Rina Sawayama Releases Music Video for 'Hold the Girl'

Pop artist Rina Sawayama has released a music video for the title track of her sophomore album, Hold the Girl. The "Hold the Girl" video features rustic scenery, buried background dancers, and a telepathic force that hoists Sawayama into the air as though she were a character in Jordan Peele's Nope.

The visual is helmed by Ali Kurr, who also directed the music video for Sawayama's recent song, “This Hell.” The video sees Sawayama trapped in an empty wooden house trying to escape into the countryside. Every time she makes it outside, an unseen force drags her back into the building and she repeatedly wakes up in her bed à la Groundhog Day. It's only until Rina finds another version of herself – buried beneath the floorboards of the house – that she is able to escape.

Clearly, the visual is a metaphor for inner strength, acceptance, and caring for your true self. Sawayama reportedly wrote "Hold the Girl" after a therapy session and the song vaguely touches on aspects of her troubled childhood. The track was produced by Barney Lister, who created the remarkable rhythm for the song, which transitions back and forth from a calming ballad track to a dance-pop R&B indie beat with an unexpected key change.

Hold the Girl is out September 16. It follows 2020’s Sawayama. So far, Sawayama has released the tracks "This Hell," "Catch Me In the Air," and "Hold the Girl" as singles. Some lines of lyrics for the upcoming songs "Minor Feelings," "Holy (Til You Let Me Go)," "Frankenstein," and "Send My Love to John" have been unveiled thanks to press releases and Sawayama's album trailer.

Additionally, Sawayama is planning a fall U.S. tour. It kicks off on November 1 in Brooklyn, New York. The 13-date run will see Sawayama cross the U.S. through Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, and Arizona, before closing out with a show in Los Angeles. Tickets are available here.

Watch the video for "Hold the Girl" below.

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

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_{Article Image: Rina Sawayama gazes out an open window in the music video for "Hold the Girl." (Rina Sawayama via YouTube.)}