| Rina | ||||
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| Released | 27 October 2017 [1] | |||
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| Length | 24:53 | |||
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| Rina Sawayama chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Rina | ||||
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Rina (stylised in all caps) is the debut extended play by Japanese singer-songwriter Rina Sawayama. Also described as a mini album, Rina was independently released on 27 October 2017. [1] Sawayama funded the album herself, working for "2-3 jobs at a time for years" to save enough to release the EP. [5] Sawayama promoted the album through the Ordinary Superstar Tour in 2018.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Guardian |   [2] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 8.5/10 [1] |
Rachel Aroesti of The Guardian called the EP "nostalgic" and capable of "shepard[ing] pop into the future." She praised "Alterlife" as a highlight and called it a "double-speed power ballad, replete with twinkling synths and an industrial guitar riff" and compared it to Grimes' 2015 album Art Angels . She also compared "Ordinary Superstar" to Britney Spears and Hannah Montana, with the former exerting heavy influence over the EP as a whole. Saam Idelji-Tehrani of The Line of Best Fit also praised Rina, saying "Although Sawayama's mini-album is one laced with nostalgia, she intelligently uses 90s pop and R&B as a canvas to paint 21st Century missives on internet addiction, alter-ego dependence and the gratification found through web-based validation." Idelji-Tehrani compared "Take Me As I Am" to "NSYNC-inspired power pop" and "Cyber Stockholm Syndrome" to Butterfly -era Mariah Carey. [1]
In their list of the Top 20 Best Pop and R&B albums of 2017, Pitchfork ranked the album at number 19 and praised Sawayama for her wide array of influences including experimental J-pop, Neptunes, Britney Spears, and synthwave, saying she has "a knack for them all". [6] Dazed also ranked Rina as the 10th best album of 2017. [7]
All songs written by Rina Sawayama and Clarence Clarity, except where noted. All production done by Clarence Clarity except where noted. [8]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ordinary Superstar" | 3:47 | ||
| 2. | "Take Me as I Am" | 3:26 | ||
| 3. | "10-20-40" | 3:15 | ||
| 4. | "Tunnel Vision" (featuring Shamir) |
| Tailor | 3:36 |
| 5. | "Time Out" (Interlude) | 1:00 | ||
| 6. | "Alterlife" | 4:04 | ||
| 7. | "Through the Wire" (Interlude) |
| Tailor | 2:03 |
| 8. | "Cyber Stockholm Syndrome" |
|
| 3:42 |
| Total length: | 24:53 | |||
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japan Download Albums ( Billboard Japan ) [9] | 40 |
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