Sawayama
by Rina Sawayama
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 1138 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,056 out of 1138
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 1138
  3. Negative: 57 out of 1138
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  1. buriedwrng
    May 21, 2020
    8
    it’s really hard for me to love all the songs, as i expected it didn’t happens in here. however, i literally loved 5 of the 12 of them. i found “dynasty” and “who’s gonna save u now?” amazingly thrilling and boosting. “chosen family” is absolutely beautiful, periodt.
  2. Masterlime
    May 18, 2020
    8
    This album is pretty divisive for me. The good songs are great but there are some songs that just dont hit at all in my opinion. I just wish this was a full length album made out of songs like 'XS, 'STFU' and the needed emotional cuts like 'Akasaka Sad'. To my disappointment there are some songs that just dont emphasize her capabilities. Nearly half of the songs here could have been cutThis album is pretty divisive for me. The good songs are great but there are some songs that just dont hit at all in my opinion. I just wish this was a full length album made out of songs like 'XS, 'STFU' and the needed emotional cuts like 'Akasaka Sad'. To my disappointment there are some songs that just dont emphasize her capabilities. Nearly half of the songs here could have been cut and replaced in my opinion.

    She is a pop queen even though this is her debut album but she has to get better in choosing the gems that go into her crown.

    7.5/10    … Expand
  3. PedroBuenoM
    May 17, 2020
    10
    A totally cohesive and well-crafted work, vocal excellence and production excellence, mixture of ROCK, POP + styles from the 80s & 90s Totally Perfect. Album of the Year SO FAR
  4. Lbstev
    May 15, 2020
    10
    Its sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo **** good love it
  5. Julia1998
    May 15, 2020
    10
    Amazing album from start to finish. The production is top-notch. It has replay value.
  6. supremehive
    May 10, 2020
    10
    After lots of listens I still can’t get over at how great this album is as an experience, she presents herself as a versatile artist, the production of each song seem like they couldn’t be any better, I couldn’t ask for anything more. One can get completely immerse in the storylines she pulls with each song, greatly expressing her emotions and making us follow along the journey of eachAfter lots of listens I still can’t get over at how great this album is as an experience, she presents herself as a versatile artist, the production of each song seem like they couldn’t be any better, I couldn’t ask for anything more. One can get completely immerse in the storylines she pulls with each song, greatly expressing her emotions and making us follow along the journey of each track. Speechless. I don’t believe 2020 will have a better album, and this was my introduction to Rina. I’m in awe.… Expand
  7. Galactawhore
    May 9, 2020
    10
    Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely never been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, **** on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it. Album of the f*****g year.
  8. imnotherebyee
    May 9, 2020
    3
    Demasiado sobrevalorado para lo que es, en cuanto a vocals deja mucho que desear y la producción no es de la mejor.
  9. Dustinblake5901
    May 6, 2020
    10
    Best Album of The Year/Decade!! Sawayama is a journey that keeps you on the edge of your seat! Using metal influences to show anger, Sawayama will make you laugh, cry, and dance!
  10. sweet_talk3r
    May 5, 2020
    10
    Best pop album of the year so far, she snapped! Tracks like XS, Love Me 4 Me are really 2000's reminiscent and are perfectly blended with today's music. The "rock" bits like Who's Gonna Save U Now? and STFU! are literally perfect. Truly a groundbreaking album.
  11. seba7u7
    May 2, 2020
    10
    Arte arte muy arte rina diosa literalmente te cagaste en mierga omg nada nuevo de la promesa de la musica asi es
  12. WindowsPeak
    May 2, 2020
    7
    Good voice,crazy and funny efects,is a good debut album and she is a interesting artist
  13. Ecstasydragon
    Apr 30, 2020
    9
    Really love this album. It gives me Night Time, My Time vibes. It’s really so well produced and XS and Comme Des Garçon are amazing
  14. Indiebicth
    Apr 29, 2020
    8
    At its best, Sawayama redefines pop tropes on tracks like akasaka sad and the album’s best, most complex track, snakeskin.However at it’s worst it can fall into these pop tropes on tracks like XS.
    Dynasty 9/10
    XS 6/10 STFU 8/10 Comme Des Garçons 6.5/10 Akasaka Sad 9.5/10 Paradisin 6.5/10 Love me 4 me 7/10 Bad friend 8.5/10 **** this world 6/10 Who’s gonna save you now? 9/10 Tokyo Love    At its best, Sawayama redefines pop tropes on tracks like akasaka sad and the album’s best, most complex track, snakeskin.However at it’s worst it can fall into these pop tropes on tracks like XS.
    Dynasty 9/10
    XS 6/10
    STFU 8/10
    Comme Des Garçons 6.5/10
    Akasaka Sad 9.5/10
    Paradisin 6.5/10
    Love me 4 me 7/10
    Bad friend 8.5/10
    **** this world 6/10
    Who’s gonna save you now? 9/10
    Tokyo Love hotel 7.5/10
    Chosen family 7.5/10
    Snakeskin 10/10    … Expand
  15. joshkacey
    Apr 28, 2020
    9
    Nu-metal AND bubblegum pop? Rina makes a name for herself as an expert in the craft of weaving together abrasive and jarring stabs of rock infused bops, with sweet and sugary teen-pop jams, to make an album that is confessional enough to relate to her audience, while being nostalgic in a way that makes music trends of the 90’s and 00’s sound like they never went of out of style, ratherNu-metal AND bubblegum pop? Rina makes a name for herself as an expert in the craft of weaving together abrasive and jarring stabs of rock infused bops, with sweet and sugary teen-pop jams, to make an album that is confessional enough to relate to her audience, while being nostalgic in a way that makes music trends of the 90’s and 00’s sound like they never went of out of style, rather instead staying around to follow us into the streaming era.

