Rina Sawayama Makes Debut on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge & Covers Billie Eilish's 'Happier Than Ever'

Rina Sawayama made her debut performance on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge Tuesday (September 27). While there, she performed a unique cover of Billie Eilish's hit song "Happier Than Ever" as well as her own song "Hold the Girl."

Performing a short set on the radio program, Sawayama delivered her Billie cover in true Sawayama fashion: she swapped out the song’s light acoustic opening for a dream-like guitar part. She nailed the song’s iconic transition from frustration to rage, slowly building up her voice in a distorted mic until it finally broke. She even added extra high-note belting – proving just how strong her vocal chops are. The performance dove into the almost-metal sound that defined so much of her debut album, Sawayama.

Sawayama also delivered a live rendition of “Hold the Girl,” off of her sophomore album of the same name, during her BBC appearance. The song's glitching production was paired with Sawayama's live vocals, an acoustic guitar, keys, and drums.

In other Sawayama news, the pop singer just released Hold the Girl earlier this month and will be kicking off a headlining tour. It will begin October 12 in the U.K. before making its way to North America in November.

Watch Sawayama's performances in the Live Lounge below.

Check out our selection of free stations streaming Rina Sawayama music at Live365.com.

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_{Article Image: Rina Sawayama sings into a mic while performing at a June 2022 concert. (Raph_PH [CC BY 2.0] via Wikimedia Commons.)}