Rina Sawayama's new single ‘This Hell’ is a pop-country pride anthem

Japanese-British pop star Rina Sawayama goes country in her latest single 'This Hell'. It's our first glimpse of her upcoming sophomore album Hold the Girl which will arrive September 2. This first track is a mix of pop, country, and glam rock all poured into an exultant LGBTQ rallying cry.

Fresh off a sold-out UK and US tour, plus two sets at Coachella, Rina also announced her forthcoming tour spanning the UK and Ireland coming this October- including a show at the 3Olympia Theatre in Dublin on October 15.

“I had so much fun writing ‘This Hell,’" Rina shared, "The past couple of years I’ve been listening to lots of female country singers and wanted to write a euphoric and tongue in cheek country pop song. Country music at its core to me represents comfort, brilliant storytelling and authentic expression of the writer’s reality.

I’ve been dreaming of working with Paul Epworth my entire career so I knew it was meant to be when we finished this song in a day. I put in as many iconic pop culture moments as I can, but the song is more than that.”

Despite the upbeat, club-friendly vibe of the track - it's lyrics call out something darker than one might initially think. It really is a proclamation of queer rebellion. Between glam-rock riffs, Rina sings whimsical references to gay pop icons with lines like: “Fuck whatthey did to Britney / to Lady Di and Whitney.”

“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.”

One fan comments, "Omg, as a queer kid who got told they were going to hell every week this song speaks to me: a song that makes my inner child cry and my adult self twerk and wanna pole dance. The duality of Rina," perfectly encapsulating our feelings on the track.

Tonight, Rina will be giving what is sure to be a killer debut live performance of 'This Hell' on Jimmy Fallon.