    Think Evanescence, a tad of JoJo, some Britney Spears, then add Korn to the mix. The recipe sounds bound for an auditory fever dream of Limp Bizkit being blasted through the prom speakers of mid-2000’s high school prom. Where many artists pay ode to the era that raised them, see Charli XCX and Troye Sivan’s 2018 collaboration 1999, Rina has made up her debut album with songs that actually sound like they were recorded in 1999.    … Expand
  16. adelwinwr
    Apr 24, 2020
    10
    sawayama has everything from nu metal to r&b to pop. she uses genre-splicing to express different emotions on her album. almost every song on the album is good but DYNASTY is definitely my favorite so far
  17. Evic21
    Apr 24, 2020
    10
    SAWAYAMA is an honest self-portrait of an artist brimming with ideas of how to push pop into weirder territory. Her creative choices on the album shouldn't work, but they all come together to form an album that is nostalgic yet refreshingly new. Rina's lyrics and rock star vocals anchor the whole project as a singular vision of boundless potential and creativity.
  18. MarcBb12cXx
    Apr 24, 2020
    10
    the fact that this is her debut album means that she's a legend in the making. Sawayama serves lyrically, sonically and artistically. This is a top notch album that nobody asks for but needed in this pandemic situation.
  19. rinasawayamas
    Apr 23, 2020
    10
    amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing amazing
  20. allmirrors
    Apr 23, 2020
    9
    rina didn't come to play. she's innovative, unique, smart, talented, she is the moment. sawayama aoty
  21. DrewBarrymore
    Apr 22, 2020
    10
    ths is AMAZING! i hope gets the recognition that deserves plsssssssssssssss
  22. Potasio
    Apr 22, 2020
    9
    buenardo. tiene buenos ritmos, y una mezcla de géneros variados, también una buena letra
    canciones favoritas: dynasty, xs, akasaka sad, paradisin'
    canciones menos favoritas: **** this world, bad friend
  23. FatLadRoss
    Apr 22, 2020
    10
    WOW....blown away!

    Recently I've been listening to all the top rated albums as per Metacritic and roughly 92% of them have been truly woeful. No flow, proper singing, talent or anything redeeming. I can honestly say this album is a breath of fresh air, I've never heard of Rina before but wow this girl can sing. Great tunes, catchy, fresh and different all at the same time. Highly    WOW....blown away!

    Recently I've been listening to all the top rated albums as per Metacritic and roughly 92% of them have been truly woeful. No flow, proper singing, talent or anything redeeming.

    I can honestly say this album is a breath of fresh air, I've never heard of Rina before but wow this girl can sing. Great tunes, catchy, fresh and different all at the same time.

    Highly recommend this.......124 out of 10 on the 'You should listen to this now' scale!

    *Edit* I've listened to this none stop since writing the review and it's got even better, increased to a 10. Nuff said    … Expand
  24. jar033
    Apr 22, 2020
    10
    Album of the year. If you don't believe me, go listen to this masterpiece by yourself.
  25. arthurdepr
    Apr 21, 2020
    10
    there's not a single bad song here (even if there are, for sure, definite standouts). the production is impecable and every single track is it's own little universe; it's own story. she knocked it out of the park. AOTY contender.
  26. RageNate
    Apr 20, 2020
    6
    Worthies (8/14):
    - Dynasty
    - XS
    - Comme des garçons (Like the Boys)
    - Love Me 4 Me
    - Bad Friend
    - **** This World (Interlude)
    - Tokyo Love Hotel
    - Tokyo Takeover
  27. selsmanic
    Apr 20, 2020
    10
    we have here A STRONG POTENTIALLY ALBUM OF THE YEAR!
    first i wanna say LOOK! AT! THE! COVER! amazing omg i love it sm it's soooo good and the makeup and hair is incredibly good wow she's perfectly flawless! now, i gotta say i NEVER heard of her and never heard any of her music, this was my first time listening to her and i have to admit WE STAN! she delivered bop after bop, pop perfection!    we have here A STRONG POTENTIALLY ALBUM OF THE YEAR!
    first i wanna say LOOK! AT! THE! COVER! amazing omg i love it sm it's soooo good and the makeup and hair is incredibly good wow she's perfectly flawless! now, i gotta say i NEVER heard of her and never heard any of her music, this was my first time listening to her and i have to admit WE STAN! she delivered bop after bop, pop perfection! she better get some grammy noms bc this is truly amazing, a wonderful body of work, so cohesive and so well structured with every detail in the production, lyrics, vocals.. I gotta admit there's only 1 grower and that is STFU! ... idk but that song didn't caught me at the first time and it was kinda off... but the rest were instantly BOPS! But after a few times listening to STFU! i came to the conclusion is a bop. I LOVED EVERY. SINGLE. TRACK! THERE WASN'T ANY TRACK I WOULD GET BORED! THE ALBUM GOT BETTER AS IT CONTINUED TO PROGRESS AND SHE DID: THAT! i didn't expected her to have this sound of pop perfection i thought she was more alternative (kinda like Banks or FKA Twigs sound..) i love this sound, i'm so happy and glad i stopped sleeping on her and i listened to this masterpiece bc WOW i'm speechless.. Now i'll give this album a solid 9/10, it was beyond beautiful every production on every song was OUT OF THIS WORLD! i **** love it istg i'm gonna be listening until i turn 84 at least because personally i don't see the album aging anytime soon, and if it doesn't my mark will increase from 9 to 9,5 and even 10? who knows but the thing we ALL know is that she came and did: THAT!    … Expand
  28. alexbpstan
    Apr 20, 2020
    10
    Album of the year material. I listen to it from top to bottom enjoying every song. Thank you Rina
  29. VitorMussi
    Apr 20, 2020
    9
    O álbum debut de Rina é incrível, acredito que inclui várias músicas inovadoras e com ritmos interessantes, enquanto outras são bem entendiantes, em geral, um bom álbum.
  30. JJ678
    Apr 20, 2020
    9
    Really liked this debut, so many different genres being fused together on one album, with great vocal performances to go along with it. Although I'd never heard of her before I definitely have now. Brilliant.
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Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Best Album of 2020
20
#20 Most Discussed Album of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
89

Universal acclaim - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. AllMusic
    May 19, 2020
    80
    On this stunning debut, Sawayama captures Dua Lipa's future nostalgia and Poppy's metal-meets-pop savvy, rightfully making it her own with more depth, bigger thrills, and a limitless palette.
    Read full review
  2. Consequence
    May 4, 2020
    91
    SAWAYAMA appears poised to be one of the best pop albums of the year and sets Sawayama up as a pop force to be reckoned with.
    Read full review
  3. Under The Radar
    Apr 30, 2020
    75
    The album is a complicated picture of Swayama’s past, present, and future. It is rare to see a debut album with such a fully realized voice and vision behind it. What’s more, she exorcises her personal demons amid some of the year’s best dancefloor-filling pop.
    Read full review
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