Rina Sawayama is a pop artist with a bold spirit and a captivating voice. Her debut album SAWAYAMA received her acclaim and praise. Its greatest strength lies in its ability to seamlessly blend R&B and bubblegum pop and opera influences, while staying true to the qualities that made her stand out as a singer with a distinctive voice. Since the album's debut, Sawayama has continued to develop her voice and has collaborated with artists such as Elton John, Lady Gaga and Charli XCX.The sophomore album Hold the Girl tackles themes that range from anti-Asian hatred, homophobia, as well as mental illness. despite her political science degree yet, she's able to give her music her signature glitzy ebullience. This time around she teamed up with producer Clarence Clarity and co-writer Lauren Aquilina to compose songs that aren't afraid of making difficult and often controversial observations about her own life."Hold the Girl" and "Say It's Fine," in particular "delve into her struggles with self-acceptance, identity and resistance. The lyrics and her voice are supported by a soothing music background.The album's opener "Holy (Til You Let Me go)" is a wonderful example of how Sawayama's style and her voice are able to make a powerful and memorable track of music. The track opens by introducing a digital chant that is reminiscent of the dynamism of a modern AC/DC song, and expands to a dark drum break from Bloc Party's Matt Tong. Rina Sawayama Cloth of Sawayama are layered on a vibrating, reverberating synthesizer, as she sings.The second track is "Frankenstein" and showcases Sawayama's musical extremities. A chaotic drum break from Bloc Party's Matt Toong accompanies a pulsating chorus that's similar to Lady Gaga's "Fall in Love with Me" and Britney Spears "I Wanna Dance With Somebody."Following the track, she delivers an emotionally vulnerable acoustic version of her song "Second Chance" and "Tokyo Love Hotel" that addresses her frustration with the fetishization of Japan and Tokyo and her anger at Japan's status as a country that is seen as a dress-up accessory to be worn for a day or two. The two songs are inspiring and powerful. Sawayama has done a great job in bringing these themes to life.The show itself was an incredible experience and the audience definitely ate it up. From the moment she walked on stage, viewers were immediately attracted by her charismatic personality and remarkable musical palette. They were awed by her manner in which her songs were woven into a lively and cohesive performance. The show was an incredibly special celebration of the different aspects of her work as an artist.