Rina Sawayama is back and she’s ready to take us on a little trip down below with her new single “This Hell”. 

The first single off of the Japanese-British singer-songwriter’s second album Hold the Girl. Sawayama is known for her songs about race, sexuality, and chosen family. So it comes as no surprise that the pansexual powerhouse’s new song turns eternal damnation into a good time with lyrics like these. 

Saw a poster on the corner opposite the motel / Turns out I’m going to hell if I keep on being myself / Don’t know what I did, but they seem pretty mad about it / God hates us? Alright then, buckle up, at dawn we’re riding

Walk a mile on these coals, busy cleansing my soul / Getting ready for the night / Damned for eternity, but you’re coming with me / Into the afterlife

This hell is better with you / We’re burning up together, baby, that makes two

Sawayama stated in a press release, “It’s an important song for me given the human rights that are being taken away from minorities at a rapid rate in the name of traditional religious beliefs, more specifically I was thinking about the rights being taken away from the LGBTQ community when I wrote this song. When the world tells us we don’t deserve love and protection, we have no choice but to give love and protection to each other. This Hell is better with you”.

After releasing various EPs, Sawayama released her debut album, Sawayama, at the height of the pandemic to critical acclaim. The album consisted of songs concentrated around navigating identity, childhood, and adulthood, while immersed in Y2K pop goodness. The re-release of the album featured queer acts and allies, such as Bree Runway, Pabllo Vittar, and Elton John. 

After two years of touring, live on air performances, and numerous awards, the triumphant return of Rina has arrived and queer twitter is loving Rina’s new music.

And with live performances of her new song, the anticipation for more music from Rina is high.

Buckle up y’all. If “This Hell” is any indicator, Rina’s new album is going to be a wild ride.

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