Well, fans of excellent pop music can rejoice, because the artist behind one of the year’s single best debuts, Rina Sawayama with her self-titled Sawayama, just confirmed that she’s half done with a follow-up. Yes 2020 has been a dumpster fire, but there’s been tons of excellent music released anyway — and excellent pop music for that matter — so my worry that 2021 is going to be sparse is officially laid to rest. Sawayama 2, as I’m casually dubbing the new album for a working title, is going to make sure pop fans are fed next year.
As Pop Crave reports, in a new interview with Music Feeds, Rina lets it slip that she has a new era already underway. “Oh, the next era has already started! she told the interviewer when he asked about her plans. “I’m already writing, and the songs are so interesting. Again, as much as I try, cannot for the life of me write a heterosexual love song. Keep trying, I can’t do it. But, I’ve let the pressure go and am just letting myself do what I want, or need. I’m enjoying reading other people’s works and listening to other people’s songs. There was a moment there where I was scared to listen to anyone else’s music because I was in such a weird mental state of comparing myself to other people. But now, I’m free of that. So it’s good.”
To his follow up questions, she mentioned that she’s inspired by Taylor Swift and might even consider some sessions in Nashville (!) What a curveball, love that.
“I’ve got about half an album of working songs already,” she continued. “I’m going to keep writing, and I’ve heard that I might be going to Nashville to write which is one of my dreams. That’s important to me because country music and people who write in country – they are so about the story. That’s why I love Taylor Swift – folklore was amazing, she’s such an exemplary songwriter.”
Check out the full interview here, and hopefully we’ll get to hear some new songs soon! Rina’s take on Taylor Swift? I’m, ahem, ready for it.