Rina Sawayama at the Lafayette for BRITs Week War Child 2023

A year after she was bizarrely deemed “not British enough” to be considered for an award at The Brits, the hyper-pop star Rina Sawayama returned to London vindicated and with a desire to have as much fun as possible. The event, part of BRITs week in association with War Child, was held at the intimate Lafayette, and Sawayama – nominated for an award in the Rising Star category –brought with her a pared-back acoustic accompaniment, departing from the at times overproduced sound of her most recent album Hold the Girl.

The acoustic sound was an intriguing choice, posing the question of whether Sawayama would explore a vulnerability apparent but not always realised on her album, and that might benefit from the stripped-back setting and opportunity to centre her remarkable voice. Sawayama clearly had other intentions, entering the stage in gloriously excessive and sparkling cowgirl boots, and joined by three musicians in the double denim of a Nashville scene far removed from her own genre-bending pop. Country covers, she told the crowd, would be sprinkled in with hits from her albums, and as she brought out a soft toy part-cat and part-toast slice recently won at a Tokyo arcade, a mood of playful communality fell over a young and mostly queer audience who would remain unwaveringly fond of her throughout the night.

The set began with three tracks from her most recent album, strummed chords and a box drum replacing the stadium sound of the studio, and yet there was little tonal shift in Sawayama’s performance, which in both Hold the Girl and Hurricanes, continued to strive for the vocal intensity and sense of almost constant climax showcased on her album. Despite the best efforts of the guitarist, who strummed tirelessly to provide urgency and drive, the fusion wasn’t entirely effective, and Sawayama was on safer ground as she moved into STFU, setting up a raucous call and response with the crowd that would prove the night’s most reliable method.

The crowd were here to revel in Sawayama’s voice and the campy informality she brought between songs, and yet the celebratory atmosphere couldn’t mask a sense that something was missing. She moved into the covers, which included Avril Lavigne’s I’m With You and Shania Twain’s You’re Still the One, and while she carried them off well, at one point delighting the crowd by slipping into an impressive imitation of Lavigne’s Ontario drawl, they were more endearing than truly effective. Sawayama, however, seemed unbothered, determined to relish the opportunity to experiment away from the tight choreography of her regular live performances, and the night found a fitting climax in performances of XS and This Hell, which brought the gig to a close with a sense of carnival collaboration, Sawayama directing the crowd and finding in them the dramatic, swelling sound that all too often had felt absent. The night was undeniable fun, and yet felt tinged with the frustration of hearing an artist you always feel has more to offer.

Josh Britton
Photos: @anclamusicphoto

Rina Sawayama performed as part of BRITs Week presented by Mastercard for War Child 2023. For further information on Rina Sawayama and future events, visit here.

Watch the video for the single here: