina Sawayama is a Japanese / British pop icon who made major waves in the music industry following her 2020 release titled, 'Sawayama.' The album was praised by audiences and critics alike, portraying such a varied and diverse body of work. Some of our favourite tracks off Sawayama include STFU! and XS.

The subject matter of her music often includes introspective feminist and LGBTQ+ lyrics, often tackling personally challenging issues. Sawayama's deep understanding / organic analysis of these topics is exemplified by her post-secondary education at Cambridge, where she studied political science.

During her live performance (towards the middle of the set), she spoke at length about the track, 'Send My Love To John,' a ballad outlining a queer relationship one of Sawayama's close friends was involved in. Her friend's parents were both conservative Christians and, unsurprisingly, against the relationship.

After being kicked out of their home and years going by, Rina's friend started sending his mother images of their healthy relationship with John - including cooking John did or the pair out doing fun activities. After some time had passed, Rina's friend was on a phone call with their mom when she said, 'give my love to John.'

This simple quote was not something of acceptance but the closest thing this individual may ever get to having a parent's approval. The morally detestable idea that an individual should be outcasted from their family due to their sexual preferences is sickening - but it outlines many of the real issues LGBTQ+ people experience.

We've progressed so far beyond this regressive and evil mindset.

Rina's set was fantastic, coupled with several outfit changes and great work from backup dancers. Her vocals were phenomenal, and her stage presence was immaculate. I would highly recommend checking out her new release with Empress Of - the visuals are incredible.

I would highly recommend watching one of her sets live.